Eight candidates are currently vying for four open seats on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education.
Annetta Streater and David Saussy will attempt to retain their spots on the board. Chairman Mike Kelley and Board member Jamezetta Bedford's seats are up for grabs after the pair decided not to run for reelection after their terms expire this year.
Here's a little about each candidate:
Annetta Streater, incumbent
Age: 51
Occupation: Clinical program advisor for the UNC School of Dentistry
Primary goal: Increase community partnerships to better engage students
"I can say in a short way that I continue to be excited about the work, and it’s exciting work."
Rani Dasi
Age: 44
Occupation: Manager business analysis at LORD Coporation, a technology and manufacturing company that develops "adhesives, coatings, motion management device and sensing technologies"
Primary goal: Close the achievement gap
"The fact that there are different outcomes for different children of different groups. We have a strong education background in Chapel Hill and we should be able to offer that to all our students."
Theresa Watson
Age: 59
Occupation: Self-employed
Primary goal: Close the achievement gap
"Being from here gives me the ability to know what Chapel Hill is actually made of because I’m in all the different components of the community. In order for you to make everyone feel like they have a voice you have to be threaded through the community."
Margaret Samuels
Age: 44
Occupation: CEO of OE Enterprises, a nonprofit that helps individuals with disabilities get jobs
Primary goal: Increase the Board’s transparency and collaborative efforts
"I am running for school board because I have worked with children and families my whole career because I am a clinical social worker. I feel very strongly for funding — for every child to be successful."
David Saussy, incumbent
Age: 56
Occupation: Director of business development and licensing at Stiefel, a dermatological pharmaceutical company
Primary goal: Close the achievement gap
"One, I’m still interested for the same reasons I was in the first place. And two, I’d like to provide service to the schools and do what I can to make sure we are providing a quality education to all the students in the district."
Pat Heinrich
Age: 43
Occupation: IT Consultant
Primary goal: Insure that the school system maintains its reputation and continues to grow
"There are some things that are changing in the environment that are going to make it hard for our school system to continue to grow. I don’t see funding coming back any time soon, and I think we need to be more creative about how we get around that."
Joal Hall Broun
Age: 54
Occupation: Lobbying compliance director of the NC Secretary of State
Primary goal: Close the achievement gap
"I want to use the experience I have from working on the Carrboro Board of Alderman and Orange Water and Sewer Board to help them maintain the schools, because I have extensive knowledge in government and capital planning."
Gregg Gerdau
Age: 65
Occupation: Consultant
Primary goal: Increase the system’s technology and focus on retaining teachers
"The reason that I’m running is because I moved here in 2004 for a better school district than the one we were in Silicon Valley. I moved my whole family here 11 years ago, and my kids have done very well. In that time, I’ve seen some changes. By and large I hope to make a difference for the next generation of kids coming through."
@MMGarner28
city@dailytarheel.com
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