(The following is a Letter to the Editor from the North Penn Neighbors for Progress, regarding their school board candidates in the 2019 primary election. Editorial submissions can be sent to [email protected].)
The 2019 North Penn
Neighbors for Progress is a team of qualified candidates with a clear vision
who seek to combine their skills and credentials with their commitment to the
students and residents of the North Penn School District, and to bring about
well-considered and community informed changes to ensure present and future
success.
In the last eight weeks alone, we have knocked on more than 1,400 doors, met with countless residents at neighborhood events, taken part in dozens of community meetings and were welcomed into the homes of many supporters who graciously invited their neighbors to hear our message. In these meetings on front porches, sidewalks and kitchen tables, we are listening to your ideas and concerns. Many thanks to all of you who have already taken time to share your ideas with us! We’ll continue to be inclusive, transparent, and representative of the diverse needs and interests of our community. As we continue our campaign through Tuesday’s primary, we look forward to continuing our efforts to meeting more of you, our neighbors.
The North Penn Neighbors for Progress will work to support an informed and fiscally responsible plan to address the facility needs of the district, support student well-being by working to best meet the emotional needs of students, actively pursue appropriate measures to ensure school safety and work to continuously foster transparency, open communication and seek opportunities to garner community input.
For those who we have not yet had the privilege of meeting, we would like to take a moment to introduce ourselves. All six of us are proud to be a part of your 2019 North Penn Neighbors for Progress team.
Elisha Gee is an educator with 22 years of experience who has dedicated her career to working with students and families. She is currently an administrator in Hatboro-Horsham School District and is a mother of three children in North Penn School District. Elisha has lived in the school district for over 20 years and has multiple perspectives as a teacher, administrator, parent and community stakeholder. Most of all, Elisha believes and advocates for public education and for all of the families and neighbors in North Penn. Elisha was appointed to the North Penn School Board in February 2018.
Tim MacBain is an experienced high school educator in the Upper Dublin School District, a proud North Penn parent with two children just starting elementary school, a community volunteer and a taxpayer who cares about the prudence of our financial choices. He was appointed to fill a vacancy on our school board in June 2018, currently serves on the North Montco Technical Career Center Operating Committee, and is a fierce advocate for North Penn’s taxpayers and families through the PA School Boards Association. Tim understands first-hand what policy and budget modifications mean for actual student experiences in classrooms and extracurricular programs.
Juliane Ramic was appointed to the North Penn School Board in January 2018 and has been a Lansdale Borough resident for 15 years. She is the proud parent of a Knapp Elementary and Penndale Middle school students. She is a social worker by training, has worked in non-profit leadership positions and is uniquely qualified in the areas of grants management, budget creation and management, staff management, strategic planning, program implementation and evaluation, continuous quality improvement, forming effective partnerships, communications and media relations, fundraising, trauma informed care, and student wellness. She has worked on teacher training and child protection projects in refugee camps in Ethiopia.
Wanda Lewis-Campbell retired as the Assistant Dean for Student Life at Temple’s Ambler Campus and now serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the School of Education working with masters and doctorate students. She has a record of success in program administration in higher education, course instruction, presenting and training. She is a Montgomery Township resident and is proud of her community and civic engagement activities that directly benefit many North Penn students, families and residents. With Wanda’s experience, we hope to support and inform the work to foster diversity and inclusion, student leadership and professional development initiatives to support teachers as they grow in their chosen profession.
Al Roesch honorably served in the U.S. Air Force and has a master’s in business administration from Central Michigan University. During his career he designed, developed, and implemented computer systems for major corporations including GE Aerospace, GE Astrospace, Smith Kline, Wyeth, Aetna, and Independence Blue Cross. His business experience includes writing business proposals, business analysis, project planning, project management and team leadership. With Al’s experience, we hope to support and inform digital learning initiatives and improved contracting and procurement procedures. Al has been a resident of the North Penn School District for 23 years and is proud to have the support of his daughter and son-in-law who graduated from North Penn High School and his grandsons who are or will be attending Inglewood Elementary School. Al is running for the 2 year seat.
Cathy Wesley has lived in Montgomery Township for 27 years. Her two stepsons are North Penn High School graduates and she has hosted five exchange students each for one year as they attended the high school. Cathy serves as the Director of Engineering Design at SEPTA. She will bring her experience in managing large scale building projects and oversight of third party contracts to support the district’s 10 year facilities plan.
We hope we can count on your support in the primary on Tuesday, May 21. We, like school board and judicial candidates here in North Penn and across the state have done for decades, have answered the call from supporters on both sides of the political spectrum and cross-filed so that both Republican and Democrat supporters will be able to vote for us no matter their registration. Thank you again to all those who signed our petitions—Democrats and Republicans alike. We have been endorsed by the North Penn Democratic Committee and look forward to leading a campaign our students and families deserve; one that focuses on an informed and accountable vision for North Penn. Our work for the students, families, and residents of the North Penn School District, for us, requires that we put service over politics always.
We hope that you will keep in touch with us to the November election and beyond by following us on Facebook.
See also:
North Penn Alum Returns As Head Cheerleading Coach
Hundreds of Students’ Artwork to be Featured in North Penn Gallery of Art
NPHS Students Place in Top Three at SkillsUSA Conference
NPHS Named to U.S. News and World Report Best High Schools Rankings
