Board of Education Candidates Biographies

This year there are seven people running for three open Board of Education Seats. Each seat is a three-year, non-paid term. Here are the biographies they submitted.

Bradley Feldman

My name is Brad Feldman and I’m interested in serving on the Board of Education based on my sincere interest in the success of our district and community. My wife Kacey and I have three daughters attending CES (Halle – 3rd grade, Adalyn and Sophia – 1st grade). We chose to raise our children in Schodack CSD in support of the strong sense of community and nurturing environment valued in a smaller district. I graduated from Columbia High School before earning my Master’s Degree in Computer Science from SUNY Albany. Professionally, I am a Director of Software Development at Underwriters Laboratories and have worked in software development for over 20 years. I currently volunteer as President of the East Greenbush Girls Softball League, coordinator of Sacred Heart CYO Basketball for grades K-2 and have coached youth soccer, softball and basketball for many years. There is no greater responsibility than attending to the safety, growth and development of our children. Overseeing education is vitally important. I’m fully committed to doing my part to see our school district offer all our children the greatest opportunities for success. I look forward to the chance to represent our community in such an important capacity.

 

Marion Gurdineer-Spar

My husband, Andre, and I moved to the area seven years ago. We have five children; Haylee (10), Ayva (9), Dylan (7), Aubrey (6) and Payton (3). Always working together as a family, we became very active and involved in various activities and functions throughout the community. I have volunteered to coach several youth athletic teams over the years. I obtained my Master’s degree at The College of Saint Rose, hold a certification in School Psychology, and am currently working as a school psychologist on a preschool evaluation team. I am a very enthusiastic individual with a great sense of humor. I am a firm believer that life is what you make it and love helping others and making every day a positive one! I feel that it is important not just to be actively involved for the sake of my children, but also to show and teach them that being an active and productive individual is what will guide them successfully through life. Education has such a great impact on all children in many ways and being a part of making that experience a positive and meaningful one is my goal. If afforded the opportunity to serve on the board, it would be an honor to advocate for ALL our children and the community.

 

 

Kyle Hurysz

The Schodack community and School District have helped guide, educate, and shape me. Our schools imbued in me a sense of values and purpose, helping me earn the rank of Eagle Scout. Now, I am interested in serving and giving back to our town and school district.

Raised in Schodack, I was educated in our schools, graduating from Maple Hill High School. Upon graduating I began studying economics, political science, applied mathematics, and data analytics in the Honors College at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. At Edinboro, I pursued my interest in public service. I represented fellow students as the Student Government Association’s Vice President of Procedure. Later, I served on the Edinboro University Council of Trustees, appointed by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf.  As trustee, I participated in many activities closely related to those of the Schodack Board of Education, including a search for president of Edinboro University, curricula and economic planning, physical inspection of University facilities, review and approval of academic programs, annual operating and capital budgets, contracts, labor agreements, and purchases. I was also involved in the “Edinboro 2024” institutional strategic plan, and I serve as one of 12 members of the College Board’s nationwide Advanced Placement Advocacy Council.

 

Thomas McKeown

Hi, I am Tom McKeown.  I’ve been a member of this community for a little over three years.  My wife and I are proud parents of twin boys going into 7th Grade.  Giving back to my community is important to me and something that I try to instill in my boys.  I currently serve as a School Board Member for Holy Spirit School in East Greenbush.  Also, I am very active with the Sacred Heart of Castleton CYO Basketball Program, maintaining our Social Media Pages as well as transitioning over as Athletic Director.

Early in my career, I was employed by the Capital Region BOCES as a Program Coordinator where I was responsible for supporting area school districts in the area of Finance, Budgeting and Student Information Administration.

Today, I serve as the Technology General Manager for Conduent Legal and Compliance Analytics.  In that role, I lead a team of 141 Software Engineers, Data Scientists and Application Support and System Engineers across the U.S., U.K. and India.  I am responsible for the oversight of a multi-million dollar labor and technology budget.

I am hoping, if given the opportunity, to help to the Schodack Central School District navigate our schools through the “New Normal” and towards a bright and rewarding future.

Alexander Nicholson

I am a father of a current 1st grader and soon-to-be kindergartner, with more on the way.  A prideful resident of Castleton for seven years, I’ve been eager to contribute to my town/district and would be honored to be elected to the BOE to help serve in this capacity.

In my professional capacity, I have served children in direct-care positions over the last seventeen years- from preschools to children residential facilities and children shelters.  As a Registered Nurse, I took care of youth living at adolescent residential facilities.  As a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner for the last eight years, I evaluate and treat children, as well as adults, for a broad spectrum of challenges and difficulties and I am hopeful my experience in mental-health may offer a unique perspective to the board.  At the minimum, I hope my professional experiences conveys my dedication and passion for serving children and the community which may be desired qualities by those considering a candidate to the BOE.

Beyond my professional experiences, as mentioned, I am a husband and father who takes great pride in the community he lives in and would be honored to help serve on the BOE.  Thank you.

Charles Peter

I’ve spent my entire life in Schodack, growing up on and now helping manage my family’s farm on Brookview Road. My wife Cathleen and I both being graduates of Maple Hill(Class of 2002), we understand first hand the special relationship our community has with our school district and the unique learning experience we enjoy here. A desire to ensure my daughters(Emma, 1st grade; and Lily, Kindergarten next year) have access to that sort of education is what prompted me to first seek a board seat 3 years ago. Since that time I’ve also been elected to represent our community as a Rensselaer County Legislator and have worked to find ways to support and promote our schools in that role.

Schools our size will always face a unique set of challenges larger districts never will, challenges that will only be amplified as we begin to face the ramifications of the COVID-19 outbreak. While we may face challenging times going forward, working to ensure the highest level of education and opportunities for our students while respecting our taxpayers and striving to improve the affordability of our district have been and will remain my priorities as a board member.

 

 

Mary Yurista

A former member of the Schodack Board of Education, I’ve had the privilege to serve the community for 6 years during which we undertook the transformation of our facilities into a 21st century learning environment. I serve on the Audit Committee and with the support of the Schodack BOE, I will serve on the Questar III Board starting in July. I believe that my experience would be of value to the community as we navigate the challenges of these unprecedented times.

Having worked in the insurance industry in various technical capacities leading and participating in projects that have brought innovation and improvement to business processes, I believe the private sector offers beneficial guidance and progressive ideas that will allow us to sustain and improve the quality of education and everyday life for all.

We have raised three Maple Hill graduates. As a parent and grandparent, I want the same success for every student that my children have been able to enjoy.  As a professional, I hope to be able to assist and meet the challenges we face in our schools to facilitate the future success of students in this new uncertain environment and economy.

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration.