May 28, 2014:  In addition to nominating the board candidates for The Bronxville School, the Committee for Non-Partisan Nomination and Election of School Trustees (NPC) holds an election each year in June to select one-third of the members of the committee to replace outgoing members whose terms are expiring. 

The committee is pleased to announce the names of individuals who have applied to be placed on the ballot for election to the NPC. There is one new individual elected for a three-year term in each of Bronxville's seven election districts. All terms begin on July 1, 2014.

Candidates up for membership on the NPC this year are:

District 16        Michelle Meyercord
District 17        Sara Kenny
District 18        Alain Sunier
District 19        David Pasquale
District 20        Maurice (Tim) Reidy
District 21        Tara Saridakis
District 22        Dale Frehse

A brief statement, including a biography, from each candidate is included below and will also be available on the NPC website at the following address: www.bronxvillenpc.com.

The election is being conducted via electronic ballot.  The link is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5VS5DBV. Residents without access to a computer may request a hard-copy ballot from Steven Kraemer at 917-374-4897.

Ballots must be completed by 5:00 pm on Tuesday, June 10, 2014. Anyone who is at least 18 years of age and who has been a resident of the village for at least 30 days prior to the election, regardless of US citizenship, is entitled to vote. The NPC will engage an independent observer such as the League of Women Voters to supervise the voting results at a meeting scheduled for June 10, with election results available the following day.

The NPC is a volunteer organization. It does, however, incur certain expenses, largely related to hosting the website, printing, postage, and electronic voting. To cover those costs, the NPC asks each Bronxville household to make a donation to the NPC either by mail to NPC, P.O. Box 933, Bronxville, NY 10708 or by going to our website at www.bronxvillenpc.com. 

Additionally, each year the cost of the meet-the-candidates reception is borne entirely by the individual NPC representatives as a service to the community because donations do not cover operating expenses. Your financial support would be greatly appreciated. Note, however, that no donation is required in order to cast a ballot.

The NPC was formed in 1936 to foster the election of trustees of The Bronxville School on a non-partisan basis. The NPC, which consists of three elected representatives from each of Bronxville's seven election districts, solicits qualified residents who are interested in serving as school trustee and nominates a slate of candidates to run in the school-district election each year.

For additional information, please contact NPC chairperson Anne Cox (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 914-771-5413).

Candidate Information 

District 16:  Michelle Meyercord

Michelle and her husband, Jack, have lived in Bronxville since 2011, having previously lived in New York City. They have three children--two attend Bronxville Elementary School and one attends the Reformed Church Nursery School.

Michelle states, "I believe the NPC serves a great role in the relationship between the public school and our community. Identifying and supporting trustee candidates who best fit the needs of the school is key to the process of a productive board. I graduated from Bronxville High School in 1991, so I know and value the school and community. I hope to be able to make a positive contribution."

Michelle is currently the director of strategic planning and development for Christie's art auction house. Her professional experience has largely focused on strategic development. Prior to Christie's, Michelle held similar positions at Primedia/About.com and then Rodale. From 1995 to 1999, Michelle worked for Rahm Emanuel, senior advisor to the president for strategic planning in the Clinton Administration. She earned her bachelor of science degree from Duke University with a double major in history and political science. She is active in supporting organizations including Safe Horizon in New York City and the Clinton Global Initiative. 

District 17:  Sara Kenny

Sara and her husband, Ryan, have lived in Bronxville since 2011, having previously lived in New York City. They have four children--two attend Bronxville Elementary School and two attend the Reformed Church Nursery School.

Sara states, "Emphasizing childhood education has always been a family priority and a driver of my past volunteerism. These experiences dovetail perfectly toward an opportunity to serve the Bronxville community by helping to identify capable school board candidates. I recognize the importance of slating the best qualified individuals who will commit to promote excellence in both the social and scholastic settings, to govern the policies at our school, and to provide accountability to our community. I would be honored to be nominated to the NPC and to serve on this most influential committee."

Sara ran the trading operations for Arience Capital from 2002 to 2005. Prior to that, she was a trader for Raiff Partners. Earlier in her career, places of employment included: US Trust & Co, DLJ, and Lazard Frères. She earned her bachelor of science degree in finance at Lehigh University. With The Bronxville School, Sara has served as a class parent and helped solicit donations for the auditorium project. She has held a number of volunteer positions with the Reformed Church Nursery School, including treasurer, assistant treasurer, and class parent. Prior to moving to Bronxville, she was an active volunteer at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Day School in Manhattan, serving as a member of the capital campaign steering committee, co-chair of fundraising, and class parent. 

District 18:  Alain Sunier

Alain and his wife, Meg, have lived in Bronxville since 2005. They have four children--two attend Bronxville High School and two are graduates of Bronxville High School and are attending college at Wellesley and the University of Southern California.

Alain states, "I have been fortunate to live in Bronxville since 2005, and my four children have benefited greatly from the excellent school system we have. The next few years are an exciting period in our community. The auditorium and science laboratories are being renovated, the flood mitigation project may move forward, and a new elementary school principal has just been hired. All of those items and others that may arise will demand continued excellent leadership on the board of education. Since the NPC nominates potential future leaders of the BOE, the NPC serves a vital role for the village. I would be honored to be part of that process."

Alain works at Highbridge Capital Management and has 22 years of experience in quantitative trading. He has worked with a wide variety of individuals with very high levels of academic achievement, particularly in economics and in the hard sciences (mathematics, physics, etc.). Alain holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and earned his bachelor of science in economics at the University of Pennsylvania.

District 19:  David Pasquale

David and his wife, Annunziata, have lived in Bronxville since 2001. They have two children in Bronxville Elementary School.

David states, "As a long-term Bronxville resident, my two children have thrived in The Bronxville School, benefitting from the unique environment, curriculum, and professionals, and from the dedicated programs supporting students with special needs. Serving on the Non-Partisan Committee would afford me an opportunity to directly give back to the community. Helping to ensure qualified and committed school board trustees is central to our school maintaining its excellent track record in this ever-increasingly complex time. In addition to driving its existing academic agenda forward, the school is navigating new challenges all the time, including higher enrollment rates; budget process and constraints; implementation of Bronxville's CORE Curriculum strategy; and assessing how Bronxville can best meet the broader, evolving educational needs of both the general student population and those with special needs. My core appreciation and respect for different cultures, combined with my wide-ranging communications strategy, positioning, and crisis communications experience, is directly relevant in assessing the goals and needs of multiple constituencies and effectively communicating with them and on their behalf. "

David has 20 years of experience as an investor relations consultant, specializing in working with companies based in China, Taiwan, Singapore, and Korea that are publicly traded on the NYSE and the NASDAQ stock exchange. He earned his bachelor of science degree in marketing, with a minor in Italian, from Providence College, graduating cum laude. He is highly active in The Bronxville School, having served as a class parent and assistant class parent the past few years, serving on the BOLD Committee (Bronxville Organization for Learning Differences), and volunteering where possible. He also serves as a soccer coach for the EYSA youth soccer league.

District 20:  Maurice (Tim) Reidy

Tim and his wife, Kimberly, have lived in Bronxville since 2012, having previously lived in New York City. They have one child who attends preschool at Riverdale Neighborhood House and will attend The Bronxville School in the fall of 2014.

Tim states, "As a new resident of Bronxville with a daughter entering kindergarten, I am eager to learn more about the village school system. I also wish to play an active role in promoting the exceptional educational opportunities afforded by the town. Finally, I am excited by the prospect of meeting and working with local residents who are passionate about educational excellence."

Tim has over 10 years' experience as a writer and editor for newspapers and magazines, and he is currently the digital editor of the website for America magazine. He earned his bachelor of arts degree in religion from Princeton University, graduating magna cum laude, and his bachelor of science degree in journalism from Columbia University. Tim is a member of the co-op board of Gramatan Court Apartments and is a ride leader and coach for the New York Cycle Club, and he has served on the board of The Center for Concern, which is based in Washington, DC.

District 21:  Tara Saridakis

Tara and her husband, Manolis, have lived in Bronxville for one year. They have two children--one attends Bronxville Elementary School and one attends the Reformed Church Nursery School.

Tara states, "We have moved to Bronxville for two reasons: for our love of the community, and for The Bronxville School. I fully believe in public school, as a good school will fuel a community to remain vested in its programs. I am proud to be part of a community that remains active in making its own experience the best it can be, and I would be honored to serve on the NPC. To assist in finding the leaders for our school board and to in some small way help mold the future of our school is a tremendous opportunity."

Tara has previously worked at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Whitney Museum of American Art, Martha Stewart Omnimedia, and Christopher Norman Chocolates. She earned her bachelor of arts degree in art history from Boston University. She is currently the classroom communications chair on the parents' board of the Reformed Church Nursery School. She formerly served as vice president of membership and as a member on the associate council of The Children's Aid Society and as a volunteer and reading mentor for the society.

District 22:  Dale Frehse

Dale and her husband, Robert, have lived in Bronxville since 1977. Their two children both attended Bronxville schools before earning degrees from Ohio Wesleyan and Wake Forest and a graduate degree from Columbia University.

Dale states, "I served on the NPC several years ago and saw how important it is to have a non-partisan committee devoted to selecting candidates for the school board who will best serve the needs of the school. Identifying the talent needs of the school board, encouraging those qualified to apply for the job, and then critically examining each candidate's qualification for the position(s) was most rewarding when you love that school!"

Professionally, Dale served for twelve years with the American Field Service teenage exchange program and was ultimately in charge of selection, placement, and counseling for the Americans Abroad Program. She spent thirty-six years working in arts education with arts institutions and elementary, middle, and high schools. Dale earned her bachelor of arts degree in botany from Smith College. She has held many volunteer positions, serving on the board of Cardigan Mountain School (boys' middle school) for fifteen years, as well as chairing the executive director search committees for the Maxwell Institute and Young Audiences New York and as class parent, school council member, and Memorial Day Weekend co-chair for The Bronxville School. Dale is currently on the board of the New York Philharmonic, Young Audiences New York, Young Audiences, Inc., the Salvation Army of Greater New York, the Westchester Council, and the Buck Hill Skytop Music Festival.