LM Board of Commissioners and School Board

March 15, 2007

(Main Line Times) A watershed election. That's how 2003, when Lower Merion Democrats gained control of both the board of commissioners and the school board, was summed up.

Historic. That was the word for 2005, which saw an unprecedented five commissioners' seats change hands.

Start looking for another adjective. With a majority of school board seats and half of commissioners' seats up for election, 2007 is shaping up to be just as active a year.

Three school directors, including the board's leaders of the past four years, confirmed this week that they will not seek re-election. They are Board President Larry Rosenwald, Vice President Marcia Taylor and board member Joss Gelfand.

Rosenwald said he made the decision to step down in at the end of last year after his daughter was accepted to Cornell. His son will also be away at school earning a Ph.D. in history.

"I want to be able to travel and see my kids," Rosenwald said.

Gelfand said he made the decision after winning his last term four years ago that this would be his final election.

Rosenwald and Gelfand each have been on the board since spring of 1999 when they were appointed to fill un-expired terms. All three were then elected to the board in the fall of 1999 for their first full four-year term.

In the next 12 months, the board must select a successor to Superintendent Jamie Savedoff, who will retire next February. The culminating pieces of the district's capital program, construction of two new high schools, are finally poised to move forward. At the same time, district residents are raising questions about the tax impact, cost and size of the projects.

Two years ago, when four seats were up, the two parties agreed to endorse a shared slate, maintaining the board's balance.

Don't look for cross-filing this year. Both parties have fielded full slates of five candidates, who they say bring valuable educational, legal, finance and real estate experience to the table.

Democratic candidates include two incumbents:
Diane DiBonaventuro of Rosemont, an eight-year member and chair of the Purchasing and Facilities Committee, and Lisa Fair Pliskin of Merion Station, Finance Committee chairman, seeking her second term.

Seeking to fill the three open seats are:
Linda Doucette-Ashman, a Villanova environmental attorney who has been active in home-school associations and serves as a board member of the Committee for Special Education; David Ebby, a Bryn Mawr commercial real estate attorney who previously taught upper school English and history; and Susan Guthrie of Merion Station, an economist and home room parent at Merion Elementary. "We are excited to have a slate that combines experienced directors with candidates who have tremendous professional credentials as well as hands-on experience with both the pubic and private school community," said Mary Jo Pauxtis, co-chair of the Democratic Committee of Lower Merion and Narberth. Republican candidates are: Phil Zuzelo of Bryn Mawr, a finance management professional who previously ran in 2003 and has recently chaired the district's Act 1 Tax Study Commission;

Larry Hollin of Bala Cynwyd, principal of a company that oversees private equity and real estate funds; Shelley Marine, co-president of the Bala Cynwyd Middle School HSA, whose professional background is in accounting; Sheryl Bartos of Merion Station, whose two daughters attend Merion Elementary and The Gateway School, where she is PTA president; and Bill Duffy of Bala Cynwyd, a career educator who currently serves as director of pupil services in the Marple-Newtown School District. "I feel there are many complicated issues facing the school board this year, mainly the two high school projects," said Tracy Specter, chairwoman of the Lower Merion and Narberth Republican Committee. "Our candidates have the experience to make these projects a success." On the board of commissioners, half of the 14 seats, representing odd-numbered wards, are up for election.

Two are currently held by Republicans: Rocco Burdo, representing Belmont Hills/Penn Valley's Ward 3, will retire and Ward 11's Lewis Gould, is seeking a fourth term. In addition to Gould, three other Republicans have filed. Stephen Selinger of Penn Valley, a lifelong township resident who has served as a judge of elections, will try to hold onto the Ward 3 seat for his party.

Greg Cirillo, also of Penn Valley, an attorney specializing in civic litigation, has stepped forward to challenge Democrat Mark Taylor in Ward 1. Taylor was appointed to the seat last October to replace retiring board president Matthew Comisky.

And in Ward 7, where Democratic incumbent Liz Rogan is seeking a second term, Republican John DiNome of Wynnewood, a labor law attorney, has filed.

There are no Republican candidates in Wards 5 and 13, where Democrats Cheryl Gelber and current board President Bruce Reed each seek a second term, or in Ward 9. Democrat George Manos was appointed to that seat last August, to fill retiring board veteran Joseph Manko's unexpired term.

Democrats, however, have fielded candidates in Wards 3 and 11, presenting a full slate. John Joseph of Bala Cynwyd, a former U.S. attorney, will seek Burdo's seat, while Jerry Balka of Bryn Mawr has filed to challenge Gould. Balka, an attorney for more than 50 years, currently represents clients in real estate and banking.

Finally, the post of township treasurer is up for election in 2007, following the resignation in January of Democrat Joe McCaffrey, who has served for just a year.

Current Treasurer Samuel Adenbaum, who was appointed to the office, will seek a full four-year term on the Democratic side. Republican Stanley Merves, a CPA who currently works as a consultant and who serves on the boards of several community organizations, has also filed.

Radnor commissioners, school board There are four open seats on Radnor's Board of Commissioners this year, and three incumbents are running for re-election.

The following four candidates are endorsed by the Republican Party.
Hank Mahoney, who is currently the board president, is running unopposed to represent Ward 1, which constitutes the area of North Wayne. He was first elected to the board in 1995.
Lisa Paolino, currently vice president of the board, represents Ward 5, the Bryn Mawr area of the township. She joined the board in 1999. Kimberly Scott of Villanova is running to represent the township's Ward 3, which has the largest amount of open space in Radnor. Daniel Cuff of Rosemont is running for the Ward 7 commission seat. The ward constitutes much of Rosemont and Garrett Hill. Cuff has been a committeeman there for a decade.

The following three people are candidates who have been endorsed by the Democratic Party in Radnor.
Bill Spingler of South Wayne was elected to represent the residents of the Ward 3 on the Board of Commissioners in 1991 (and also served on the Board of Commissioners in 1970-71 before being elected to Delaware County Council).

John Nagle of Bryn Mawr ran for the Ward 5 seat four years ago and is doing so again this year. Nagle's involvement in the Radnor community includes serving on the township's Parks and Recreation Board for more than 13 years.

John Fisher of Rosemont has lived 17 years in the township's Ward 7 and is running to represent its residents. He is a member of Radnor School District's diversity committee.

Democrat Dave Cannan, Ward 7 representative, did not file the necessary papers to run for re-election.
Five of the nine Radnor School Board seats are up for election this year.

Only two of the five incumbents are seeking re-election, and both the Democratic and Republican parties have endorsed five candidates, with an incumbent in each party.

Board members Art Lewis, Rich Booker, and George Kerschner are not seeking re-election.

The following five candidates are endorsed by the Democratic Party:

Doug Blazey of Wayne has two children in Radnor schools.

Tsiwen (pronounced "shee-win") Law of Bryn Mawr has one child currently in the district. Susan Stern of Newtown Square currently has two children attending Radnor schools.

Elizabeth Tapera of Bryn Mawr recently served on the Act 1 local tax-study commission, which was responsible for making a recommendation to the school board on what percentage and type of income-tax shift to put on the May ballot.

Eric Zajac of Villanova was elected to the school board in 2005 to serve a two-year unexpired term. The following five people are the candidates on the Republican-endorsed slate Patricia Booker of Radnor works extensively in local political, community- and school district-related organizations. She has served as PTO president and is a member of the district's strategic planning action team.

Maryann Brink of Radnor is retired and has served as a Republican committeewoman for nearly a decade. She was involved at several levels in Radnor PTOs and was one of the founding families of the Radnor Educational Foundation.

Steven Gerber of Villanova has three children in Radnor schools and has been involved in Radnor youth sports for the past eight years. This is his first venture into local politics.

Incumbent Chuck Madden of Wayne is running for his fourth term.

Greg McNicholas of Bryn Mawr has two children in Radnor schools and is a member of the school district's strategic planning core team.