I am writing in support of Rachel Gilliar and Julie Epstein for the two open positions on the Board of Education.
I had the privilege to serve on the Board of Education with Rachel Gilliar and saw firsthand that she is everything you need to see in a school board trustee. Rachel takes nothing at face value but will dig in and do her research on each question and issue.
She has the ability to quickly see to the heart of the issue but the patience to give every aspect its fair review. She has a rare combination of being willing and actually wanting to learn but able to stand her ground when she believes it necessary. I have seen Rachel take the time to speak, and to listen, to anyone that wants to be heard, even when it is a very different point of view than her own.
Rachel is very clearly an advocate of the children at all times, but very much aware of her responsibility to every stakeholder. We need to continue to have Rachel representing us on our school board.
I have served with Julie Epstein in many capacities in the school district. I can honestly say that over my 12 years as a trustee on the Board of Education I have never encountered anyone that would be better prepared to begin as a trustee and hit the ground running. She knows the work and procedures necessary and the role of governance in the school district. I have seen Julie resolve many difficult situations because she is both willing to listen and willing to take the strong stand, always demonstrating her respect for others. Julie takes any and every responsibility she takes on with utmost concern to detail and procedure and will do whatever is necessary to make sure that the job gets done, and gets done correctly.
Both Rachel and Julie demonstrate that they seek these positions because they have the desire and commitment to best serve the school district of Port Washington. Neither of these people put forth the time and effort necessary for their own interest but rather for the good of all the stakeholders and are very clear on the role of trustee.
To some, this might seem like a small thing, but we see many people make promises. We need leadership that can deal with whatever the reality of the day, and still accomplish what needs to be accomplished.
A great deal of uncertainty lies ahead for all of us, and we as a community need to know our schools are being governed by the best possible people. I hope you will join me in this effort by voting for Rachel Gilliar and Julie Epstein.
Karen Sloan
Port Washington
