LINWOOD — Four people are seeking three full terms and two others are seeking an unexpired term on the Linwood Board of Education in the Nov. 2 election.
Steven Evinski, the current board vice president, is seeking a second term. He was elected in 2018.
Christopher Schneider, who was appointed to fill a vacancy left when Reema Kanzaria moved out of the area, also is seeking a full term. Schneider will fill the vacancy through December 2021.
Neither of the other two candidates seeking a full term — A. Steven Pecora and Richard Gerhardt — has school board experience.
Lisa Bonanno and Ryan Rendfrey are challenging for the unexpired term.
Longtime board president Donna Michael-Zeiries and member Michelle DeMorat chose not to seek re-election, leaving two seats open.
Steven Evinski
Evinski, 52, and his wife, Catherine, have three daughters who have been part of the Linwood School System since kindergarten.
He thinks his experience of having a child who graduated from and two others in the school system gives him a well-rounded perspective on local education.
Evinski has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from West Virginia University. He was a classroom teacher at the George L. Hess Educational Complex in Mays Landing from 1994 to 2001, when he began working at the Ventnor Educational Community Complex. Evinski further has 30 graduate credits in education.
“I want to see every student in the Linwood School District reach his/her potential, complete meaningful academic work, have opportunities to build lasting friendships, and I want the students to understand that every staff member cares about the students’ well-being,” Evinski said. “I have been in the field of education for 28 years and understand the importance of building a nurturing relationship with students so they can reach their full potential.”
The Evinskis are active in the community as well, volunteering with the Linwood Historical Society.
“Since purchasing our home in 2001, my wife and I have established ourselves in the community. We have made the schools and children the center of our volunteer efforts, and so volunteering for Linwood Board of Education was the next step in my strong commitment to volunteering in our community,” he said.
Evinski believes his experiences in education help him “understand the complex issues that are involved in our school system today.”
“My ability to listen to all sides of an issue, and my determination to give every student a voice, help me make thoughtful, objective decisions,” Evinski said. “I am able to thoughtfully view issues brought before the board through multiple lenses; consequently making decisions that will provide every student with a meaningful experience while attending Linwood Public Schools.”
Christopher Schneider
Schneider, 40, and his wife, Michelle, have two children, a son who attends Seaview Elementary School and a younger daughter. Schneider earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and works as director of product engineering and research and development at Barrette Outdoor Living.
He has served on the board since Sept. 8 and hopes to continue his efforts “to give back to the community that I greatly enjoy.
“I grew up having both of my parents as public school educators and I have the utmost respect and desire to uphold the integrity of our public schools,” Schneider said.
He believes his work experience makes him a good member of the board.
“I have built my career utilizing my problem-solving skills and clear communication methods to bring solutions across diverse groups of people from varying backgrounds across the world,” Schneider said. “I feel that I bring a different perspective to the board with my broad problem-solving and international business experience, providing a different view that can help lead to the most advantageous solution.”
Schneider said the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited the classroom time for students in 2020-21 has had a negative effect on students academically as well as socially and emotionally. He proposes working with the school administration and educators to focus on the health and growth of students.
A. Steven Pecora
Pecora, 55, and his wife, Stephanie, have 23-year-old twins and two younger children, ages 13 and 9, currently attending Linwood schools.
He is board-certified in emergency medicine with an undergraduate degree from LaSalle University and an advanced degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He has been practicing for 23 years and currently works in the emergency departments at Shore Medical Center and Beebe Medical Center.
Pecora believes the experience he gained while serving as director of the emergency department lends itself well to serving on the school board.
“I helped develop policies and budgets to help run the department and oversaw multiple committees that were tasked with improving patient care in the emergency department,” said Pecora, who also served on the medical executive committee as treasurer. “I have many years of experience working within committees to solve problems.”
He said as a medical professional, he saw how the coronavirus pandemic was affecting student health.
“When I saw how the pandemic was affecting our children, I thought that my knowledge in the medical field could help get our children back in the classroom safely,” he said. “I also believe that with all the changes that are going on in our state and country, it is important to be involved.”
Pecora said his method of treating patients lends itself well to finding solutions to problems.
“I believe that what I do every day as an emergency room physician gives me the tools to be a good member of the board. I listen to a patient outline their issues. I identify the problem and then I formulate a plan to improve that issue. I think these tools translate very well to a position on the board,” he said.
Pecora believes in providing quality education to students while keeping property taxes in check.
“I believe that continually reviewing and improving the curriculum and maintaining a quality education without increasing the budget are very important,” Pecora said. “I believe that to address these issues you need to recruit, hire and retain the best possible teachers. Arm them with the best possible training and technology so that they can perform their job. Involve the highly motivated and highly educated parents of the community.”
Richard Gerhardt
Gerhardt is library director for the Longport Public Library who has two children at Belhaven Middle School.
He said his experience of dealing with the coronavirus, such as developing policies to operate the library, would be a valuable asset to the board.
“This past year and a half has been trying with dealing with COVID-19 but we have continued to work to provide the best services possible and we just had one of our busiest summers,” Gerhardt said.
He said the main reason he wants to serve is to ensure his children get the best education they can get.
“I also care about this community and think if you care about your community you need to get involved in it,” he said.
Gerhardt believes he is a strong decision-maker.
“I am a details person and a data person, and think that those are the key things when you make decisions. I also think you want to make sure to keep emotions out of your decisions, because you often make bad decisions when you make them emotionally compared to the details and the data,” he said. “In today’s world, where things are so polarized, you want a calm voice on the board who is willing to listen to everyone’s opinion and I do think I am a calm voice.”
Gerhardt said the most important issue is keeping schools functioning amid the ongoing pandemic.
“We need to keep pushing hygiene and sanitization while at the same time making sure kids have the educational support and patience to help get them through this situation. We really did lose a year and need to be patient and supportive to get the kids caught up again,” he said.
Lisa Bonanno
Bonanno is a 52-year-old mother of five children, ages 26, 24, 20, 17 and 14, who works in psychiatric group homes in Vineland, caring for people with severe mental illness and/or chronic medical problems. She said only the two youngest children still live at home and both are students at Mainland Regional High School.
Bonanno attended public school in Philadelphia for a few years before switching to Catholic school first in Philadelphia and then in Vineland. She later earned an associate degree in nursing from Cumberland County College and has credits toward a bachelor’s degree on nursing at Rowan University.
She also works in home health care in the Philadelphia area, which she has done for about nine years. Earlier in her career she worked in oncology and general medical/surgical at a hospital and the group home.
“I’ve also done a little substitute teaching, particularly when I needed to work hours close to my own children’s school schedules,” she said.
Bonanno said her children’s education was part home-schooling and part Christian-based until she found a welcoming public school district.
“I was terrified because I had heard so many bad things about public schools,” she said. “But at a time of dramatic, wrenching change, the public school became an unexpectedly powerful source of support for us. They did not judge us, nor did they demand that we believe any sort of thing. That neutral stance was critical to getting back on our feet. My children got more help and services than I ever dreamed we would need, let alone receive.”
Bonanno said she supports all types of education but values the neutrality of the public school setting and its inclusive nature.
“If on the board, I would advocate for an inclusive atmosphere. I will never forget how public schools welcomed us,” she said.
Bonanno said her experiences of living and working in cities, particularly in home health care, have developed her ability to quickly assess situations and make decisions.
“I want to see children thrive, regardless of whatever the adults are doing — all children, including the special needs students and those who look or feel a bit different from the norm,” she said. “I believe our state Department of Education and the experience of professionals who have devoted their lives to education is relevant in policy development.”
Bonanno said her career as a nurse working with special-needs children and adults with various medical and psychiatric problems is “incredibly relevant to the work of the school board.”
“I hope I can use that experience to anticipate and address any issues that arrive,” she said. “Nursing has given me an ability to work with emotionally charged situations like we face in schools. I’m used to working in teams and am accustomed to building consensus and cutting through unproductive communication patterns. Every moment in patient care requires some of that. Teams disagree on care and tasks. Patients and families disagree about what’s most important. It’s challenging, but at the end of the day, we need a plan of action based on sound principles.”
Ryan Rendfrey
Rendfrey, 40, and his wife, Jackie, have four children under the age of 10. They moved to the city three years ago.
He has a bachelor’s degree in finance/marketing from Philadelphia University and works as a marketing specialist at Polymer Solutions International.
Rendfrey has served on the boards of several nonprofits and believes that would help him serve as a school board member.
“I’m inspired to make a difference in my local community and I can’t think of a better way to achieve this goal then serving on the school board,” he said. “I’m very outgoing. I have great listening and communication skills and I’m a team player.”
Rendfrey said the top issues in the school system are students wearing masks, the lack of a full-time preschool and kindergarten program, sustainable energy sources and the continued decrease in state funding.
He said a budget assessment could help determine the costs associated with adding full-time preschool and kindergarten classes.
Rendfrey would like to look into “creative financial opportunities” to help offset the decrease in state fund.
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff