03/19/2025
AVOCA DISTRICT 37 CAUCUS STATEMENT FOR THE 2025 ELECTION
The Avoca District 37 Caucus is made up of seven voting residents and one non-voting resident of the Avoca District who come from a diverse set of professional and personal backgrounds and therefore represent a wide variety of viewpoints. Some Caucus members have children currently enrolled in D37 and some do not. The following endorsements are the result of a democratic process. All candidates are seeking election for a Four Year Term. There is currently a Two Year Term vacancy for which no candidate has submitted nominating papers, nor a formal intent to run as a write in candidate. After careful consideration, discussion and meeting each of the candidates for an in-person interview, the Avoca School District 37 Caucus is endorsing the following four candidates for the position of Member of the School Board of Avoca School District 37.1.
1. Carolyn Cole -A small business owner and mother of twins about to experience their first clapoff and move over to Marie Murphy, Carolyn’s balanced and level-headed character would be an asset to future Board negotiations. If elected, she would voice a keen awareness that many families would like to see more focus on fiscal responsibility. Carolyn is not approaching her candidacy with preconceived opinions, but instead is committed to learning and studying the issues that face the District so that she can make informed decisions. Her involvement in the community, personality and experience make her a strong candidate.2.
2. Lauren Rivera-Haire – With her professional background in Human Resources and exceptional performance as the VP of Communications for the Avoca PTC, Lauren has the potential to bring real improvement to the Board’s engagement efforts. Lauren does not just suggest, she is a doer. Lauren and her husband have a young son who is just starting to make his way through the schools. Lauren is a strong supporter of our District as she has already seen the positive growth in her son as a result of the excellent teaching that he has received at school. In her words, Lauren is running for the Board to foster greater community engagement, support our educators, andensure every child has access to an excellent and equitable education.
3. Dan Seals – A Board incumbent, Dan has been involved in our community for many years in both volunteer and leadership roles. Dan’s depth of understanding of the needs of our District impressed all of the Caucus members, but even more so, his understanding of the characteristics that can make for an effective and well-run Board. It is no surprise that he was chosen as Board President for the current Term. Dan and his wife have raised their three girls in the District and are now empty-nesters who appreciate how the Board’s decisions impact those who no longer have children in the schools.
4. Yoav Sharon – Avoca School District’s newest member of the current Board, Yoav bravely took on the task of learning the ins and outs of the District when he was appointed to the Board in 2024 to fill a vacancy. Yoav and his young family represent many of the cherished qualities of our district, dedication to an excellent education for our children, cultural awareness and sensitivity, an eye toward fiscal responsibility and willingness to step up for the good of the whole. As an engineering manager, he brings a scientific mindset and emphasizes reliance on data in decision making.
The Caucus has determined, considering all of the information available to the members, that these four candidates possess the qualities that our Board of Education needs in order to forge ahead with the important business of the District in the coming years. Our decision reflects not just the individual merits of each candidate, but the additional determination that the combination of their relative strengths will bring a fresh commitment to community engagement and consensus building which will make the Avoca District 37 Board a better reflection of the residents that it serves. The professional backgrounds, character strengths and commitment to our community demonstrated by these candidates gave the Caucus confidence that Carolyn Cole, Lauren Rivera-Haire, Dan Seals, and Yoav Sharon would make excellent Board Members. All Caucus interviews were videotaped and are available for the public to view at their convenience at:
https://vimeo.com/showcase/11601311.
