Posts Tagged ‘Chris Finley’

Meet the Candidates

Posted: October 16, 2015 in 2015 Election, Community Information, Take Action
Tags: , , , , , , ,
0

Sir PIzza Logo

 

Mark your calendars!

Save NA Schools will be hosting a “Meet the Candidates” event at Sir Pizza (located at the corner of Sewickley-Oakmont & Rochester Road) on Sunday, November 1st from 12-2pm. Join us for pizza and soft drinks as we support 7 of the 8 School Board candidates on the ballot in the general election. We look forward to seeing you there!

Endorsed Candidates on the Ballot for the 4-Year Term

Kevin Mahler

Mike Meyer

Libby Blackburn

Chris Finley

Chris Disque

Endorsed Candidates on the Ballot for the 2-Year Term

Suzanne Filiaggi

Richard McClure

Please note that Richard McClure was not on the ballot during the primary election. He was recently appointed to the Board to fill the seat vacated by Tom Schwartzmier. Save NA Schools is supporting Richard McClure in the general election.

Advertisement

Press coverage from the election

Posted: May 22, 2015 in 2015 Primary Election, Press Coverage
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

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.

Vote Today!

Posted: May 19, 2015 in 2015 Primary Election
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
0

In a local election, every vote counts. Please get out and vote today. Your vote can make all the difference!
Vote Today to keep NA moving forward!

pic_group_Move NA Forward

Keep NA Moving Forward

Posted: May 14, 2015 in 2015 Primary Election, Community Information
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0
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: Chris Finley

Posted: May 5, 2015 in 2015 Primary Election, Community Information, Take Action
Tags: , , , , ,
0

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

2015 Primary Ballot

Posted: April 29, 2015 in 2015 Primary Election, Community Information, Take Action
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
0

The Republican and Democratic Primary Ballots are shown below.

To read more about the election, visit our endorsement website at www.movenaforward.com.  Please share this link with family and friends.

ballot

2015 Primary Election

Posted: April 28, 2015 in 2015 Primary Election, Community Information, Take Action
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

SaveNASchools has reinstated its Political Action Committee (PAC) to support candidates for the North Allegheny School Board in the 2015 Primary Election. The name of the PAC is “The Committee to Save NA Schools” and it is registered with the Allegheny County Board of Elections.

The Committee to Save NA Schools endorses the following 6 candidates:  Libby Blackburn, Kevin Mahler, Suzanne Filiaggi, Christopher Finley, Christopher Disque, and Michael C. Meyer.

Group photo

First row: (l-r) Libby Blackburn, Kevin Mahler, Suzanne Filiaggi Second row: (l-r) Christopher Finley, Christopher Disque, Michael C. Meyer

 

These candidates comprise a District-wide slate as residents of Franklin Park, Marshall, and McCandless. Three are incumbents with Board experience and three are newcomers with fresh ideas.

In 2013, the NA School Board – which included 3 newly elected members – chose new Board leadership and began the process of moving NA forward. The 6 candidates on this slate are the only individuals who can be counted on to keep that momentum going, particularly through their support of three general principles:

Avoid Annual Tax Increases by growing alternative revenue and prioritizing District expenditures. The incumbents on this slate are the only candidates who supported the 2014-2015 budget – which did not raise taxes. They’re also the only candidates who supported the Administration’s recommendation to retain a consultant to provide suggestions for expanding the District’s fundraising efforts.

Advance NA’s Education Model by supporting small class sizes, improving classroom technology, and promoting STEM initiatives. The incumbents on this slate are the only candidates who voted for a policy to support smaller elementary class sizes.  This slate of candidates also supports new initiatives to help NA forge ahead with classroom technology and STEM education, areas where NA fell behind comparator districts under prior Board leadership. 

Encourage Community Involvement by supporting the Citizen’s Advisory Committee which was reinstated last year under new Board leadership.   Under prior Board leadership, the District was not compliant with Board Policy #4215, which requires that the District maintain a Citizen’s Advisory Committee to provide feedback on important District matters.  This slate of candidates values the community and their input.

To read more about these candidates, click here.