Here are the candidates running for Lake Washington and Issaquah school boards
Across the Lake Washington and Issaquah school districts, a total of four board seats are being contested by eight candidates.
Lake Washington School District (LWSD)
- Leah Choi and Cassandra Sage for director of District No. 3
- Vishal Misri and Mark Stuart for director of District No. 4
Issaquah School District (ISD)
- Marnie Maraldo and Robin Poe for director of District No. 2
- Wendy Ghiora and Sydne Mullings for director of District No. 4
Here are brief profiles for each of the candidates.
LWSD District No. 3
Leah Choi
Choi is a mother to two young children with a background in financial planning and working at Nordstrom, with training in chemistry and molecular biology.
She aims to empower teachers and students towards a brighter future and “drive educational progress in an ever-changing world.”
“I support the work to provide technical training for students who may choose non-traditional secondary education,” Choi said in her official statement to King County. “Not everyone learns the same way and there are many paths to success.”
Website: http://vote4leah.com
Contact: leahchoi@vote4leah.com
Cassandra Sage
Sage is a family advisor and works at Seattle Children’s Hospital. She has been a LWSD board member since 2017.
She plans to focus on social emotional learning paired with mental health support, academic opportunities and assessments, and equity and inclusion.
“All students are capable,” Sage said on her website. “All students deserve to be challenged academically and receive the support they need to succeed.”
She is determined to provide equitable learning supports to every member of the LWSD community.
According to her motto, “Cassandra is committed to kids!” Sage will make sure every kid has equal learning opportunities and advantages.
Website: https://www.cassandrasage.com
Contact: cassandraLsage@gmail.com
LWSD District No. 4
Vishal Misri
Misri works as a business leader at Amazon Web Services and previously created a software business which employed hundreds of people in the Puget Sound region.
According to his website, his motto is “Every Child is Important,” and it is his goal to seek out all unheard students and parents. He hopes to deliver “high-quality education for every student.”
He wants to focus on equity and inclusion, mental wellness, school infrastructure, and teacher support.
Website: https://www.electvishal.com
Contact: Info@electvishal.com
Mark Stuart
Stuart works as a media relations consultant, is a school and community volunteer, and is the Sammamish Rotary president. He has been a LWSD board member since 2013.
Stuart wants to capitalize on what has been going well in LWSD and improve on areas such as equity and inclusion and the new anti-discrimination policy. He wants to increase clarity in communication from the district to families.
According to his website, he is working towards creating opportunities for students who do not have access to certain resources or economic advantages, because his motto is the same as the LWSD’s: “Every Student Future Ready.”
Website: https://www.markstuart4education.com
Contact: MarkStuart4Education@outlook.com
ISD District No. 2
Marnie Maraldo
Maraldo is an independent project manager consultant with a bachelor of science in applied mathematics.
Her motto is: “all” means “all” and that’s all “all” means. By this statement, Maraldo feels all students should have access to more educational opportunities and advantages so that they can unleash their full potential.
She plans to focus on students’ recovery from the past year-and-a-half of COVID-19 quarantine and restore public trust that students are the core of what the school board does.
Website: https://votemarniemaraldo.wordpress.com
Contact: info@votemarnie.com
Robin Poe
Poe is a network engineer with 40+ years of technology experience.
According to her official statement to King County Elections, she believes STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) education is essential for students to become successful adults in today’s society. She believes effective communication skills and an appreciation for the natural world need to be part of student learning.
She stands for respecting the rights of parents concerning the health and well-being of students, and believes students need to learn to sustain “traditional American values based on natural law, as practiced by the Founding Fathers.”
She does not have an official website.
Contact: robinpoe@gmail.com
ISD District No. 4
Wendy Ghiora
Ghiora is a retired public school principal who has spent her lifetime working in education. She brought about change in education as the immediate past president of Washington Phi Delta Kappa, a professional fraternity for educators.
Ghiora’s website says, “She is a life-long educator with a passion for the success of children.” She believes schools should prepare students for their futures, with the tools necessary to ensure that they have successful futures.
Her goals are to ignite the passion and potential in every student to “achieve academic and personal success,” according to her website.
Website: http://drwendyg.com
Contact: wghiora@gmail.com
Sydne Mullings
Mullings is a mother to two children in ISD and works as a general manager at Microsoft, as well as a second and third grade boys basketball coach. She has been on the ISD school board since 2019.
Mullings believes her experience at Microsoft provides skills in financial oversight and operations management that have made her a valuable ISD board member.
On her website, she says that she prioritizes mental health supports and broad course offerings that match students’ interests and post-high school plans. She is committed to listening to differing perspectives and works to continue supporting children’s academic success.
Website: https://www.votesydne.com
Contact: info@votesydne.com
