This fall, four candidates are vying for three seats on the 9-member South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education: Trish Azeez, Liz Callahan, Kevin Diaz, and Will Meyer. Village Green is posting endorsements for candidates from current and former elected officials who hold or held townwide office or higher, as well as endorsements by local organizations. We ask that endorsers coordinate with candidates for full guidelines. Read more election coverage here.
When I decided to run for the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education three years ago, I also decided to join a slate with Liz Callahan and Will Meyer because of their commitment to public education, both professionally and here in SOMA. They love our schools, and as someone who grew up here, taught here, and would go on to see my own two children graduate from our schools, their level of dedication was important to me. I wanted to join a slate of community members motivated by what is best for the entire district, not by grievances specific to their own children. As Board members, our commitment must span issues, schools, and constituents.
Now, having served on the Board with Liz and Will, I can confidently say that they understand the big picture.
As outlined on their campaign website, Liz and Will have worked to strengthen academic systems and opportunities for all students, improve special education services and accountability, and bring greater financial and operational responsibility to the district. They recognize that equity and excellence go hand in hand, that our students with disabilities deserve strong and responsive services, and that we have to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars while maintaining the quality of our schools. They are also committed to continuing the difficult work of addressing achievement gaps, improving student belonging and experience, and developing sustainable long-term plans for the district.
But there are qualities that make Liz and Will exceptional Board members that you won’t find on a campaign platform—qualities I have discovered by working alongside them.
Liz is a connector. She leans into discomfort and isn’t afraid to have difficult conversations with Board colleagues or community members with whom she disagrees—which, of course, are healthy and inevitable. She understands and respects that people can have different priorities and perspectives, and she seeks to understand those perspectives in order to find common ground and move forward.
Will is a listener. He truly hears community members and Board colleagues and asks questions to understand their viewpoints. He doesn’t force his opinion onto others. Instead, he wants to understand the range of perspectives so that decisions aren’t made in a vacuum.
Liz and Will are leaders. They earned the NJSBA first-term boardsmanship certification because they took the initiative to attend workshops, webinars, and classes to continually improve their governance skills. They have led our Board through difficult times with humility, professionalism, and dedication—and, as we know, there are bound to be more challenging times ahead.
For all of these reasons, I am proud to support Liz Callahan and Will Meyer for re-election to the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education. Having had the privilege of serving alongside them, I know firsthand that they are the thoughtful, collaborative, and committed Board members our district needs for another term.
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Shayna Sackett-Gable is a current SOMSD Board of Education member, a product of SOMSD (Columbia High School, 1996), a former Seth Boyden Elementary School teacher (2006–2019), and a parent of two SOMSD graduates (2025 and 2026). She has also served in leadership roles with the PTA, HSA, and Presidents’ Council.
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