Mamaroneck Selection Committee Candidates Nominated

The Selection Committee for the Mamaroneck School Board is pleased to announce the slate of candidates, nominated to fill several three-year committee member terms. Eight local residents have been nominated to fill the same number of seats on the committee.

The 24-member volunteer committee was founded in 1945 to recruit, vet, nominate and endorse candidates for the Mamaroneck School Board. It is independent of the school district and is not affiliated with any other political party.

There are six Selection Committee members from each of the four elementary school districts.  Registered voters may vote for candidates within their district. Voting will take place at each elementary school on the Tuesday, May 17. This is the same day as the vote for Mamaroneck School District budget and school board election.

The candidates are as follows:

Central Avenue Elementary: Kayvan Heravi, Sam Orans

Chatsworth Avenue Elementary: Ann Gillin Lefever, Heather Messerle

Mamaroneck Avenue Elementary: Carolyn Koutsaftis, Jonathan Sacks

Murray Avenue Elementary: Louis A. De Chiara, Peter Marcon

Candidate Bios and Background

Kayvan Heravi:  Central Elementary School

He has lived in the district for 2 years and 9 months.   He has two children who will attend Central School.   He earned a B.S. in International Economics from Georgetown University and a MBA from Harvard Business School.

Professionally: Managing Director at LNK Partners, a private investment fund focused on growth-oriented consumer and retail business.

School/Community Activities: Served as a member of the MUFSD Citizens Budget Advisory Committee (CBAC) this past school year and as a member of the sub-committee focused on long-range financial forecasting.
 

Why he would like to serve: “My goal would be to help attract, recruit, and select school board candidates that will thoughtfully balance both a commitment to the highest quality education for our children as well as an understanding of the current fiscal environment.  In particular, my objective would be to help recruit members to the school board with specific expertise in the areas of financial planning and financial management, embodied within individuals who can also appreciate all other aspects and challenges of managing the district.”

Sam Orans:  Central Elementary School

He has lived in the district for 36 yrs.  He has two children, ages 4 and 7.  He earned a B.L.A and M.A.T from Sarah Lawrence College. 

Professionally:  He was a nursery school teacher for 20 years.  His last position was at Sarah Lawrence.   He is currently a General Manager for a Resort/Hotel and a stay-at-home dad.

School/Community Activities: Deputy Chief of Larchmont Fire Department and will be on the Executive Board of the Central PTA.

Why he would like to serve: He, “would like to learn more about the community and help have a positive impact on our schools.”

Ann Gillin Lefever:  Chatsworth Elementary School

She has lived in the district for 21 years.  She has three children, two at Chatsworth and one at The Ursuline School.  She has a B.S.B.A. from Georgetown University and a MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Professionally: Bankers Trust Company, 1986-96, Sanford Bernstein, 1996-2000, Lehman Brothers, 2000-08, Barclays Capital 2008-present.

School/Community: Trustee and Member of the Executive Committee of the Board of  Trustees at the Ursuline School. Current member of Chatsworth School’s Executive PTA Board.   Member of the Finance Committee at Sts. John and Paul Church.  Past President and Board member of CAGNY, a Financial Industry Association. Past Advisor to Georgetown University’s Capital Markets Center.  Current Steering Committee Member for a Women’s Network at Barclays Capital.

Why she would like to serve: “I believe that a strong partnership among parents, teachers, administrators and community members is one of MUFSD’s most compelling strengths.  A well-run school board sets the tone for this partnership, encouraging debate and change to continue to raise educational standards. Attracting, evaluating and endorsing the best-qualified candidates help to continue to build that partnership legacy.  As a parent of a pre-High School aged children, I believe parents are front-line observers of both the opportunities and challenges that a Board Member will/should grapple with.  In addition, I regularly evaluate talent as a business manager and would bring these skills to the selection process."

Heather Messerle:  Chatsworth Elementary School

She has lived in the district for three years. She has three children, one in Chatsworth, one in St. John’s nursery school and a 1-year old. She has a B.S from Union College, a M.A. and an EdM from Teachers College, Columbia University. 

Professionally: Special Education Teacher.

School/Community Activities: Chatsworth PTA.

Why she would like to serve: “During my teaching career I was fortunate to work for a district that had a remarkable school board.  I admired those board members’ dedication and their vision of how a school district should function.  Their efforts enabled teachers to pursue best practices and gave students the tools they needed to achieve their personal best.  Having had that experience, I would like our district to have a similar opportunity and serve on the Selection Committee."

Carolyn Koutsaftis:  Mamaroneck Avenue School

She has lived in the district for seven years.  She has a child at Mamaroneck Avenue.   She has a B.S. in Labor and Industrial Relations from Pennsylvania State University and a M.S. in Labor and Industrial Relations from University of Illinois.

Professionally:  She has over 16 years of experience in Human Resources  including five years as Manager of HR for Royal & SunAlliance Insurance Agency, Inc. Prior to that, she was employed by Dade Behring (now Siemans) in Human Resources.

School/Community Activities: She has been a class parent for last two years.  She has served as the historian for her son’s preschool and her previous synagogue in Harrison, NY.  She has enjoyed doing volunteer work for the school and the synagogue.

Why she would like to serve: “As a profession Human Resources Manager for the past 16 years I have developed the requisite skills to thoroughly review and evaluate job applicants for a broad range of professional positions.   As a committed resident of Mamaroneck, with a child attending public school, I am eager to give back to my community in a meaningful manner. Serving on the Selection Committee would enable me to utilize my professional skills in a manner most beneficial to the community in which my family and I live.  A key goal of any Human Resources Manager is to recruit and select the best candidates for any position. I can’t think of a more meaningful way to use my professional skills while supporting my son’s education and the experience of all children in the Mamaroneck School District.   I hope I have the honor of doing so.”

Jonathan Sacks:  Mamaroneck Avenue School

He has lived in the district for five years and has two children attending Mamaroneck Avenue.  He has a B.S. in International Financing/Marketing.

Professionally: He is a self-employed real estate developer.

School/Community Activities: Founding and active member of the CBAC.

Why he would like to serve: “I have an in-depth understanding and knowledge of the workings of the district through my independent work and as a CBAC member.  I have been intimately involved in the budget process and understand the demands of the board.”

Louis A. De Chiara: Murray Avenue School

He has lived in the district for 7 ½ years.   He has two children, one at Murray and one attending Larchmont Avenue Church School.  He obtained a B.A. from Columbia University and his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law.

Professionally: Financial Representative with Northwestern Mutual for 15 ½ years.  Prior to that he worked in advertising as an Account Executive and as an attorney.

School/Community Activities: He volunteers for various Murray Avenue School activities during the school year and he is an active parish member of St. Augustine’s church.

Why he would like to serve: “ I have lived in Larchmont for eight years now with my wife and children, and truly appreciate our close-knit community.  Our daughter is very happily and successfully a part of the Murray Avenue School, and our son will join her in 2012 as he enters kindergarten.  I have a greater understanding now of the importance of giving back to the school and children in different ways.   Recently, a respected and admired friend suggested that I consider giving back through the meaningful work of the Selection Committee.  I talked to several others about the committee’s efforts and contributions to the betterment, rising each year, of our schools, including the people and the programs, and I agree that this is another great way to participate. “

Peter Marcon:  Murray Avenue School

He has lived in the district for 54 years.  He has five grown children.  He has a B.S. and M.Ed. from Springfield College.

Professionally: Rye High School Guidance Director for 25-plus years.

School/Community Activities:  He is a private educational consultant and is an active member of Saints John & Paul Church.  He does volunteer work at the Hispanic Resource Center in Mamaroneck and Meals on Wheels.   He is a former President of the Larchmont Shore Club and a board member for 16 years.   He is an Assistant Professor at LIU Westchester Graduate School.  He is a Korean War Veteran and a member of the VFW.   He is a member of the Larchmont- Mamaroneck Community Rescue.

Why he would like to serve: “My career has been in the field of education and I am still involved in that arena.  I am anxious to see our school district maintain its reputation of excellence and, hence, want to help assist in getting good board members to serve on the Board of Education.”