Campaign Phone
6145172660
Occupation
Retired
Education
Bachelor of Arts Accounting & Business Administration, 1985 from Thiel College, Greenville, PA
Qualifications for Office
25+ years financial business & marketing experience, Owned & operated a local business, Public School Advocate, Community Oriented
The most significant challenge facing the community is the change in state funding of public education. This year, the state legislature decided not to fully fund the last two years of the Fair School Funding Plan. As a result, more pressure was placed on local taxpayers to fund public schools. In addition, more bills are being introduced in the statehouse that would revamp property taxes which is a major source of funding for public schools. I would continue to educate the local community members on the finances of the district and explain the cycle of tax levies and how the changes made at the state level are impacting our students and their future success.
My primary priorities for my second term in office are the completion of the master facilities projects including the recent readjustments to the pre-school, middle school south and middle school west which will be completed by 2027. Fortunately, the funding already exists for the completion of the above capital projects. My second priority is to continue to oversee the execution of the district's strategic plan which is currently in the second year. Action items from the strategic plan will be funded through the district's annual budget process and included in the five year plan.
The role of the board of education is to ensure all students are provided educational opportunities, appoint and hire a superintendent and treasurer, approve the annual budget of the district, approve all contracts entered into by the district, and create and maintain all policies of the district. My 30+ years of financial and marketing experience in the corporate environment make me an ideal candidate for the board of education. I am fiscally minded and date driven. I have in-depth experience in conflict resolution and consensus builder which is critical in a governing role. In addition, I am a great listener and problem solver.
I attend and engage in many different community events making myself available through casual conversations to listen to the community's concerns or questions. I am involved with the community coffees that the district hosts. In addition, I have an active social media presence that community members can message me as well as reach me through email or cell phone.
My approach to building consensus is active listening and dialogue between impacted groups. I actively reach out to community members that have expressed concerns or disagreements to understand their point of view, clarify the information and follow up with additional details if needed. Most of the time, community members do not have the full scope of the information and once it is given and explained disagreements are resolved.
