Sixteen to Run for School Board Nominating Committee on January 9

Sixteen residents have volunteered to run in the School Board Nominating Committee election to be held Tuesday, January 9, 2018. The SBNC, consisting of elected representatives from each elementary school area, meets in private sessions to choose nonpartisan candidates for the Scarsdale Board of Education. While all Scarsdale school district residents are welcome to propose Board of Education candidates to the SBNC, and any qualified candidates can choose to run from outside the nonpartisan system, the thirty elected members of the SBNC select the candidates to represent the nonpartisan slate in the school board election, which takes place at the same time as the school budget vote in May.

The twelve new committee members elected in January will join the eighteen others serving staggered three-year terms on the SBNC. The SBNC Administrative Committee is seeking the election of two candidates in each district, with the exception of Quaker Ridge, where it is seeking the election of four candidates to include the replacement of two SBNC members who have recently resigned. (The third and fourth highest vote getters from Quaker Ridge in this election will both fill a one-year term ending in 2019.)

The SBNC election will be held on Tuesday, January 9, 2018. Residents may vote in person in the Auditorium Lobby at the Scarsdale Middle School on that date from 7:00 to 10:00 AM and from 2:00 to 9:00 PM, or by mail-in ballot received by 4:00 PM on Election Day. In the event of a snow day, the election will be held on Wednesday, January 10, 2018.

Following are the list of those running from each neighborhood along with biographies of each candidate:

EDGEWOOD

David Benderson: 14 Hamilton Road Length of Residence: 3 Years
Occupation: Physician and Director, Valley Medical Group Ophthalmology
Education: BA - Penn State, MD - Penn State, Internship in Internal Medicine - Abington Memorial Hospital, Residency in Ophthalmology - University of Maryland Medical System
Child's/Children's age(s): 10 and 6
Civic Activities: Scarsdale Synagogue Temples Tremont and Emmanuel - Membership, Social Action/Refugee Resettlement Committees (2016-2017); Organizer/Advocate - Edgewood Parents of off-site Inclusion Classroom Children (2017), Volunteer/Guest Lecturer - Valley Hospital Department of Community Health and Community Benefit (2015-2017); Volunteer/Guest Lecturer - Thrive! for Women (Health education program in Bergen County, 2017); Organizer/Fundraiser - Colleen Conway Grace, MD Lectureship in Ophthalmology; University of Maryland Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (2015-2016)

Ruth Berkowitz: 181 Clarence Road Length of Residence: 7 Years
Occupation: VP, Product and Marketing
Education: BA from Washington University in St. Louis & MBA from Kellogg School of Management
Child's/Children's age(s): 12 and 8
Civic Activities: Board member for Team Image Synchronized Skating Team, active member of the Junior League of Central Westchester, alumni interviewer for Washington University in St. Louis, pizza lunch volunteer, cooking for the homeless at Kol Ami

Laura L. Cromwell: 269 Nelson Road Length of Residence: 23 Years
Occupation: Attorney
Education: BA SUNY Stony Brook, JD New York Law School
Child's/Children's age(s): 23 and 21
Civic Activities (list most current first): Women's Committee, Law Department City of New York; New York Family Court Paternity and Support Advisory Committee; City of New York, Small Claims Arbitrator; member, Fund Raising and Planning Committee, Bet Am Shalom Synagogue; and past Scarsdale School PTA member.

Timothy C. Dunne: 14 Edgewood Road Length of Residence: 1963 to 1985 (with parents) 1999 to present
Occupation: Finance, President & CEO Private Export Funding Corporation
Education: MBA, New York University 1992 BA, Boston University 1982; Edgewood School/Scarsdale Jr. High/Scarsdale High School, Class of 1977
Child's/Children's age(s): Sean (28), Maggie (27), Deirdre (20)
Civic Activities: Finance Trustee, Scarsdale Congregational Church (2016 to present) Trustee, Lakota Children's Enrichment, Inc. (2008 to present) Edgewood Representative, Scarsdale Citizens Nominating Committee (2010 – 2012) Scarsdale Procedure Committee (2013-2014)

FOX MEADOW

Diane Greenwald: 2 Oak Lane Length of Residence: 12 Years
Occupation: Designer/Arts Educator/Volunteer/Mom
Education: Wesleyan University, BA Art History; UC Berkeley, Coursework in Graphic Design; Bank Street College of Education, Coursework in Museum Education
Child's/Children's age(s): Jay (16); Eli (14); and Zaria Cash, STEP student (17)
Civic Activities: Scarsdale Public Library Board of Trustees (2015 – Present) President, Member of Building Committee, Liaison to FOSL, ex officio to Campaign Committee and past Vice President, Trustee, Communications Chair and School Outreach Committee Chair; Scarsdale Transfer Education Program (2016-present) Host Family of 2-year scholarship student; League of Women Voters Scarsdale Bond Study Committee (June 2017- present), Board of Directors and School Budget Study Chair (2015-17); Young Writers' Workshop Instructor (2012- present); Michael V. McGill Book Award (2014 –present) Administrator; Scarsdale Forum (2013 – present) Education Committee Member; PT Council Legislation Committee Co-chair (2014-2016); PT Council Programming Chair (2013-14); District Facilities Steering Committee for 2014 Bond (2013-14) Member & Communications Sub-committee Chair; District Committee for Strategic Plan Member (2014); Coalition for Scarsdale Schools Exec Committee Member (2013-2014); Quaker Ridge PTA Colonial Day Co-Chair (2013-14; QRS PTA Legislative Advocacy Committee Chair (2014); QRS Learning to Look (2009-2014) Trainer, Advisor, Co-chair, Curriculum Developer, Coordinator, Teacher, Docent; 5th Grade Photo Committee Co-Chair (2012-2013); Executive Board, Vice President of Programs (2011 – 2013); Friends of Music and Arts Liaison (2010); Class Parent, 2008-2013; Greyston Foundation, Board of Directors, Chair of Development (2008-2015); AJWS, Westchester Liaison and Development Committee (2011-2014)

Tao (Jennifer) Hong: 73 Hampton Road Length of Residence: 18 Years
Occupation: Stay-home mom, formerly VP at Lehman Brothers Fixed Income Analytics
Education: MS Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; BS Computer Science, Beijing University, Beijing China
Child's/Children's age(s): 16 and 10
Civic Activities: 2016 - Present, Head of Class Parents, Huaxia Chinese School Greater New York (HXGNY); 2015 - 2016, office volunteer, Scarsdale High School YES Office; 2006 - Present, Board Member, Scarsdale Chinese Association (SCA); 2015 - 2016, Chair of Event & Activity Committee, HXGNY; 2013 - 2015, Member of Activity & Event Committee, HXGNY; 2005 - 2015, Secretary & Treasurer, SCA; 2013 - 2014, Co-chair Multi-Cultural Committee, Fox Meadow PTA; 2013 - 2014, speech contest judge, Scarsdale Middle School; 2006 - 2007, Chair, SCA; 2005, Co-founder, SCA

Dina Rabin: 7 Ogden Road Length of Residence: 4.5 Years
Occupation: Psychologist in private practice serving adolescents and adults.
Education: PhD, The University of Texas at Austin; BA, Tulane University
Child's/Children's age(s): 6, 4, and 17 months
Civic Activities: Fox Meadow PTA Nominating Committee, 2018; Board Member, Scarsdale Task Force on Drugs and Alcohol, 2016-Present; Co-Chair of Library Services, Fox Meadow Elementary, 2017-2018; Volunteer for Learning to Look Program, Fox Meadow Elementary, 2017-2018; Committee Member, Scarsdale Task Force on Drugs and Alcohol, 2015-2016; Taught a class on the Transition to College at Scarsdale Adult School, 2015.

GREENACRES

Kathleen Gray: 6 Sage Terrace Length of Residence: 18 Years
Occupation: ESL Instructor
Education: BA, Mount Holyoke College
Child's/Children's age(s): 21 and 18
Civic Activities: Friends of the Scarsdale Library 2007-Present (President 2011-2017; Secretary 2009-2011); Friends of Music & the Arts in the Scarsdale Schools; 2011-2017 (President 2014-17; Secretary 2011-14); Volunteer teacher at Hitchcock Church "Living in America" program 2008-present; Hitchcock Church: Stewardship Co-Chair 2011-13; Deacon 2008-11; Numerous GA and SHS PTA committees throughout the years 2001-2017.

Marylou Cooper Green: 8 Farley Road Length of Residence: 20 Years
Education: MBA, Columbia School of Business; MA, Columbia University Teachers College; BA, Wake Forest University
Child's/Children's age(s): 22
Civic Activities: President, League of Women Voters of Westchester; Member, Zoning Board of Appeals; Past-President, League of Women Voters of Scarsdale; Citizens Nominating Committee; Treasurer, Greenacres PTA; Community Director, Girl Scouts of Scarsdale and Edgemont; and Vice President, Families with Children from China of TriState area.

HEATHCOTE

Kerry Hayes: 3 Lenox Place Length of Residence: 9 Years
Occupation: Graphic Designer, Zwilling J.A. Henckels
Education: BFA, Syracuse University
Child's/Children's age(s): 11 and 7
Civic Activities: Girl Scout Troop Leader, 2014-present; PT Council Health & Wellness Committee Co-Chair, Fall 2017-present; SMS PTA Nominating Committee member, Fall 2017-present; PT Council Nominating Committee member, 2016-17; Heathcote PTA Nominating Committee Chair, 2016-17; PT Council Steam Day Event, Co-Chair of Makerspace, 2016; Heathcote COMPACT Committee member, 2014-2017 (3 terms); Heathcote School Newcomers' Committee Chair, 2014-2017; Heathcote Safety Team member. 2015-2017 (2 terms); PTA President, Heathcote PTA 2015-2016 and PTA President-Elect, 2014-2015; Heavily active in various PTA committees from 2011-present

Jing Li: 69 Brookby Road Length of Residence: 2 Years and 4 Months
Occupation: Home Maker/Avid Pianist, Painter/Credit Suisse Hong Kong/Fidelity Investments (Boston, MA)
Education: Wellesley College BA (Computer Science major, Math minor)
Child's/Children's age(s): 13, 10 two boys
Civic Activities: Heathcote PTA (2015-current): Heathcote Multicultural Co-chair (responsible for organizing Lunar New Year celebrations and Thank-You- Teachers' luncheon) (2016-current); Learning to Look (2015-2016); Chinese Community volunteer (2015-current): help out with various community events during the Chinese New Year Celebration, the annual Scarsdale Chinese Assoc. gatherings; Teach English to under-privileged elementary children in Chai Wan, Hong Kong (2003-2004); Media Panel Leader and member of Harvard China Review Conference (1998-2000); Copy Editor of Overseas Young Chinese Forum (1998-2000); Captain of Wellesley College Table Tennis Club (1994-1998)

Curtis Parker: 23 Cushman Road Length of Residence: 2 Years
Occupation: Senior Vice President, AR Global Investments, LLC
Education: BS, Finance University of Tulsa (2006)
Child's/Children's age(s): 7 and 5
Civic Activities: Scarsdale District-Wide Facilities Committee (2017); Heathcote PTA (2015-2017); Woodlawn Heights Taxpayers (Treasurer, 2012-2015)

QUAKER RIDGE (Vote for up to 4 Candidates)

Nikki Hahn: 29 Cornell Street Length of Residence: 10 Years
Occupation: Part-time Corporate Relations and Service Events Manager for Volunteer New York!
Education: BS, New York University, School of Education
Child's/Children's age(s): Ages 15, 13, 7, 5
Civic Activities: Cure JM Foundation: Board of Directors Member (2017-present), National Leadership Council President (present), Development
Committee Chair (2016-present); Quaker Ridge School: PTA President (2016-2017); Scarsdale UFSD: PT Council Member (2016-2017); The Acceleration Project: Client Partner and Development Director (2015-2016); Junior League of Central Westchester: President (2014-2015, Vice President of Membership (2013-2014), Committee Chair (2004-2006); Girl Scout Troop Leader (2007)

Marisa Jackson:  Length of Residence: 20 Years
Occupation: Teacher (currently Hebrew school grades 1 and 7) Former K and 1 teacher tenured at both Croton Harmon and NYC.
Education: BA, Tufts University MA, Bank Street College of Education
Child's/Children's age(s): Gabriel (19) Fletcher (16) and Amira (13)
Civic Activities: Supervisor for Rabbinic Intern at Bet Am Shalom Synagogue (BAS); Co-Chair of Tikkun Olam (Social Action) committee for BAS;
Co-Chair of Martin Luther King program at BAS to create meals for the hungry. Former chair of the School Board at BAS; and Executive Board Member BAS.

Stacey Kaufman: 6 Stonewall Lane Length of Residence: 4.5 Years
Occupation: Stay at home mom, former Vice President of Digital Marketing at Nickelodeon
Education: University of Pennsylvania, BA in Psychology
Child's/Children's age(s): 10 and 8
Civic Activities: Quaker Ridge Elementary PTA VP Programming (2017-2019); QRS PTA VP of Development (2016-2017); QRS PTA Co-Chair Multi-cultural Luncheon (2015-Present); QRS PTA Co-Chair School Play (2015-2017); QRS PTA Co-Chair Evening Event (2014-2015); Girl Scout Troop Cookie Chair (2015-Present); Stephen Wise Free Synagogue Board of Trustees (2012-2013); SWFS ECC Evening Event Co-Chair (2010-2012)

Robert Tepper: 3 Continental Road Length of Residence: 5 Months
Occupation: Venture Capital Partner/Investor
Education: BA University of Hartford
Child's/Children's age(s): 12, 10 and 7
Civic Activities: Special Needs Liaison for the Lake Washington School District; Head Coach for Kirkland Washington Little League Team; Search Committee member for new Principal for Lakeview Elementary (Kirkland, Wa.); Board of Directors of Temple De Hirsch Sinai (Seattle and Bellevue, Wa, 2017) and Board of Directors of Kirkland Little League (Kirkland, Wa, 2016-2017)