ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Allentown School Board on Thursday selected two executive directors — one who works at a small college and another of an organization that focuses on children's mental health needs — to fill two vacant seats on the board.
Board members unanimously chose Andrene Brown and Evelyn Santana to fill the seats recently vacated by now-state Sen. Nick Miller and Charlie Thiel.
- Allentown School Board interviewed eight applicants for two vacancies
- Andrene Brown and Evelyn Santana were approved by the board to fill the seats
- They will be sworn in on Jan. 26
The board on Thursday voted unanimously to accept both resignations.
Brown is a founder and the executive director of the Fine Feather Foundation Inc. The organization provides after-school and summer arts classes that focus on children’s mental health needs.
Santana is the executive director of partnership sites for Harcum College, a small private two-year school in Bryn Mawr, Montgomery County.
The board interviewed eight people for the two seats after holding two committee meetings — one on education and the other on finance.
Nine originally applied for Miller’s seat, but the district decided not to separately advertise and accept applications for Thiel’s seat. The applicants were Brown, Santana, Milagros Canales, Louis Holzman, Karen Ocasio, Shellie Santiago, Kiara Santos, Zaleeae Sierra and Ana Tiburcio.
Brown said she was excited about joining the board. She said her skills as a team player will help her be successful.
“That is my strong suit,” she said. “Being able to collaborate to reach across the table, actually just to bring new, futuristic ideas. I think that’s one of the things that we’re missing.”
Brown said she brings 20 years of management experience. She said she believed the most important role for a board member is working with the community, and she would like the district to invest more in arts programs.
Santana said as a first-generation American and college graduate, education is very important to her. She said she believes the district needs to better prepare students for a career or college after graduation.
“I don’t think that we are doing the best job that we could be doing preparing our students after they graduate high school and get out into the workforce,” she said.
Santana said her son soon will make that transition. He's a junior at William Allen High School. She said she hopes her experience in higher education will benefit the board.
Miller submitted his resignation in December, with it becoming effective Jan. 2. Thiel abruptly resigned last Friday, citing professional obligations.
Miller, a Democrat, served on the board since 2019.
Thiel, also a Democrat, was first appointed to the school board in 2013, then won election to the seat in 2015.
On LinkedIn, Thiel is listed as managing partner of Thiel Strategic, a security consulting company. He unsuccessfully ran for Allentown mayor in 2017.
Five seats on the board are up for election each year. Board Director LaTarsha Brown told applicants who were not selected to run for a seat if they still wanted to serve.
“Do not stop your passion,” Brown said. “I heard something good from everybody that spoke, whether you had the professional background or not, each and everyone touched an area that can actually impact our district. So continue your truth.”
“Do not stop your passion. I heard something good from everybody that spoke, whether you had the professional background or not, each and everyone touched an area that can actually impact our district. So continue your truth.”ASD Board Director LaTarsha Brown
The selected candidates are expected to be sworn in during the regular school board meeting on Thursday, Jan. 26.
They will serve until the board's December reorganization meeting unless they run for seats and win election to the seats in November.
Eligible candidates must be 18 years and have to have lived within the boundaries of the school district for at least the past year.
