Learn More About Our 2021 Local Candidates

DANIELLE JOUENNE

Danielle has lived with her family in Schuylkill Township since 2015. She is an attorney with experience in public utility, land use, and environmental law, and she spearheaded the effort to save Sedgley Farm and preserve open space in the township.

She is currently senior counsel with Essential Utilities in Bryn Mawr, supporting Aqua’s utility operations. Prior to Essential, Danielle was in private practice with a Philadelphia law firm as an energy and environmental attorney and more recently, for the past seven years, served as an energy regulatory attorney for UGI Corporation in King of Prussia.

Danielle is currently serving her second term on the board of Ann’s Heart, a non-profit in Phoenixville whose mission is to provide a place of welcome and human services to all Phoenixville area people, such as operating the Code Blue Emergency Warming shelter. Danielle is a committed environmentalist who aspires to a zero-waste lifestyle and has been an active party to recent land development proceedings in the township. Danielle is committed to promoting equality and equity. If elected supervisor, Danielle will work to encourage environmental stewardship and promote thoughtful land development in accordance with local and regional guidelines.

CAITLYN CARMINITO

As a resident of Phoenixville since 2011, Caitlyn Carminito and her husband, James, along with their two young children, can often be seen enjoying their time outdoors enjoying their community. Growing up in a family of public school educators, Caitlyn has seen the importance of a high-quality education system from a young age. Her understanding that this system is an invaluable pillar to the growth of our community is further fueled by her passion for public education. Caitlyn earned degrees in special education and elementary education upon completion of her undergraduate program at West Chester University of PA. She started her career as a public education teacher in 2008. She has taught in special education and also spent a year developing an Autism Support Program. Caitlyn worked closely with the Chester County Intermediate Unit and consultants from Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PATTAN) to develop a program that met behavioral, social, academic, and emotional needs of each student. She transitioned to a regular education teaching position in 2018. Throughout her time as an educator, Caitlyn’s priorities have always been to meet the needs of each individual child and support their families. Caitlyn attends ongoing training and workshops on providing a fair and equitable education that supports growth and progress of school districts. As an educator and community member, Caitlyn believes in the value of a strong community supported school district.

SCOTT OVERLAND

Scott Overland is running for school board to ensure every child in our community has access to a high-quality education that prepares them for success. Scott has spent his career working for passionate education advocates, including former Senator Joe Lieberman and former Congressman and Governor of Colorado, Jared Polis. He currently works for Pearson, the world’s leading education company. Scott lives in East Pikeland with his wife Katie, a teacher in the Owen J Roberts School District, and their two children.

SUSAN TURNER

Susan is a 20-year resident of Schuylkill Township and parent of two recent PAHS graduates. She was a long-term parent volunteer while her children were in the district, including serving as piano accompanist for the choir and chorus at Schuylkill for many years. Susan was selected to fill a vacancy on the School Board last year and is currently the chair of the Policy Committee. She teaches math at West Chester University and has a BS in Petroleum Engineering and an MA in Mathematics.

VICTORIA R. WALKER

For the past 11 years Victoria R. Walker has been a Realtor with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Community Realty, serving Philadelphia and the suburbs. As a seasoned real estate agent, she takes pride in exceeding expectations and empowering clients with the knowledge to make informed decisions in every real estate transaction.

Prior to real estate, Victoria was instrumental, as an Assistant Director, in developing two state certified education programs at a large multi-state human services organization in the Philadelphia region. The programs were lauded for their 100% graduation and job placement rate.

Victoria is a lifelong learner and is currently pursuing an MBA at Temple University. Victoria is a Philadelphia native and has been a resident of Montgomery/Chester Counties for the past 13 years. Victoria is a mother of 4 and currently resides in Phoenixville, Schuylkill Township with her husband Michael and their children Aiden, Maria, Dove & Penelope.

ABBY DEARDORFF

Abby Deardorff holds a BS in Communication from Millersville University and a BS in Nursing from West Chester University. Today, she works as a Registered Nurse with a certification in Maternal Newborn Nursing and is also a substitute School Nurse for the Spring-Ford School District. Given her expertise, she is a candidate who is committed to enhancing the physical, mental, and emotional health of our students.

Abby has been a longtime resident of Montgomery County. Currently, she resides in Royersford with her husband and three young children, two of whom are current elementary students in the district.

In her spare time, she is a board member of the Royersford Baptist Church Nursery School and founding board member of the Adalyn Rose Foundation. Abby is a candidate who will promote open, honest, and respectful dialogue among the board, staff, and public. She will work collaboratively to build a supportive and effective relationship with the community.

ERICA HERMANS

Erica Hermans holds a B.S in Management Science & Information Systems from Penn State University and has worked in the financial services for 20 years. Most of her career has been focused on Organizational Learning and Development (L&D). As an L&D specialist, Erica has built and delivered programs on investments-related topics, professional development skills, and business-specific programs. She is eager to bring her expertise to the Board to help shape Spring-Ford’s curriculums to effectively prepare our children for an increasingly competitive and changing job market.

Erica has lived in the Spring-Ford Area School District for 14 years and reside in Royersford with her husband and her two young children who attend the district. Erica enjoys spending her free time volunteering at Home & School Association events and leading a Girl Scout Troop of fabulous 6th grade Cadettes.

Erica is a candidate who will lead with humility. She will be a reliable voice in driving true and measurable equity for all families in our district and advocate for meaningful dialogue that fosters inclusion in our schools.

DAWN CHELLEL

For over 25 years, Dawn Chellel has been a noteworthy leader throughout her career in the operations and marketing fields. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in multimedia design with a concentration in business/marketing helping her efficiently manage businesses and projects alike. Dawn also takes great pride in her community which powered her decision to run for borough council. In her spare time, Dawn is a dedicated artist and avid history buff. If elected, she would like to utilize her experience and passions to create a better Spring City for all its residents.

JAMES J BURNS

Jim is a long time Spring City resident and public servant. Jim is running for his second term on the Spring City Borough Council.

RONALD M GRAHAM

Ronald Graham has served as Chairman of the East Pikeland Township Board of Supervisors since 2009. In his role as supervisor, Ron cut township real estate taxes twice for a total of 75%, reorganized and modernized the township’s police department, and appointed the first female police chief.

Ron is an active Environmental Advocate. In addition to his work in open space preservation with East Pikeland Township, Ron was the former President of the Green Valleys Watershed Association and served as Pro Bono Counsel in Valley Creek Protection Litigation.

Ron is the co-founder and President of the southeastern Pennsylvania law firm, Graham & Mauer, P.C. with offices in Valley Forge and Harrisburg. He is licensed to practice law in all Pennsylvania state and federal courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ron graduated from Edison State University with a B.S. in aviation science, and received his J.D. from Widener University Delaware Law School. He has his Masters degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

Ron is a retired Colonel and Master Army Aviator. He is the proud parent of three daughters, all college graduates: one a practicing mother, one a practicing attorney, and one a practicing physician.

EMILY J GORGE

Emily Gorge is a lifelong resident of East Pikeland Township. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Susquehanna University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in English and Political Science. Emily received her Juris Doctor from Widener University Delaware Law School in 2017. She is currently a Master’s degree candidate at the University of Pennsylvania. Emily is a practicing attorney.

Emily has extensive experience in government. During college, she spent two summers interning for East Pikeland Township, where she worked on stormwater management issues and organized the Township history for a formal presentation during the Township’s 175th Anniversary celebration. She also served as interim Police Administrator for the East Pikeland Township Police Department in the winter of 2013-2014. In addition, Emily worked for Democratic State Senator Andy Dinniman, Republican Congressman Jim Gerlach, and the Chester County District Attorney’s Office. During her time with the District Attorney, Emily represented the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in Chester County District Courts and Juvenile Court. Prior to her appointment as Township Supervisor by the three member vacancy board, to fill the unexpired term of the late Ben Campbell, Emily served as East Pikeland’s elected Tax Collector for two terms.

Emily is an active member of the community. She currently serves as Chairman to the Township’s Open Space Committee. She is also a member of the Events and Program Committee for Orion Communities, a Phoenixville organization that assists individuals and families experiencing hardships due to poverty, disability, or illness. Emily also participates as a Judicial Arbitration Panel Member for Chester County.

In her free moments, Emily enjoys reading, travel, boating on the Chesapeake Bay, and musical theater.

ANDRE CALILHANNA

Fifteen years after graduating Villanova University with a BA in Communications and a minor in Business, Andre Calilhanna moved to East Pikeland township seeking a diverse, thriving community in which to raise a family and engage in—civically and socially. A marketing professional, writer, and editor, Andre’s volunteer efforts include working as a poll worker in numerous elections in East Pikeland Precinct 2 as well as serving on the board of directors of Phoenixville Area Soccer Club, where he is currently Executive Director. The position of Judge of Elections affords Andre an excellent opportunity to further serve the East Pikeland community, putting his interpersonal and organizational skills to work to ensure free and fair representation for everyone in our district, a positive experience at the polls, and accountability to the voters in East Pikeland.