The South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education election takes place on Tuesday, November 7, 2023. Three of nine seats are up for election. Three candidates filed to run by the July deadline and appear on the ballot: Shayna Sackett-Gable, Liz Callahan and Will Meyer. Two candidates, Jeff Bennett and Anthony Mazzocchi, announced a write-in campaign on October 7. Village Green is posting letters of support for all candidates: Deadline for submission is October 31 at 5 p.m. Read our guidelines here. Read all our election coverage here.
We, the undersigned, are expressing our support for Shayna Sackett-Gable, Liz Callahan, and Will Meyer for the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education. They are parents, education professionals and community volunteers with the experience and dedication to ensure that all students have an equitable and exceptional education in SOMA. Shayna, Liz, and Will have chosen their slogan Together We Thrive because they believe it truly takes partnership in our community, in our schools, and on our board to effect the change we all want to see.
Shayna Sackett-Gable is a lifelong resident of SOMA, former Seth Boyden teacher with over 20 years of experience in education, recent co-president of President’s Council and current Director of Pedagogy at a math nonprofit. Through her extensive commitment to SOMSD, both professionally and personally, Shayna truly understands the needs of our district as both a parent and educator.
Liz Callahan has two decades of experience in the field of education and is currently a school-based behavioral consultant. Her vast professional experience makes her uniquely qualified to effectively advocate for policies that promote equity, inclusion, and evidence-based practices in our schools as well as ensure that our teachers have the resources they need to support the academic, social, and emotional needs of ALL students.
As a special education attorney in New York for the last 17 years, Will Meyer has witnessed the countless ways that a school system can fail a child and conversely, the ways that a district can respond appropriately to effectively fix those issues so that students can truly thrive. Will is also a community volunteer engaging with groups including our PTAs and as well as our Special Education Parent Advisory Committee.
Shayna, Liz, and Will are committed to connecting with as many people as possible in our community so that they can effectively respond to our concerns and work to address our district’s many unmet needs. They have the professional experience, vision, and commitment that is needed on our BOE so that ALL students in SOMA can thrive. We hope you join us on election day and vote for Shayna, Liz, and Will for the Board of Education. Sackett-Gable, Callahan & Meyer for BOE (somaboe2023.com)
[Note: The people on this list were asked to join the letter either because they are supporters who have requested lawn signs, are volunteering for the campaign, or are part of the candidates’ broader base of friends and supporters.]
| Abigail Murtagh, Maplewood | Keldrick Wright, Maplewood | |
| Alexis Karteron, Maplewood | Ken Feinleib, South Orange | |
| Allison Posner and Eli Bolin, Maplewood | Kiersten Carlson, Maplewood | |
| Amanda and Steph Mazzarella, Maplewood | Kim and Axel Takacs, Maplewood | |
| Amanda Eigen, South Orange | Kim Collins and family, South Orange | |
| Amy Forman, South Orange | Laurie and Michael Gates, Maplewood | |
| Amy Higer and Michael Paris, Maplewood | Leslie Kerner, South Orange | |
| Ann Leeb, South Orange | Lily Forman, South Orange | |
| Annemarie Maini, South Orange | Lisa Herrick, Maplewood | |
| Avery Freed, Maplewood | Liz Gordon, Maplewood | |
| Barbara and Phil Cokorinos, Maplewood | Liz Testa, South Orange | |
| Becky Rosenfeld, Maplewood | Lizzie Archer, Maplewood | |
| Beth and Paul Daugherty, Maplewood | Marc Solomon, Maplewood | |
| Beth Cosentino, Maplewood | Marian Raab, Maplewood | |
| Carrie McGee and Jeff Hathaway, Maplewood | Marietta and Doug Zacker, South Orange | |
| Chris Weeks and Cathy Lankenau-Weeks, South Orange | Marta Esquilin, South Orange | |
| Christie Huus and Jin Lee, Maplewood | Mary Barber, Maplewood | |
| Christine Houseworth, Maplewood | Mary Ellen Dawkins, Maplewood | |
| Christine Stone, Maplewood | Michael Parlapiano, South Orange | |
| Claire Berrios, Maplewood | Michael Trzcianowski, South Orange | |
| Cynthia Kern, Maplewood | Mila Jasey, South Orange | |
| Deborah Engel, Maplewood | Molly O’Brien and Ed Knizhnik, Maplewood | |
| Delta Sepulveda, South Orange | Mona Karim, Maplewood | |
| Deshaunta Johnson, Maplewood | Morgan Triska and Souleymane Ouedraogo, Maplewood | |
| Diane Davis, Maplewood | Nicole Josey, South Orange | |
| Donna Upton, South Orange | Noah Simon, South Orange | |
| Doreen Oliver, Maplewood | Patricia Canning, South Orange | |
| Eileen Pizzurro, Maplewood | Peri Smilow, South Orange | |
| Elizabeth Baker and Joel VandeVusse, Maplewood | Rachel Fisher, Maplewood | |
| Erin and Matt Scherzer, Maplewood | Reesa Salomon, Maplewood | |
| Erin Siders, Maplewood | Rhea Beck, South Orange | |
| Frank McGehee, Maplewood | Rich Inserro, South Orange | |
| Gail Greenstein, Maplewood | Ritu Pancholy, South Orange | |
| Hannah Zollman, South Orange | Robin Simon, South Orange | |
| Henry Williams, Maplewood | Ronni and Mathew Schwartz, Maplewood | |
| Ian Grodman, Maplewood | Sally Unsworth, South Orange | |
| Jane and Todd Perry, Maplewood | Sarah Hersh, Maplewood | |
| Jeanine Heriveaux, Maplewood | Scott and Sonya Selig, Maplewood | |
| Jennifer Serravallo, South Orange | Sean Bailey and Nancy E. Schwartz, Maplewood | |
| Jenny Lindstrom, Maplewood | Stacy Merriweather Fontil, South Orange | |
| Jessi Empestan, South Orange | Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad, South Orange | |
| Jessica James, Maplewood | Stephanie Nasteff-Pilato, Maplewood | |
| Jessica Murphy, Maplewood | Tara Mallon and Harsh Kalra, South Orange | |
| Jessie Wendt, South Orange | ToniAnn Kruse, Maplewood | |
| Joanne Charles, Maplewood | Tracy and Todd Spangler, South Orange | |
| Julia Haubner Smith, South Orange | Tracy Sham, Maplewood | |
| Karen Weiland, Maplewood | Trenesa Danuser, Maplewood | |
| Kasia Piekarz, Maplewood | Valyrie K. Laedlein, South Orange | |
| Kate Travers, Maplewood | Vanessa LoBue, Maplewood | |
| Kathy and Scott Greenstone, South Orange | Summer Jones, South Orange |
