NORTH SHORE SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHIES AND STATEMENTS
PROVIDED TO THE NORTH SHORE SCHOOLS BY THE CANDIDATES
Sara Jones
Occupation: For 16 years, I have been the owner and CEO of a successful, national catalog-based company now serving 100,000 customers. I have consistently increased sales and market-share through strong financial and strategic planning, pro-active budgeting, complex supply chain management, and creative problem-solving. Previously, I worked as a director of fundraising for the public-private partnership Citymeals-on-Wheels raising several million dollars in donations annually and gaining an understanding of the role of private fundraising for public institutions. Qualifications: I am a current Trustee for North Shore’s Board of Education and have greatly enjoyed serving our community for the past three years. During that time, I also co-founded the volunteer-run, nonprofit Sea Cliff MAKEshop which provides coding, science and engineering opportunities for district students. Previously, I served as Treasurer for the Friends of the Sea Cliff Library; I have also been deeply involved in our schools through the Sea Cliff PCA where I was former webmaster, created the book swap and chaired the nutrition committee; I also served on North Shore’s district-wide nutrition committee. I graduated in 1989 from Princeton University, A.B. cum laude. Personal: I am a sixteen-year resident of Sea Cliff. I have a son at Sea Cliff School and a daughter at North Shore Middle and am a former Roslyn Trinity Co-op parent. Both kids have taken advantage of the terrific opportunities our district has in the arts and athletics, and it has been a great opportunity to meet so many of our neighbors in our auditoriums and on our playing fields. We are the proud companions of a dog we adopted from a shelter last fall, two cats, and a frog raised from tadpolehood in our daughter’s kindergarten class. Statement: “I am a strong advocate for public schools generally and our district in particular. Through my experiences as a member of the North Shore Board of Education over the last three years, I have gained a great deal of insight about the workings of public education both on a local and national scale. I believe this experience makes me an even stronger candidate now than I was three years ago, and I look forward to having the opportunity to put my knowledge and skills to work for the North Shore community for another term. During my tenure on the Board of Education, I have advocated for a curriculum that focuses on creating life-long learners and engaged citizens. As such, I authored the board’s Resolution on High Stakes Testing which argued for limiting the impact of government mandated testing on our high performing schools. My work on the Board has also focused on promoting and protecting the overall well-being of our students. I am a Board representative to the Wellness and Health & Safety Committees and initiated a review of our student data privacy policies. I also serve on the District’s Construction Steering committee which is deeply involved in the long term planning used to provide the facilities needed for the kind of well-rounded experience we want for our students. As a CEO and business owner, I am very conscious of the duty of a school district to be fiscally responsible. Our community currently enjoys high quality schools and our district has worked hard to create a full range of arts, athletics and other extra-curricular activities to engage all children. Maintaining our rich curriculum under the current fiscal restraints is a tremendous challenge. My skills in long-term planning, budgeting and creative problem solving are crucial in this environment, and I look forward to being able to use these skills to serve our students and community for the next three years.” |
Marianne Manning Russo
Occupation: Practicing attorney specializing in labor law, ERISA, commercial and residential real estate and trust and estates. Qualifications: Graduate of Georgetown University, AB and Fordham University School of Law, JD. I am currently a Trustee on the North Shore Board of Education where I serve on the Construction Steering Committee and the Legal Review Committee and am the Board liaison to the Legislative Action Committee. I initiated and served on the Guidance Review Committee and participated in the Athletic Review, the Tri-States Review and the bond referendum in 2013-14. I formerly served on the Policy Review Committee and on the Mission and Vision Statement Committee. As a member of the Board of Education, I advocated for the institution of the writing center at North Shore High School to assist students with the increasing rigor of the high school curriculum. In addition, my experience as an attorney has proven invaluable in reviewing contracts, in understanding complex legal issues that face the District and in reviewing and evaluating legal invoices. Prior to becoming a Trustee, I served on the executive boards of the Glen Head PTO, North Shore High School PTSA, the Middle School PTA and the Coordinating Council. I was also a member of the Site Based Committee and the review committee for district’s policies and procedures. Personal: My husband and I have been residents of the district since 1994. My daughter is a graduate of North Shore and is currently a sophomore at Fordham University. My son is a junior at North Shore High School. Both of my children have actively participated in the vibrant and diverse cultural arts opportunities offered at North Shore. As a district parent, my most important objective is making sure that we provide the best educational and extracurricular opportunities for all children of the District while staying within the tax levy limit. Statement: “As a member of the Board of Education, I believe that I have been an effective advocate for all sectors of the North Shore Community and have provided an independent voice on matters directly affecting our children and our District.” |
Dave Ludmar
Occupation: Businessperson and Entrepreneur. I am the CEO and owner of a successful New York manufacturer of uniform accessories for military, public safety, hospitality, cruise line and airline industries, responsible for overseeing operations, personnel, government negotiations and corporate strategy. In 2006 we purchased the assets of a failing supplier, resurrected their South Carolina manufacturing operation, and introduced new product lines, spurring significant growth and re-establishing the brand. Qualifications: I currently serve on the Legislative Action Committee, and I have participated in the district Guidance Review Committee and Superintendent’s Council. These activities – as well as attending many school board meetings - have taught me about the issues facing North Shore specifically and NY public schools universally, and the way in which our district functions. I worked as the Associate Director of Admissions for a small liberal arts college in VA, giving me the knowledge and understanding of how colleges evaluate, understand and consider applicants within the framework of their high school’s academic offerings. Personal: A native Long Islander, I attended public schools from K-12. I earned my BA from Vassar College in 1994 and my MBA from NYU in 2004. My wife, Molly, is a professor and counselor at Nassau Community College, helping students transfer to 4-year degree programs. We moved to Glenwood Landing in 2005, and our two children are second and third graders at GWL Elementary. I serve on the SC Baseball/NS Softball board and coach my daughter’s team. Statement: “Outcomes matter, but process is equally important. Preparing all of our students to lead successful, confident, responsible and thoughtful lives is a vital goal for our district, while recognizing that identifying students’ true interests, talents and strengths – over the course of their education - is a goal in and of itself. It is embodied in the mission statement of our district and supported by the resolve of the community to maintain a high quality of academics in tandem with strong arts, athletics and extracurricular activities. I am committed to protecting what we have built here in the face of the ongoing LIPA issue, unfunded mandates from Albany, and the continued threats our students and teachers face from poorly constructed testing. My business experience has taught me that success can only come when all stakeholders work together to achieve common goals. In the search for our next superintendent, I will be a voice of reason, a builder of consensus, and a principled decision-maker. I believe strongly in public education, and I will always advocate for the best interest of our students.” |
The North Shore Schools Budget Vote/Election of Trustees will be on Tuesday, May 17, 2016, from 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM at the High School Gymnasium. Voter registration will take place in the Central Office, 112 Franklin Avenue, Sea Cliff on Saturday, May 7, from 10 AM - 2 PM. For the latest budget news, please visit www.northshoreschools.org in the Budget/Financial Section off of the homepage and the Board of Education section.
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