By Laura Lane
Joann Seibert, 48, is running for a second term on the Merrick Board of Education. A Merrick resident for the past 14 years, her daughter Alexandra is an eighth-grader at Merrick Avenue Middle School. Seibert has served as a PTA co-president of Chatterton Elementary School and was also a member of several district and building committees. She has a bachelor's and a master's of business administration in finance from Hofstra and Adelphi universities, respectively. She also holds a master's in secondary education in business and distributive education from Hofstra University.
She is currently an adjunct professor in the Nassau Community College Mathematics Department. Her professional experience includes MasterCard International and JP Morgan Bank as a financial manager responsible for budgets, operations and reporting.
Seibert believes that she can continue to make a valuable contribution to the community as a board member. "My business and teaching background provide me with a balanced perspective of the needs in the academic arena, tempered with sound business principles," said Seibert. "It has been a rewarding experience to see how the decisions we make as a board affect each of the students in our district. In our fast-paced world, it is important to provide students with a solid foundation as well as expose them to the curriculum they need for success in higher grades. We also need to be fiscally responsible while offering the finest education we can."
photo credit: Gina Piskin
photo #: 37957
Gina Piskin
Gina Piskin, 43, has been involved in the Merrick school district for years and is looking forward to serving as a Board of Education trustee.
She has an 11th grader and a ninth-grader at Kennedy, as well as a son in second grade at Levy-Lakeside. She believes having a number of children in the schools will benefit her as a trustee.
"I see all views with children of different ages," said Piskin. "Last year I had a child in all three schools -- middle, elementary and high school."
A graduate of Adelphi University with a bachelor's in history and education, which she received with honors, Piskin has chosen to stay home and raise her children. She was the Levy-Lakeside PTA president last year and remains active with the organization.
"When I became involved in the PTA, I started going to board meetings," said Piskin, adding, "I always encourage people to go, but you see the same people at the meetings. I'd like to see more people go so they can see how the decisions are made."
Piskin said her goal as a trustee will be to encourage communication between parents, administrators and board trustees.
Comments about this story? Llane@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
