By Nick Buglione
An active resident of East Meadow for over 25 years, Debbie Coates has been on the Board of Education for the last three.
She-s served on the board-s Education Committee and Access Committee, and is its PTA liaison. Following Fran Raikowski-s retirement last year, Coates took over as board vice president.
We-re doing good things in East Meadow, she said. I-m proud to be a resident and I-m proud to serve on the Board of Education.
During her last term, Coates said standardized test scores consistently increased and the school district vastly improved its curriculum and education services, while remaining fiscally responsible. I believe we-ve been able to reach kids on different levels than ever before, she said.
If re-elected, Coates- plan for the next three years is more of the same. Curriculum and education are of the utmost importance, she said. Everyone-s taxes are going up tremendously, including mine. I want to make sure every dollar is spent wisely.
Prior to serving on the board, Coates held many elected and appointed positions on the PTA, including Meadowbrook Elementary PTA president and PTA Council president.
She-s also been involved on school district committees such as the Center for Human Dignity, the Professional Development Plan team and the District Planning Committee. Coates is also a member of the East Meadow Kiwanis and is on the Jail Advisory Committee.
Name: Joseph Parisi
Family: Wife Grace, two sons and two daughters.
Occupation: Senior vice president for Citigroup
Seat: Parisi is seeking election to the Board of Education seat vacated by David Kaplan, who resigned in June 2004. He is running unopposed.
Joseph Parisi-s face and name are well known in East Meadow. A resident for the past 22 years, Parisi is president of the Council of East Meadow Community Organizations and treasurer its crime watch program.
He is the committee chairman of Boy Scout Troop 362, and is a former member of the McVey Elementary School Planning and Management Team.
Having been heavily involved in community affairs for some time, Parisi said running for the Board of Education seemed the next logical step.
I decided to run because I-ve been an advocate for the community for a long time and I felt I could give my services to the school district, he said. If elected, I want to work with the board and see where my services are needed.
Parisi works in the technology field, and holds a degree in business administration with a concentration in finance. He believes his knowledge of dollars and cents can be an asset to the board around budget season.
Name: Judy Shiechel
Family: Husband Steven, daughter Stacy and son Evan
Occupation: Office manager for a local
dentist
Seat: Shiechel is seeking election to the Board of Education seat vacated by Roseann Nolan, who resigned in February. She is running unopposed.
Responsive, caring and effectivethose are the three qualities Shiechel lists above her campaign flier.
A resident of East Meadow for over 17 years, Shiechel said she has a strong sense of responsibility, commitment and dedication to our community, most importantly, to all children.
Shiechel has logged many years with the PTA. Currently PTA Council president, Shiechel has served as the Special Education PTA president and held a number of other PTA positions, including vice president, recording secretary and corresponding secretary.
She-s received Founder-s Day honors for her work with PTA Council and SEPTA, and is a member of the district-wide Compact for Learning.
The recent establishment of the Special Education Resource Center and Library, which offers parents of special-education students a place to find information and resources on their disabilities, is among Shiechel-s crowning achievements.
As a resident and concerned taxpayer for almost 20 years, I am sensitive to the financial obligations we share, she said. I am committed to overseeing the educational growth and positive direction of our programs, as well as providing a healthy, safe, constructive and unrestricted educational environment.
I am fair and open-minded, she continued. My years of experience and advocacy will enable me to make informed decisions that will impact the lives of our children and our community.
Name: Margaret McCartney
Family: Son Jeff, daughters Kathleen and Patricia, four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
Occupation: Retired librarian
Seat: McCartney is seeking re-election to her seat on the East Meadow Public Library board of trustees. She is running unopposed.
McCartney has been a fixture on the East Meadow Public Library board of trustees for 40 years and has resume that boasts years of work as a professional librarian in university, business, government and public libraries.
I feel my background has been a distinct asset to my community, said McCartney, who has lived in East Meadow for 54 years.
The library just celebrated its 50th anniversary, and McCartney has been around for much of its long history, watching it grow from a small storefront to one of the county-s co-central libraries.
During her years on the board, she-s seen card catalogues give way to computer databases, and has witnessed the Internet takeover as the primary resource tool.
The library-s audio-visual services have grown extensively, and its DVD, video and CD collections continue to expand. The library also provides myriad program and services for people of all ages throughout the year. We-re providing some wonderful library services and are known as one of the [top libraries], McCartney said. The East Meadow Library has always been No. 1 in services.
If re-elected, McCartney said she-ll ensure that the library spends its tax dollars wisely, and will work on pursuing more grants so we can provide the best services to the community and keep up with the times.
Comments about this story? NBuglione@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
