Politics & Government

What's at Stake in East Penn School Board Race?

Six candidates - including three incumbents -- battle for four seats in the East Penn School Board race in Tuesday's general election.

On the heels of an embarrassing chapter for the East Penn School Board, voters will head to the polls on Tuesday to choose four school directors.

Six candidates—including three incumbents—are competing for four open seats on the board.

Incumbents Alan Earnshaw and Rebecca Heid were top vote-getters on both the Democratic and Republican tickets during the primary, so voters will see their names on both the Democratic and Republican ballots on Tuesday. 

Challengers Chris Donatelli and Garrett Rhoads are the other Republican candidates, and challenger Z.W. Munson and incumbent Francee Fuller are the remaining Democratic candidates. 

Fuller is a newcomer to the race, having been named this summer to the Democratic ballot position that was won in the primary by Michael Moxley when Moxley dropped out of the race.

Among other tasks, the new board will face:

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Here is more information on the candidates:

  • Incumbent Alan Earnshaw is seeking a fourth term on the board. He has served as board president for two years, and is in his sixth year as board vice president. He has served on numerous committees and negotiating teams and led the search for a new superintendent in 2007. He is the global business intelligence manager for the Performance Materials Division of Air Products and Chemicals.  
  • Incumbent Francee Fuller is seeking a fourth term on the board. She is a three-term member of the Joint Operating Committee of Lehigh Career and Technical Institute and joined the board of the Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit in 2012. She is a founding member and past president of Friends of the Emmaus Public Library, and currently serves as publicity chair. Fuller is the marketing manager for Barry Isett & Associates, a full service engineering firm headquartered in Allentown. 
  • Incumbent Rebecca Heid is seeking a second term on the board. While on the board, she has served on the joint operations board of LCTI. Heid holds an MBA from Johnson & Wales University. She is an assistant professor of hospitality at Northampton Community College. 
  • Challenger Chris Donatelli is seeking a first term on the board. Donatelli holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Gannon University. He has been performing the duties of engineer and technical sales person in the filtration Industry for the past 20 years and currently works for Precision Filtration Products, Pennsburg. 
  • Challenger Z.W. Munson is seeking a first term on the board. Munson holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University. In the past 10 years, Munson has served as trustee of the Emmaus Public Library, a soccer coach in the Lower Macungie Youth Association, and a PTO member and school crossing guard. He is an associate professor at Lehigh University. 
  • Challenger Garrett Rhoads is seeking a first term on the board. He is a graduate of Emmaus High School and attended Lehigh University for two years, leaving to start his first company. His first two companies were in the printing business (both sold into other companies). He is a partner in a real estate wholesaling firm and the owner of IDC America Energy Consultants.

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