To the Editor:
I was thrilled to hear that Chris Sabin, my long-time neighbor, has declared his intention to run for the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education. My two daughters graduated from CHS and I work for an education non-profit, so I have spent the last 20 years watching how our schools work and the Board’s role in making things better—or not.
I am certain that Chris will make a great Board member because he has all the personal and intellectual qualities that so many other Board members have lacked over the years:
– he likes to listen to others, not just the sound of his own voice
– he wants to understand everything about an issue before making up his mind
– he values consensus over getting his own way
Getting our district to where it needs to go will take a huge shift in the culture of our schools. That’s why Chris is the right guy at the right time.
He is a senior marketing executive with deep experience in building long-term awareness campaigns on serious health issues including sickle cell anemia, diabetes, asthma and teen smoking. He’s helped build campaigns to syndicate the mission of non-profits like The Harlem Educational Activities Fund (heaf.org). He knows how to win hearts and minds and that it takes patience, determination and creativity to do so.
Most importantly, Chris has three children in the system, a daughter going into 6th grade, and two sons, going into 8th and 10th grades, respectively, so he has a big stake in the future of our district. He is determined to make a difference.
Please join me in supporting Chris Sabin for the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education.
Bill Tally
Maplewood
