Educator, Community Volunteer Among Democratic Candidates for School Board

The Democratic slate for the Radnor School Board has announced its candidates for elections this year.

Two are incumbents:

Lydia Solomon has a B.S. from Cornell University and a M.S. from the University of Californian, both in Economics.  In addition, she also holds a M.A. Specialist Degree in School Psychology from Immaculate University.  She is employed as a school psychologist in Philadelphia and as a college professor at Eastern University, where she teaches in the Education Department.   She has had the pleasure to serve as the PTO President for elementary, middle, and high school levels in Radnor.  In addition to her vast experience in the field of education, she has three children who have either graduated or currently attend Radnor schools.   While on the board, Lydia serves as the representative to the Delaware County Intermediate Unit – DCIU.

Rob Armstrong has served as Finance Committee Chairman for two years, and Vice President of the School Board for one year.  In this time, Rob focused on advocating for fiscally smart strategies.  He championed savings from operational efficiencies, contract renegotiation, and refinancing portions of the school debt, which resulted in a taxpayer savings of five million dollars. He graduated from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, in 1989.  He received an M.A. in Communication Management from the Annenberg School at the University of Southern California.  Rob worked as Senior Financial Analyst at Entercom, a radio conglomerate based in the area, where his work included financial analysis, information technology, and operations, for over 100 radio stations, with revenues in excess of $400 million.  Rob has been a stay-at-home parent for the past twelve years.  He lives in Bryn Mawr with his wife and their two daughters (who currently attend Ithan Elementary and Radnor Middle School).  Prior to joining the Radnor School Board, Rob served two years as PTO Treasurer for Ithan Elementary.

The two new candidates are:

Bruce Lenthall is the Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Pennsylvania, where he also teaches in the History Department. With the Center for Teaching and Learning, he promotes teaching excellence and, in turn, educational quality at Penn. Bruce earned his Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and his B.A. from Carleton College. He teaches modern American history at Penn, and before that taught at Bryn Mawr College and Barnard College, and is the author of a book on radio in the 1930s, Radio’s America: The Great Depression and the Rise of Modern Mass Culture. Bruce has two children, both at Radnor Elementary School, and has been active working with children in the community, coaching soccer, baseball and basketball.

Susan Stern is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.  She works part-time as a business manager for a local church and serves as a Member of the Radnor Planning Commission.  On the Planning Commission she serves as a strong advocate for Radnor taxpayers working to protect neighborhoods from overdevelopment and traffic and to preserve the open space and natural features that make Radnor Township a desirable place to live. She has volunteered in numerous capacities over the years, including past Treasurer for the Radnor-Wayne Little League, and Cubmaster of Radnor Cub Scout Pack 19.  In addition she is an active gardener and serves on the Board of Advisors for the newly created Skunk-Hollow Community Garden.

The slate issued this statement:

“We are committed to spending Radnor tax dollars wisely, and will use our collective experience and leadership to determine the difference between value and waste.  In this time of limited resources, our dollars should be focused on those expenses which will have the most positive and efficient impact for our children.  Finally, our leadership is interwoven with the Radnor values of integrity and transparency; as representatives of the taxpayer we will include all stakeholders in a respectful dialogue on our shared challenges, and clearly communicate our deliberations and expenditures.  We are excited about our prospects as a community.  We ask for your support, and vote, in the election.”  

This information was provided by the slate, Leaders for Radnor Excellence.