Letters: Brandt an ideal SCASD director; Council needs Krishnankutty

Editor’s note: The CDT welcomes letters endorsing candidates in the May 16 primary election and will accept letters that are received by May 11. Letters are subject to editing, must be based on facts and should avoid attacks on other candidates.

Brandt an ideal SCASD director

Gretchen Brandt is a leader who takes positive action on the most pressing issues facing our community. She is an ideal director for the State College Area School District’s (SCASD) board.

Brandt works for our democratic republic in small ways every day. She supports critical thinking and deliberation in the classroom while advancing transparent, values-based and data-informed decisions on the SCASD board. As a fellow board member, I have seen her push for more input from our community and our kids on everything from building projects to student-focused policy changes. And she has put her money where her mouth is as the lead plaintiff on the case that ended unconstitutional gerrymandering in Pennsylvania. She fully deserves the Democracy Defender Award she received from Common Cause.

Brandt puts time into making sure our children’s health and well-being are our top priority. I have joined her in meetings with legislators to advocate for more and better mental health funding from the state. She serves on the Centre Region Parks and Recreation Authority where she champions outdoor recreation while being a watchdog of our tax dollars. Finally, I couldn’t imagine a better person to advance our district’s commitment to smarter and cheaper energy procurement. She has been a true champion, chairing the regional Solar Power Purchase Agreement Working Group and urging us to plan for a transition to electric buses.

I will be voting for Gretchen Brandt this May in the primary. I hope you join me.

Council needs Krishnankutty

With election primaries on May 16 and five council seats open, I have been reflecting on my experience on State College Borough Council since taking office in January 2020, and leadership needs going forward.

While we are fortunate to have an excellent slate of six candidates, I am writing today to heartily endorse Nalini Krishnankutty for reelection to Council to fill out the four-year term left vacant by Rich Biever.

Nalini brings a wealth of other experience to her position. She currently serves as the Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Program Manager in HR at Penn State. She is a board member of the Mid-State Literacy Council, and a founding member of the PanAPIDA Circle, a local group formed to stand up to anti-Asian hate. She previously served on the PA Governor’s Advisory Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs.

Nalini came to our community 35 years ago to pursue a Ph.D. in chemical engineering at Penn State and has made State College her forever home.

I can honestly say that Nalini is one of the most thoughtful and careful councilpersons I have had the pleasure of working with during my time on council. She listens carefully, asks probing and relevant questions, and weighs diverse opinions appropriately for the best outcome for all of our citizens. I am constantly inspired by Nalini and draw confidence from her presence on council.

Please join me in helping Nalini Krishnankutty retain her council seat and elect her for another two-year term. We need her!

Let Pope continue her work on BOT

I have been studying and advising university and corporate boards since I finished my second Penn State degree almost 20 years ago and joined the faculty of several leading global business schools. Large U.S. universities operate at Fortune 500 financial levels and face expectations to deliver value to many different, and sometimes competing, stakeholders. Proper governance of institutions like Penn State requires independent trustees who genuinely understand key stakeholders, ensure efficient and efficacious resource use, and who uphold pedagogical freedom and safe sharing of diverse ideas. Faculty can bring unique perspective to trustee boards because they engage within the operational complexity, directly and regularly support core stakeholders, and bear responsibility for ensuring safe open learning. I think universities like Penn State can greatly benefit when faculty members, like Dr. Alice Pope, engage as trustees, particularly in today’s resource-stretched and socially polarized environment. As Penn State navigates its way through the volatile future, I encourage you to help Dr. Alice Pope continue her work for university stakeholders, by voting for her reelection to the board of trustees on April 10.