Re-elect Cedric Dettmar and Shamim Pakzad
I enthusiastically support the re-election bids of Cedric Dettmar and Shamim Pakzad for Saucon Valley school board of directors.
They’re not the only candidates I support (and I will write more in the coming weeks), but they’re the ones I know the best.
Cedric and Shamim are exactly the kind of intellectually oriented, whip-smart volunteers you want running a high-achieving, aspirational public district like Saucon Valley. They expect great things, they get stuff done, and they’re focused on two things: academic excellence and financial sustainability.
I’ve had the chance to get to know Cedric and Shamim over several years on the board and around town. They’re both math and science “nerds,” and the nice thing is, this translates to a STEM focus and attention to district finance details.
They’re both detail-oriented leaders in the world of engineering and possess brilliant minds and good hearts. I’ve observed them striving always to work productively with others and to maintain civility on the board. Cedric is a well-traveled MIT grad who has worked with some of the most important software engineering companies on earth. Shamim is an influential scholar and engineering educator at Lehigh.
As a newer board member, I felt welcomed warmly by them. In the last two years, Cedric and Shamim have helped to improve elementary and middle school curricula, celebrated scholastic achievement at every opportunity, improved district communication, and kept tax increases in check, all the while watching over your money like hawks.
It’s no surprise to me that they would run for school director together: They both realize that great schools and hard work are what protect our children’s futures and Saucon Valley’s enviable reputation.
I don’t always agree with them politically, or with their ideas for solving a given issue, but I recognize the unique and considerable skill sets and admirable temperaments that they bring to overseeing our district.
I would welcome seeing them as directors for another four years.