Two seats, two candidates for Board of ED
Side by side at last year’s Gift of Life fundraiser, Susan Binder (left) and Kathleen Lynch will likely be side by side on the Board of Education after the May 19 vote.
Barring a write-in candidate, Susan Binder and Kathleen Lynch will be elected to Shelter Island’s Board of Education on May 19.With two open seats following announcements by incumbents Stephen Gessner and Marilynn Pysher that they wouldn’t seek re-election, the two women with long-time ties to the school district filed petitions to run for their seats.
Dr. Gessner had served on the board for six years, four of them as president, and Ms. Pysher was elected in 2012. Dr. Gessner said he had taken on a client who was going to demand more of his time and require out-of-town travel, while Ms. Pysher said at 72, she wanted more time to herself and an opportunity to try something new.
Both Ms. Binder and Ms. Lynch said they had contemplated running for board seats previously but that this is the perfect time.
Both women been active in the PTSA and in a number of other community activities.
What prompted Ms. Lynch to run this time was “pressure” from friends, teachers and others who told her that given her interest in the school, she should mount a candidacy. She has “systematically” been giving up other activities to make room in her schedule for tackling the job.
“This is a big one,” she said, noting that she knows she has a lot to learn as a new board member.
It was Ms. Lynch in 2014 who brought the film “Girl Rising” to Shelter Island after viewing it in East Hampton. She wanted students here to understand the struggles facing young girls in other countries to gain an education.
“My favorite thing to do is volunteer with kids,” Ms. Lynch said.
Ms. Binder said she didn’t want to sit on the Board of Ed until her son Charlie had graduated. He was a member of the class of 2014.
Besides serving on the PTSA, she has been on the boards of Mashomack Preserve and Communities That Care. She has also been integrally involved in helping to stage the annual school drama club plays.
“I have a lot to learn and I’m anxious to be challenged in another way,” she said. “I really care about the kids and the school is such a hub and part of what makes Shelter Island so special.”
