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East Pikeland Township Board (Pick 1)
EMILY J. GORGE (INCUMBENT)

East Pikeland Township Board

Endorsed by the Chester County Democratic Committee

Emily Gorge is a lifelong resident of East Pikeland Township. Emily earned a B.A. in English, summa cum laude, from Susquehanna University, a J.D. from Widener University Delaware Law School, and a Masters, with honors, in political and legal philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania. She is currently a practicing attorney.

Emily has extensive experience in government. During college, she spent two summers interning for East Pikeland Township, where she worked extensively on stormwater management and with the Historical Commission. She also served as interim police administrator for the Township Police Department. In addition, Emily has worked for Democratic State Senator Andy Dinniman, Republican Congressman Jim Gerlach, and the Chester County District Attorney’s Office.

Prior to her role as Township Supervisor, Emily served as East Pikeland’s elected Tax Collector for two terms. She is the Chairman of East Pikeland Township’s Open Space Committee and Solicitor for the Chester County Democratic Committee. Emily also participates as a Judicial Arbitration Panel member for Chester County.

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Phoenixville Area School Board (Pick 5)
STEPHANIE ALLEN (INCUMBENT)

Phoenixville Area School Board

Endorsed by the Chester County Democratic Committee

Dr. Stephanie R. Allen (she/her/hers) is the Chief Diversity Officer at Montgomery County Community College. Over the years, she has held leadership positions at West Chester University, Immaculata University, and The Baldwin School. In these roles, Stephanie has developed intentional strategies to address the needs of students, employees, and other constituents, facilitate and mediate critical conversations, conduct assessments and implement positive sustainable changes. In addition, she has created valuable educational moments through the triangulation of learning among stakeholders.  Stephanie is passionate about education and ensuring that policy, and procedures are fair and equitable.

Stephanie holds her Ed.D in Educational Leadership and Administration from Widener University, a Master of Science in Counselor Education, and a Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. In her free time, she loves spending time with her son, Samuel, and their pup, Shadow.

SEAN HALLORAN

Phoenixville Area School Board

Endorsed by the Chester County Democratic Committee

Dr. Sean Halloran has lived in Phoenixville for over 25 years. He is the current Executive Director at Barnstone Art for Kids, a Phoenixville nonprofit that provides art therapy and
mentorship to children who have experienced trauma. His extensive career as a nonprofit leader has included every aspect of program development, management and oversight. He is a vocal advocate for transparency and fiscal responsibility. Sean has 4 adult children, all successful alumni of PASD. He is running for School Director to ensure the safety and success of all of our district’s children, and to provide equitable and fair decision making for our educators, administration, and the community at large. He is an enthusiastic cheerleader for our town and its school district, and promises to be a thoughtful, thorough communicator and leader when elected.

GRAHAM PERRY

Phoenixville Area School Board

Endorsed by the Chester County Democratic Committee

I didn’t grow up in Phoenixville or Pennsylvania for that matter. However, this year, I  celebrate 30 years residing in Phoenixville and am proud to call it home. It’s time for me  to give back to the school district that did so much for my family. My son is a testament  to what can come from the love and support of family and an educational community  like PASD. This is a critical time and many important decisions will be made over the next  few years. It is important to look forward, not back. We can’t afford to let the  progress  we have made in DEI slip away. We must embrace knowledge rather than  suppress it. I am committed to sensible policies that put the welfare and education first  for the  children of our community. If what I’ve learned as a district parent can help just one  other child or family through what can be really tumultuous years, it is incumbent  on me to do what I can. To that end, please accept this as my application for the open  seat on  the board.

Contact via Email

FRANK VENEZIA

Phoenixville Area School Board

Endorsed by the Chester County Democratic Committee

I am running for the Phoenixville Area School Board.  My wife Christina and I have lived in the District for the past 16 years with our 3 children; Kaitlyn (Penn St), Michael (9th), and John (5th), all of whom are PASD students.  I currently work for Google and have  spent the past 25 years in the private sector serving in a variety of leadership roles,  primarily focused on business development, sales, marketing, finance, and contract  negotiation.  Within the community, I currently serve as the Treasurer on the Board of  Directors at Ann’s Heart, a local non-profit whose mission is to provide a place of  welcome and human services, having held the position for nearly 6 years, and the Chair  of the Budget & Finance Committee.  I also am an active youth sports coach at PMYC  and the Future Phantoms.

I recognize our school district is at a key crossroads, with many pivotal items requiring  consideration in the coming years. In parallel, a focus on the strategic efforts to provide  high quality education and enhancement of the overall student experience, while  balancing the needs of all stakeholder groups needs to be maintained. I believe I offer a  unique perspective as a parent of 3 students across a wide age range and also the  diverse skill set needed to be a key contributor to the Board.

DANIEL WISER

Phoenixville Area School Board

Endorsed by the Chester County Democratic Committee

Daniel Wiser is a Phoenixville resident who believes our children and future generations deserve better than the status quo. As an advocate of progressive policies that serve us all, Dan will work hard to help create a long-term vision and plan for the school district that reflects our community and the challenges our education system faces.

Dan is passionate about the idea of Community Schools — where schools and children are the heart of the community and every graduate is ready for their next steps thanks to a healthy, safe, hopeful, and supportive community that fosters their growth. Dan is an IT manager working for a union-signatory commercial construction company. He lives in downtown Phoenixville with his wife Jamie and son Graham with their beloved dog, cats, and chickens.

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Schuylkill Township Board (Pick 2)
MARK DONOVAN (INCUMBENT)

Schuylkill Township Board

Endorsed by the Chester County Democratic Committee

Mark Donovan has served as an elected supervisor in Schuylkill Township since January 2018. He serves on various local government committees focused on comprehensive planning and was appointed as a member of the township’s first fire steering committee, focused on the long-term operations of the Valley Forge Volunteer Fire Company. Mark volunteers with Chester County Democrats as the chair of the Bylaws Violation Board and with Meals on Wheels as a driver in the Phoenixville area.

Mark currently holds a Bachelor’s in Architectural Engineering from Drexel University and will graduate from Villanova University in May 2023 with a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) as member of Pi Alpha Alpha, the National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration. Mark spent ten years working as a data analyst at IHS Markit before moving full-time to the public sector, and he is now employed as the Planning and Zoning Official in neighboring East Pikeland Township. You can reach Mark’s campaign by email at markdonovanpa@gmail.com or reach out to him in his official capacity at mdonovan@schuylkilltwp.org, but the best place to catch him is at any of the regular Board of Supervisors or Planning Commission meetings held at the township building on Valley Park Road!

JONN CALLAHAN

Schuylkill Township Board

Endorsed by the Chester County Democratic Committee
I’ve always heard that politics happened at the local level, but have never lived somewhere long enough to engage more than superficially. Now that I own a home and plan to stick around for the next decade or two, I figure it’s time to get involved. I’ve come to really love the Schuylkill area after being here for a few years, primarily because of the amount of open green space throughout. I grew up in Northern Virginia and have watched it turn from something very similar to Schuylkill into a psuedo-concrete jungle over the last thirty years, densely packed with the retail, high rise apartments, and McMansion developments. If there’s one thing I could effectively contribute, it’d be to steer the township away from that. It’s a fine line to walk, as development is necessary and positive in many ways, but there needs to be a balance with an eye towards preservation.

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Spring-Ford School Board (Pick 1)
DAVE LAKY

Spring-Ford School Board, Region 3

Endorsed by the Chester County Democratic Committee
Dave Laky is running for the Spring-Ford School Board and is excited for the opportunity to represent the residents of Spring City Borough in Region 3.
Dave has worked in the tech industry for 15 years. Currently, he is is employed as a cloud engineer for a company that specializes in designing software solutions for higher education institutions. As such, Dave is a strong advocate for the development and growth of STEM programs.
Dave is a dedicated father to two young daughters, one in kindergarten and another soon-to-be! As a resident of the Spring-Ford School District for 10 years, Dave is committed to making our community stronger by ensuring our students have the resources and supports they need to thrive. He will work diligently to enhance our students’ educational experience and advance Spring-Ford’s standing as one the top districts in the state.
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