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I currently serve on the school board and for the past three years have been a strong advocate for improved academic excellence, a robust extracurricular program, and establishing stronger relationships with our neighboring cultural organizations such as Kykuit, Stone Barns and The Rockefeller Preserve.
My wife Elizabeth and I moved to Pocantico Hills seven years ago with our three daughters (8, 10, 11). I am proud to say all three are students at The Pocantico Hills School. In addition to my work on the school board, I have been an active board member of The Pocantico Hills School Foundation and have helped to plan our annual Swan Lake Walk. I also led efforts to recognize our faculty and staff’s perseverance and dedication during the COVID 19 pandemic and recovery. Due to a work schedule filled with nights and weekends, I can often be found around the school doing picks ups, drop offs, play dates at the courts and occasionally dropping off a forgotten instrument at the school.
For the past 20 years I’ve worked for the Yonkers Fire Department and currently hold the rank of lieutenant. It is a job I love and value deeply. Together with firefighters from a variety of backgrounds, values and beliefs, I’ve developed a talent for working in a team setting to address a wide range of situations ranging from the mundane to life threatening. This job has also reinforced the importance of self-reflection - looking back and asking what went right, what went wrong, and how we can do it better next time.
Other experiences in my life have also prepared me to serve on our school board. I am a board member of the Friends of Rockefeller State Park and Preserve and I also serve on the building and grounds committee for the Church of the Magdalene located in Pocantico. I’ve also held the position of elected trustee for a 330-member public employee union. And in what sometimes seem like a lifetime ago, I worked as a High School English teacher for four years prior to becoming a firefighter.
I feel the most important issue in the school right now is to ensure our students are academically prepared to excel both during their time at Pocantico and at their chosen partner high school.
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I am interested in becoming a member of Pocantico's Board of Education because I am committed to being an active voice for our students, faculty, and community. Pocantico is one of the most unique school districts in New York, and I dream of bringing big ideas to the table so we can significantly impact the lives of everyone in our community.
We moved from Brooklyn to Pocantico six years ago and live across the street from the school. My wife, Alyson Morilla, teaches FACS (Family and Consumer Science), my two older daughters, Clover and Marni, were educated at Poco, and Phoebe is currently a third grader with Mrs. Coza. Serving my community has always been a big part of my life. As a family, we've built sets for the school plays, set up for school dances, planted flowers around campus, and created fundraising initiatives during the holidays. I'm also heavily involved in Pocantico's Community Adult Programming initiatives, where I've spearheaded our adult pickleball program and been a student in Clyde Ripka's cooking class.
For my entire career, I've worked with unique individuals in the arts, entertainment, and professional sports industries. I've been an expert at growing their global impact through various partnerships, marketing, and philanthropic initiatives. Finding creative growth opportunities with my clients has always been my strength. I know how to rally support and get things done, so bringing these skills to our Board will only assist our current dream-big mentality.
Staying one step ahead of our rapidly evolving world is very important. As a Board member, I want to give our community the resources and support to create paths forward. As technology advances, the Board must equip our faculty and students with the proper tools to handle an ever-changing landscape. Setting goals to support this vision is very important for the Board, and I have the skill set to help our school district take action now while planning for the future.
Pocantico might not be the biggest school district in New York, but it is undoubtedly the most capable. I want initiatives brought forth by the Board of Education to inspire every member of our community to make a significant impact on themselves and our planet. Serving our community on the School Board would be the honor of a lifetime.
