East Pikeland Township Board
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.
Phoenixville Area School Board
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.
Phoenixville Area School Board
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.
Phoenixville Area School Board
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.
Phoenixville Area School Board
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.
Phoenixville Area School Board
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.
Schuylkill Township Board
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!
Schuylkill Township Board
Spring-Ford School Board, Region 3
