Planning on voting on Nov. 5? Here’s the rundown on who’s vying for a spot on the Moorestown Board of Education:
Name: Kathy Mullin
Age: 64
Occupation: Attorney
I had the honor of being appointed to the school board in May to fill a vacant seat on the board. I am running to complete the one-year remaining on the original term of this seat.
I grew up in Riverton and went to school in Moorestown, attended college in Massachusetts and then law school in California. I practiced law in California for 12 years representing public entities, including acting as general counsel for school districts. After the 1989 earthquake in the San Francisco Bay Area, my husband and I decided to move back to Moorestown, and we have lived in the same house in Stanwick Glen for the last 28 years. I joined the family business as its general counsel. Our three children all graduated from Moorestown High School. We live directly adjacent to the middle school and high school playing fields and love the excitement of fall when we can hear the school band and cheers of the teams on the fields and in spring when we listen to pomp and circumstance as the seniors and their families march onto the field for graduation.
I am seeking to complete a one-year unexpired term because I believe in the work of the school board and the school district to develop world-class learners. Since joining the board in May, I have been impressed with the dedication and depth of knowledge of the members of the board, the administration, teachers, aides, staff and an engaged community. The district has a strategic and viable vision to develop students to use critical thinking and problem solving skills, to appreciate and contribute to a diverse and ever-changing world and as listeners and collaborators. These goals begin locally in the decisions we make every day about the education of each child in Moorestown, listening to each other and using out best judgment to make those goals happen. It is my hope that I can do my part.
Name: Mark Snyder
Age: 41
Occupation: Higher Education Assessment
Clubs/Organizations you belong to: American Association of Colleges and Universities, Council for Exceptional Children, National Education Association
I have known that I wanted to serve on the school board for the school district my children attended ever since my first experiences as a high school special education, English and mathematics teacher. It was then that I realized the impact that a thoughtful board overseeing the policy, planning and oversight of a school district could have for its students. The positive experiences my children have had at Mary E. Roberts Elementary have only strengthened that resolve and compelled me to serve to help the current board of education continue its positive impact on our community’s students.
My desire to serve Moorestown Township Public Schools on the board of education is rooted in my aspiration to serve our community in a way that allows me to express my passions and expertise. For me, that passion has always been education and the idea that our schools can live up to the expectations that the public trust has bestowed upon them. My experiences, both inside and outside the classroom, have given me the motivation for the work required to help students achieve their goals. I have been incredibly fortunate that my career has afforded me the kinds of experiences and expertise that can be valuable in the function of a school district board of education.
As Moorestown Public Schools embark on its next strategic plan, I am excited for the possibility of aiding in the implementation and assessment of the goals and objectives it lays out. My background in instructional design, educational assessment and social science research may prove useful as we thoughtfully consider how these decisions impact our student population. In addition to serving in any way possible for initiatives already underway, I would advocate for areas of particular interest to me. The relationships between academic achievement, student nutrition and emotional health are phenomena I have experienced first-hand and will always be particularly meaningful for me.
I am fundamentally a teacher at heart and admittedly see most problems and solutions through that prism. I do that with the belief that prioritizing the safety of our schools and education of our students will always benefit the entire Moorestown community.
Thank you and I very much look forward to serving you on our board of education.
Name: Mark D. Villanueva
Age: 42
Occupation: Attorney, Partner with Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP
Clubs/Organizations: Board Member, Moorestown Board of Education; Liaison to Moorestown Recreation Advisory Committee; coach with the Moorestown Lacrosse Club, Moorestown Youth Flag Football, Moorestown Youth Baseball
I am running for re-election because I love Moorestown, I love our schools and I love the work on the board of education. As a board member, one of my primary objectives is to encourage meaningful communication and collaboration with the community. I am also deeply committed to advancing Moorestown’s educational goals in a fiscally responsible manner.
I have lived in Moorestown since 1977. I attended Moorestown schools, and I now have four kids that will similarly benefit from a Moorestown education. I could not be prouder to serve the town and the school district that has provided me and my family with so many opportunities.
I’ve been fortunate to serve as a board member since 2017. During my tenure, I served as the chairperson of the board’s operations committee, served as chairperson of the policy committee, served on the finance and negotiations committees and acted as a liaison for the township’s recreation advisory committee. This is one of the greatest school districts in the state, but to carry on our legacy of excellence, the board of education must earn the confidence of the community members and stakeholders, which requires fiscal responsibility, transparency and a willingness to communicate with stakeholders such that they may understand and weigh in on the issues facing the schools. I work hard to advance initiatives that contribute to the continued advancement of our top-ranked schools, but I have not — and will not — support measures that are not affordable.
I invite you to read my articles and letters in The Moorestown Sun, email me with questions or grab me on the sidelines at a youth sporting event. I am committed to transparency and am happy to discuss with you my views on the board’s activities; I would also love to hear your thoughts and concerns related to our schools. Community engagement and public discourse will aid in our implementation of initiatives and processes that advance Moorestown’s education goals in a fiscally responsible manner.
I am honored to serve the community as a member of the board of education, and I hope to continue my service for another term on the board.
Name: Maurice “Mick” Weeks, III
Age: 47
Occupation: K-12 Sr. Education Account Executive
Clubs/Organizations you belong to: Past and present affiliations: Youth Coach, Moorestown Recreation/Club Soccer, Recreation Baseball, Softball, Basketball; Board Vice President, YMCA of the Pines; Bridging the Gaps Advisory Committee Member
Since joining the Moorestown Board of Education in 2017, my interest in and passion for serving our community has continued to grow. I believe I have made significant contributions in this role, which leaves me feeling invigorated and yearning for more. It is in this spirit that I enthusiastically seek re-election to another full term.
During my current term, our district has made great progress in what I feel are critical areas. While we have a tradition of excellence in our schools, the most successful organizations continue to strive to evolve and tackle new challenges. My understanding of the role of a board member is to lead the conversations around how to do that in a manner that best supports learning and teaching in an effective, fiscally responsible and ethical way. That is how I have approached my role and will continue to do so in a new term.
I have been very vocal about our need to broaden our definition of success in our ever-changing world. As the chair of the communications committee, I developed and helped execute the Community Engagement Series — a series of meetings that fostered a new level of conversation with parents, teachers, students and general members of the community. I enjoyed leading conversations about how we could incorporate an understanding of social and emotional learning and achievement. We also explored how, as a community, we could better support our students and have a more holistic approach to what success means for each individual learner.
The Community Engagement Series introduced the strategic planning process, which led to improved mission and vision statements that incorporated our world-class learner approach and goals. I also served as board liaison to the working group that secured our first certification as a Future Ready School.
I have served on the curriculum committee since starting my term. Additionally, I have served on the residency and buildings and grounds committee (until it was integrated into finance and operations once the previous referendum work was completed). Now that a new referendum has been proposed, I am serving on that committee.
I am a lifelong resident of Moorestown and a Moorestown High School graduate. I have bachelor of arts from Seton Hall and an MPA from the University of Kentucky. My wife Julie and I have a 15-year-old daughter who is a sophomore at MHS and a seven-year-old son in second grade at South Valley.
Name: Sandra Alberti
Age: 49
Occupation: Senior Fellow for Strategic Partnerships at Student Achievement Partners
Clubs/Organizations you belong to: Board Chair, Instruction Partners; Moorestown Home and School Association
I am running for re-election to the Moorestown Board of Education because I am passionate about the importance of public education to our community. I have committed my entire professional career to improving education systems, with a focus on education leadership. In addition to being a parent of two high school age children, I have served numerous roles in the education system from classroom teacher to school and district administrator, to state education director. For the last nine years, I have worked at a non-profit education company, working with education stakeholders from classroom teachers to state and federal policy leaders. I joined the board three and a half years ago. Moorestown was facing many challenges, largely as a result of a great deal of turnaround at the superintendent position. As I spoke with neighbors and observed what was taking place in the schools my children attended, I felt compelled to share my experiences that I focus on during my “day job” in support of my local community.
I have appreciated the opportunity over the last three and a half years to work with an amazing board, committed to doing what is best for our students. For the last two and a half years, I have served as president of the board. Moorestown is an amazing community, full of talents and aspirations. It has been exciting to work with the board and the leadership of the district to set plans for how we can continue to build on our tradition of excellence in education as we work together as a community to meet today’s challenges for our students and educators.
We have been able to support excellence in leadership under the stability of Dr. McCartney. We have just established a new three-year strategic plan, developed in collaboration with school and community stakeholders, including student voices. We have settled contracts both with the Moorestown Administrators Association and the Moorestown Education Association. We have increased our formal community engagement opportunities and increased the district’s revenue generation efforts.
All of these accomplishments have been done in a challenging fiscal and policy environment in which schools are continuously asked to do more with fewer resources. Such an environment requires skillful leadership and collaboration in order to keep the best interests of our students, our community’s most precious resource, at the center of our efforts. I look forward to continuing to work together with district leadership, educators and the community for another three years. Your continued support is appreciated.
