All candidates running for the board of education of the school district 12 (Malverne Union Free School District) were invited to attend the NAACP meeting on Tuesday evening, April 23rd. Jack Tulley and I accepted the invitation and, after we were introduced, we presented our reasons for running. We each run for a different seat on the board. Mr. Tulley runs unopposed, I am challenging Mrs. Hopkins.

You can read my reasons and goals in the introductory post and also on the About page. As a graphic designer, I don’t get many chances to address larger groups. The NAACP meeting was my first opportunity to speak in front of a public gathering since my university studies in Prague, some 20 years ago when I spoke in my mother tongue. At the beginning, my answers were cumbersome, but the public was friendly and curious and set me at ease. Seeing familiar faces from the Malverne Educational and Fitness Foundation and parents whose kids I coach track at CYO also helped.

Towards the end of the forum our roles (almost) reversed, as I was asking questions to understand better the residents standpoints. I would welcome to meet residents of other communities our school district consists of, as they would help me adjust my strategy how to get them involved in the school district matters. The NAACP candidate forum was an excellent start in that direction.

(I welcome your feedback on my meeting performance, or suggestions for additional meetings with other community groups. Please, use the menu Contact to reach me. Use the subscription fields to get email notifications about new posts).