Posts Tagged ‘2015 Primary’

Press coverage from the election

Posted: May 22, 2015 in 2015 Primary Election, Press Coverage
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Post-Gazette logo

The Save NA Schools group continued to rack up victories for school board seats.

The group’s endorsed slate of three incumbents and three newcomers swept the Republican nominations for four- and two-year terms. Incumbent Joe Greenberg was defeated on both ballots, and longtime incumbent Maureen Grosheider’s name will appear only on the Democratic ballot in November.

Candidates whose names will appear on both tickets are incumbents Kevin Mahler, Libby Blackburn and Michael Meyer and newcomer Chris Finley for four-year terms, and newcomer Suzanne Filiaggi for a two-year term. Mrs. Blackburn was elected four years ago and Mr. Mahler two years ago. Mr. Meyer was appointed to the board last year.

Newcomer Chris Disque of McCandless won a Republican nomination and longtime incumbent Mrs. Grosheider won a Democratic nomination.

To read more, click here.

 

Pittsburgh Tribune Review logo

Incumbent North Allegheny School Board member Joseph Greenberg did not make it past the May 19 primary, but the other candidates will move on to the general election in November, according to unofficial results from the Allegheny County Elections Division.

Challenger Suzanne Filiaggi received both the Democratic and Republican nominations for a two-year term and has won that seat unless there is a successful write-in campaign. She beat incumbent Maureen Grosheider, who sought only the Republican nomination for that seat.

“Transparency and accountability — that’s what we believe, and we are all humbled by the opportunity to serve as directors,” said Suzanne M. Filiaggi, 46. of Franklin Park. She was part of a slate that also included fellow challengers Christopher Disque and Christopher Finley and incumbents Libby Blackburn, Kevin Mahler and Michael C. Meyer.

To read more, click here.
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Your Vote Moved NA Forward!

Posted: May 19, 2015 in 2015 Primary Election
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A huge thank you to the NA community for continuing to MOVE THE DISTRICT FORWARD!

These results mean that ALL of our candidates will proceed to the general election in November.

The election results, per the Allegheny County Elections Division, are shown below:

School Director- 4 year seat- Republican Ballot

Libby Blackburn      

Chris Disque 

Chris Finley                          

Mike Meyer                          

Kevin Mahler           

           

School Director- 2 year seat- Republican Ballot

Suzanne Filiaggi       

 

School Director- 4 year seat- Democratic Ballot

Libby Blackburn      

Chris Finley                          

Mike Meyer                          

Kevin Mahler           

Maureen Grosheider

 

School Director- 2 year seat- Democratic Ballot

Suzanne Filiaggi       

Important Ballot Information – VOTE Tomorrow

Posted: May 18, 2015 in 2015 Primary Election, Community Information, Take Action
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The efforts of the NA community two years ago to bring change to the NA School Board will continue to be undermined if Maureen Grosheider and Joe Greenberg are re-elected on May 19. 
 
We need your vote to elect new candidates in their place.
 
Maureen Grosheider has been on the Board for 2 decades.  To increase her chances for re-election, she is running for both a 2-year and 4-year term at the same time.  Under Grosheider’s leadership, the Board raised taxes 3 years in a row, operated classes above class size guidelines, and relied on inaccurate projections that led to the failed recommendation to close a school.    
 
Joe Greenberg has supported a tax increase every year since he joined the Board.  Like Grosheider, he voted against the elementary class size policy.  When 11 elementary classes started the 2012-13 school year above the class size guidelines, Greenberg stated that implementing a class size policy like other districts was unnecessary.

Please support the 6 candidates who are committed to moving NA forward: FILIAGGI-FINLEY-MAHLER-MEYER-DISQUE-BLACKBURN.

To view the ballot for tomorrow’s election, please click here or see below.

ballot

Keep NA Moving Forward

Posted: May 14, 2015 in 2015 Primary Election, Community Information
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Two years ago, a bipartisan group of NA residents came together to advocate for change on the North Allegheny School Board.   At that time, most of the school board members had been on the Board for over a decade, including Maureen Grosheider–who has been on the Board for 2 decades.
 
Under Grosheider’s Leadership, NA lacked a long-term strategic plan:
  1. The Board raised taxes for 3 years in a row (2010, 2011, and 2012).
  2. Inaccurate projections led to the recommendation to close an elementary school–the District projected an $8 million deficit, but ended the year with a $5 million surplus and an increase in elementary enrollment.
  3. Elementary classes operated above class size guidelines (11 sections were above the guidelines at the start of the 2012-13 school year).
  4. Classroom technology fell behind comparator districts (including Hampton and North Hills).
  5. The District was not compliant with Board Policy #4125–which requires that the District maintain a Citizen’s Advisory Committee to provide feedback on important District matters.
As a result of these issues, the district-wide movement to Save NA Schools took hold and 3 new members were elected to the NA School Board.  After the 2013 election, board members chose new board leadership and began the process of moving NA forward.
 
Under New Board Leadership, the following changes have occurred:
 
  1. A new Budget and Finance Committee, comprised of 3 Board Members, was created to help prioritize District expenditures and develop a long-term plan with respect to fiscal management and tax increases.
  2. A new Technology Advisory Committee, comprised of teachers, parents, and taxpayers, was created to provide a variety of stakeholders with the opportunity to develop recommendations around advancing classroom technology. 
  3. A new Elementary Class Size Policy was created to provide guidelines for determining the number of elementary sections at the start of the year.
  4. A new Alternative Revenue Initiative was created for soliciting “payments in lieu of taxes” from large, non-profit organizations that reside in the District and benefit from the NA brand.  
  5. A new Citizen’s Advisory Committee was reinstated to give NA constituents the opportunity to provide feedback on important District matters.
 
As you can see, many positive changes have occurred under new board leadership.  We believe it’s important to keep that momentum going.  
 
Vote FILIAGGI, FINLEY, MAHLER, MEYER, DISQUE, & BLACKBURN on May 19th to Move NA Forward!

Meet the Candidates: Mike Meyer

Posted: May 7, 2015 in 2015 Primary Election, Community Information
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pic_Mike Meyer Mike Meyer lives with his wife, Stephanie, and their two children, Brady and Carson, in Marshall Township. They made the decision to move to this area from Shadyside as their children approached school age.  The decision to move to Marshall was based on the belief that North Allegheny would provide outstanding educational opportunities for their children. His experience thus far has confirmed that the decision was a good one.

Mr. Meyer has an undergraduate degree from IUP in Communications and he has a graduate degree in Athletic Administration from West Chester University. He spent seven years working in college athletics in various capacities and is now entering his twenty-first year as the General Sales Manager of the Steelers Radio Network, a property run by iHeartMedia, formerly Clear Channel.

Mr. Meyer has served as a member of the School Board since August of 2014 when he was appointed by the Board to to fill a vacant seat.

As a parent of two young boys, Mr. Meyer has a vested interest in the future of the District.  He hopes to utilize his business background and professional experience to find solutions for the many issues that will confront North Allegheny in the next few years including financial challenges, technology growth, and the need for a long-term plan to generate alternative revenue streams. Mr. Meyer is eager to continue to commit his time and energy to continuing the success that North Allegheny has achieved.

Mr. Meyer is running for a four year seat.

For more information on the candidates and their platform, please click on the following link: www.moveNAforward.com

Meet the Candidates: Kevin Mahler

Posted: May 6, 2015 in 2015 Primary Election, Community Information
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Pic_Kevin MahlerKevin Mahler has been a resident of the North Allegheny district for 20 years.  He has an undergraduate degree from Duke University and earned an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.  Mr. Mahler is a Research Director for Schmidt Market Research, which is located here in the North Hills area. He has previously held marketing positions with the Pitt Auto Electric Company, the Society of Automotive Engineers, and the Software Engineering Institute at CMU.

Mr. Mahler has three children. His daughter, Kate, is a 2010 NA graduate and a 2013 New York University graduate. His son, Andy, is a 2014 NA graduate currently enrolled at Case Western University. His youngest child, Ryan, started NA Kindergarten in 2014. His wife, Viki, is a pediatrician with many patients in the NA school district.

Mr. Mahler has a history of involvement with the community, including time spent coaching several NA youth recreational sports leagues. He was a regular attendee at NA School Board meetings before becoming a School Director 2013.

In 2013, Mr. Mahler ran in a special election for a two year seat on the North Allegheny School Board. He believes that the District needs a new approach to issues like budgeting, taxes, decision-making, and community relations. To attract young families and keep our property values high, he believes we need to think strategically and look for win-win solutions to keep NA strong. He is running again in 2014 in order to continue working toward those goals.

Mr. Mahler is running for a four year seat.

For more information on the candidates and their platform, please click on the following link: www.moveNAforward.com

Meet the Candidates: Chris Finley

Posted: May 5, 2015 in 2015 Primary Election, Community Information, Take Action
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Chris Finley photoChris Finley has been a resident of Marshall Township for the last fourteen years. Since graduating with an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice, he has been a licensed investigator and entrepreneur. The North Allegheny School District was the deciding factor for Mr. Finley and his family to move to the area.

Mr. Finley has owned and operated a successful private detective agency for almost fifteen years. He currently serves on the board of the Pennsylvania Association of Licensed Investigators, as Director-At-Large, allowing him to serve the members and Directors for all of Western Pennsylvania, north to Erie and east to Harrisburg. He has played an integral part of coordinating association functions including membership initiatives, seminars, conferences and regional meetings. Mr. Finley is a member of local and international investigative associations that include worldwide leaders in the industry. He also volunteers at his local church, has coached youth hockey for several years, and donates to several children’s organizations.

Mr. Finley’s experience as a business owner has allowed him to develop excellent decision-making skills in many areas. With ongoing matters in the District such as school security, the new volunteer clearance policy, and the new visitor policy, Mr. Finley’s expertise would be a valuable asset to the Board. He strongly believes the knowledge and skills he has acquired will allow him to represent the District in a very positive role and help NA remain at the forefront of successful school districts.

Mr. Finley is running for a four year seat.

For more information on the candidates and their platform, please click on the following link: www.moveNAforward.com

Meet the Candidates: Suzanne Filiaggi

Posted: May 4, 2015 in 2015 Primary Election, Community Information, Take Action
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pic Suzanne FiliaggiSuzanne Filiaggi is a 1986 graduate of North Allegheny. She grew up in the Ingomar area and she currently resides in the Brook Park Manor neighborhood of Franklin Park.

She obtained her baccalaureate degree from Washington & Jefferson College and then graduated from Duquesne University Law School. She began her legal career as a private defense attorney but ultimately moved to the Allegheny County Office of the District Attorney. In 2007, she was appointed to the position of Hearing Officer. In 2010, Ms. Filiaggi “retired” from the practice of law to raise her three children and support her family’s business, Sir Pizza. Nicholas (8th grade), Maggie (5th grade) and Anna (2nd grade) have all flourished, attending McKnight Elementary and Ingomar Middle School.

Over the past several years, Ms. Filiaggi applied to fill the two vacancies on the NA School Board and she currently serves on three District-wide committees—the Citizen’s Advisory Committee, the Technology Advisory Committee, and the Gifted Advisory Committee.

With three generations of her family residing in the North Allegheny School District, Ms. Filiaggi understands the concerns of both families with school-age children as well as retirees living on fixed incomes. In seeking the two-year term of School Director, she hopes to bring the financial acumen that comes with running a successful business to District operations. Her close connection with district initiatives and her legal and business backgrounds will be assets to District leadership and will help the North Allegheny School District maintain its course on the dual pathway of fiscal responsibility and continued student excellence.

Ms. Filiaggi is running for the two-year seat.

For more information on the candidates and their platform, please click on the following link: www.moveNAforward.com

Yard Signs

Posted: May 1, 2015 in 2015 Primary Election, Community Information, Take Action
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The 6 candidates endorsed by Save NA Schools – Filiaggi – Finley – Mahler – Meyer – Disque – Blackburn – have purchased yard signs for their campaign.

If you are interested in a group sign for your yard, please contact us at savenaschools@gmail.com.
Yard sign