Get to know State College Borough Council election winners: Newcomers and government vets
Barring a successful write-in campaign during November’s Municipal Election, the new representatives for State College Borough Council are essentially already decided since no Republicans ran — and residents are set to see a mixture of newcomers and local government veterans.
Although some familiar faces are poised to take office in January, such as former Councilman Evan Myers, Borough Council’s four four-year open seats will not be filled by any of the incumbents. There’s a good reason for that, however: None were running.
Current council members Jesse Barlow and Janet Engeman could not run because the borough’s home-rule charter does not allow members to serve more than two terms consecutively. And Deanna Behring and Peter Marshall both simply chose not to run.
In their places on the seven-member council will likely be Tuesday’s primary election winners in Myers, State College Transportation Committee member Matt Herndon, longtime borough employee (and recent retiree) Kevin Kassab and recent Penn State graduate Josh Portney. Current council member Nalini Krishnankutty, who was appointed last summer after another member’s departure, is also set to finish out a two-year term after running unopposed for her own open seat in the primary.
Here is a closer look at what residents can expect from the new quartet of four-year council members:
Matt Herndon
Unofficial votes in primary: 1,694
Experience: Moved to borough in 2018. ... Member of State College Transportation Committee, becoming involved after believing an accident with a seriously inured cyclist was compounded by “a fault in the design of the road itself.” ... Member of Central PA United, a progressive group whose three backed council candidates in 2021 all won. ... Has bachelor’s in computer science from Cornell. ... Works at Voltus, a provider of renewable energy generation services.
Quotables: “We need to make State College a truly green city of the future, and not a source of sprawl that converts precious farmland and wild areas into far-flung housing developments. Safely building more dense housing here can make our town a truly world-class city with lower taxes and better government services.”
Priorities: Wants a “safer more bikeable State College.” His plan includes transforming Allen Street with a protected bike lane, which would be separated by traffic with rain gardens, slant parking and other physical barriers. ... Also touched on issues such as affordable housing, transportation safety challenges, a zoning rewrite and sustainability/energy efficiency.
Evan Myers
Unofficial votes in primary: 1,558
Experience: Served two terms as council member from 2014 to 2021. (Could not run in 2021 due to home-rule charter that prevents members from serving for more than two consecutive terms) ... Former council president. ... Lived in area for more than 50 years. ... Currently serves as Gov. Josh Shapiro’s representative to the Penn State board of trustees. ... Former chair of borough planning commission ... Was member of Consolidation Study Commission and Downtown Vision and Strategic Plan Committee. ... Former chair of the Centre Region Council of Governments Finance Committee. .. A senior vice president at AccuWeather.
Quotables: “There are important issues that need to be addressed forthrightly and urgently, such as our shrinking tax base, pressure on homeowners and a thorough review of zoning codes, covering everything from building size and height to the impact of development on density and safety.”
Priorities: Wants to continue making State College an inclusive, safe and welcoming community. ... Stressed importance of affordable housing, racial equity, immigrants’ rights and LGBTQ+ rights. ... Believes borough needs to finish work on solutions for parking. ... Hopes to establish an extensive pedestrian and biking infrastructure.
Kevin Kassab
Unofficial votes in primary: 1,508
Experience: Worked for the borough for more than 30 years. ... Most recently served as the borough’s director of community engagement and is familiar with neighborhood associations and local organizations. ... Acted as the borough’s designated liaison to the LGBTQ+ community and helped State College earn four straight perfect “100” scores on an index that measures LGBTQ+ inclusivity in municipal policies. ... Formerly served as a health technician and then health officer. ... Assisted in the planning of Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza.
Quotables: “I, Kevin Kassab, would be so honored to win the confidence of my community and be chosen to serve the Borough of State College as a member of Council.”
Priorities: Supports bike safety and the creation of biking paths throughout the borough ... Wants to continue the march forward on sustainability — and making sure diverse members are a part of those efforts. ... Wants neighborhoods to be safe and welcoming. ... Hopes to bring residents and visitors downtown by partnering with local businesses and the Downtown Improvement District. ... Encourages affordable housing.
Josh Portney
Unofficial votes in primary: 1,440
Experience: Served on borough planning commission since 2021. ... Was the borough’s representative to the Centre Regional Planning Commission. ... Worked on several Democratic political campaigns in the region. ... Democratic Precinct Person for State College’s 26th Precinct. ... Graduated from Penn State in fall 2022 with bachelor’s degrees in political science and broadcast journalism.
Quotables: “Local governmental bodies like the State College Borough Council are the closest governing body to the people, and I will not take my responsibility lightly. I pledge to be a voice of, by and for the residents of State College.”
Priorities: Hopes to subsidize rent for new small business startups. ... Wants to advance the borough’s pedestrian/bike infrastructure. ... Believes affordable housing is important, along with a comprehensive zoning review that allows responsible growth ... Aims to strengthen the borough’s inclusivity and equality.
