Meet the 10 applicants vying for a State College school board seat. What we know

Keely Doll
·1 min read

After the resignation of former president Amber Concepcion, the State College Area Board of Directors will next hold interviews for its vacant seat.

Concepcion served on the board for 11 years before resigning in January to fill a seat on the Centre County Board of Commissioners.

After discussing the applicants on Monday, the board voted not to narrow down the list. The board will hold a public meeting interviewing each of the 10 applicants at 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Panorama Administrative offices. Each candidate will give a five-minute presentation, followed by a board discussion. The board will vote on its newest member at the Feb. 6 board meeting.

The ten applicants are:

  • Nathan Bish — parent and member of the district calendar committee

  • Susan Chyczewski — former Bellefonte teacher and WPSU education specialist

  • Ed Fuller — Associate Professor of Education at Penn State

  • John Hook — president of the Hook Group and member of the district’s citizen advisory committee for finance

  • Daniel Kolbe — parent in the district who works in business development for KCF Technologies

  • Jim Leous — former longtime school board member

  • Brian Renaud — a Penn State graduate and parent

  • Damon Sims — former vice president of student affairs at Penn State; he stepped down from the role and will serve as a special assistant to the president until June 30, the university announced Tuesday

  • Stephanie Taylor — co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Progressive Change Institute

  • Michelle Young — former Navy officer who ran for school board in 2021

The candidate elected will serve until November as the seat is up for election this year, along with seats held by Amy Bader, Gretchen Brandt, Dan Duffy and Laurel Zydney.