YOUNGSTOWN | Board of education
Thirteen candidates are running for four four-year seats. Joyce Lomax, Terri O'Connor-Brown* and Alexis Wokocha did not return candidate questionnaires. (* denotes incumbent)
ALYCIA M. BOLDS
Age: 37
Home: 3316 Hudson Ave.
Employment: Owner of Kids Repeat consignment store in Liberty
Education: East High School graduate
Family: Husband, the Rev. Terry S. Bolds; two children
Priority: Special education; to have more parents and people from the community become involved in the educational process of children.
JAMAEL TITO BROWN
Age: 32
Home: 2242 Ohio Ave.
Employment: Community organizer at Youngstown State University's Center for Urban and Regional Studies
Education: Bachelor's degree in criminal justice; The Rayen School graduate; pursuing master's degree in counseling
Family: One son
Priority: To bridge the gap between the school board and the community; to build a stronger connection with YSU and other institutions at an earlier age for pupils; to create a financial literacy program for middle and high school pupils by partnering with local business and financial institutions.
PATRICIA DOUGAN
Age: 52
Home: 4907 Sheridan Road
Employment: Senior staff attorney at Northeast Ohio Legal Services in Youngstown; part-time faculty at YSU
Education: Law degree from the University of Akron School of Law; professional writing and editing degree from YSU
Family: Three children
Priority: To make the children and their families the focus of everything the board does and get back to the basics of family, school and home; to hire the best teachers and support staff and give teachers the materials and support they need; to assist parents; to pull together community resources and programs to see that children are at school and ready to learn every day.
KATHRYN HAWKS HANEY
Age: 66
Home: 133 S. Truesdale Ave.
Employment: President of Give the Children a Chance Inc. in Youngstown
Education: Youngstown public schools
Family: Three children
Priority: To make board members more accessible to all the people of Youngstown in a more informal setting; to go into the community for meetings at churches, schools, social events, neighborhood block watch meetings and the like.
DON L. HANNI III
Age: 56
Home: 2225 Oran Drive
Employment: Ohio Department of Transportation District Four office in Ravenna
Education: YSU, Chaminade University of Honolulu, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Ursuline High School
Family: Two children
Priority: To provide leadership and hire a nontraditional superintendent; to expand programs he supported as a school board member in the 1990s, such as school uniforms and the security department; to increase communication between the school board and the community.
SHELLEY MURRAY
Age: 30
Home: 2261 Coral Sea Drive
Employment: Self-employed
Education: Bachelor's degree in education from YSU; Chaney High School graduate
Family: Husband, Shawn Murray Sr.; three children; two stepchildren
Priority: To listen to the needs of the school system and assist the board to improve them.
GERALDINE SULLIVAN *
Age: 45
Home: 1625 Midland Ave.
Employment: Director of counseling and career services at Ursuline College in Cleveland
Education: Master of business administration from YSU
Family: Husband, James; three children
Priority: To choose a new superintendent by evaluating all candidates, including those outside the district, to find someone who has successfully educated urban children and can creatively find ways for the district to meet state standards and become an effective and excellent place where all pupils can learn.
KRISTA VENTRESCO
Age: 49
Home: 213 Bouquet Ave.
Education: Bachelor's degree in sociology from YSU; associate's degrees in childhood education and dental hygiene; Cardinal Mooney High School graduate
Employment: Dental hygienist with Dr. Murphy Morgan in Austintown
Family: Husband, Ricky Rounds; one son
Priority: To keep our children in school and off the streets with in-school suspensions; to network with volunteers to start after-school homework programs.
MICHAEL K. WRITE
Age: 52
Home: 444 Carlotta Drive
Employment: Professional consultant at Write 1 Enterprises in Youngstown
Education: YSU and East High School
Family: Wife, Janet; five children
Priority: Pupil achievement.
MICHELLE WRONA
Age: 30
Home: 832 Cornell Ave.
Employment: Staff attorney at Northeast Ohio Legal Services in Youngstown
Education: Law degree from Cleveland-Marshall School of Law; political science degree from YSU; Woodrow Wilson High School graduate
Family: Single
Priority: To provide all pupils the education to go to college or on to vocational training; to implement daily living skills in the curriculum.