BOARD OF EDUCATION CANDIDATES SILSBY & SULLIVAN KICK-START CAMPAIGN BY ACTIVELY SOLICTING FEEDBACK

Former Selectman and Royle PTO Co-Chair Plan to ‘Seal the Cracks’ in Our School System

Darien, CT – Shannon Silsby and Callie Sullivan today announced the start of their campaign to gain two seats on the Darien Board of Education.  While both are running as individuals, the duo plan to campaign together as much as possible since they share similar ideologies to progress Darien’s Board of Education (BoE).

Silsby and Sullivan bring considerable experience to the town and the BoE. Silsby is a mother of four, a well known town volunteer currently serving as the Royle School PTO Co-Chair, and accomplished brand marketer who works as a Senior Brand Manager for Sun Products in Wilton. She has held positions at two of the largest and most respected consumer products companies: Unilever and Procter & Gamble.  Silsby holds an undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina where she was a North Carolina Fellow and an MBA from the University of Rochester where she currently serves on the Alumni Advisory Board. She was an All American athlete in high school, captaining state championship teams, and she also was one of the first girls to play baseball in her hometown of Williamsport, PA.

“Continuing to give Darien’s kids access to a stellar education will always be a top priority, but to do that our Board of Education needs to make some changes. The recent watershed of events with special education are indicative of the direction we are headed if we don’t make improvements all around,” said Shannon Silsby. “We must take ownership of ALL pieces of the educational pie and I want to be on the front line with the BoE to lead that charge.”

Callie Sullivan is a well-known figure in Darien town government. After serving several years as a district chair on the RTM, Sullivan was elected to two terms on the Board of Selectmen and knows first hand the challenges that the town faces – fiscally and academically. A single mother of three teenagers, Sullivan is a devoted parent, community activist and business owner. She operates an educational publishing company, Westwood Press, and has volunteered relentlessly for organizations such as A Better Chance (ABC), the League of Women Voters and Tokeneke School. Sullivan also remains active in alumni relations for her alma mater, Williams College.

“Serving on the Board of Education is a tough job and I commend all of the members for their devoted service, but with a growing list of concerns from parents, we need to introduce some fresh thinking,” said Callie Sullivan. “Over time, every system develops cracks so we need to seal them before they get any bigger. Let’s stop paying lawyers and start paying educators. Let’s focus on the future and invest in it. Our children will thank us for it.”

To kick off their campaign, Silsby and Sullivan are encouraging Darien to share their opinions and ask:

·      Are you satisfied with our Board of Education?

·      What do you think would improve our schools?

·      What opportunities should we seize on behalf of our children?

·      What are your biggest concerns with the Darien school system?

People can email the campaign at SSforBOE@gmail.com or leave comments on facebook.com/silsbyandsullivanforBOE or Tweet to @SilsSullforBOE. Candidates will soon be appearing around town in the coming weeks and welcome input.

“Darien is your town and my town so this is OUR Board of Education,” stated Shannon Silsby.”We want to partner with parents and leaders to make that hold true,” continued Sullivan.

Silsby and Sullivan have recruited a stellar team of individuals who bring a wealth of political and business experience to the campaign. Led by Campaign Manager and former DTC Chairman, John Davis, the group will advise the candidates on policy, fundraising, events, marketing and communications and finance.

If you are interested in helping on the campaign please contact SSforBOE@gmail.com.