Letter: Support Jessica Resnick-Ault, Jim Dugan and the Work of the SBNC

To the Editor,

One of the most rewarding volunteer jobs I’ve held as part of the Scarsdale community was as a member of the School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC). I was elected to the position in a contested election and was honored to serve.

For three winters, I sat in a room (and at the time it was an actual room) for six or seven Sundays, January- March. Along with my fellow SBNC members, we spent hours, four to six hours at a time, listening to presentations from candidates, conducting and reviewing due diligence, holding thoughtful discussions, considering our own implicit bias, and, eventually, bringing forward candidates to the community.

To those that have sat in the room before me, thank you. To those that sat in that room with me, I am forever grateful for the time we shared and am honored to know you. And to those that sat in a virtual room this year, you had a difficult task and I appreciate you.

If you have not yet served on the SBNC, you may be surprised to see the amount of time I am giving to lift up the members of the SBNC. The reason is simple. I support the candidates that they have brought forward this year, because I know the time and care that was taken to select Jessica Resnick-Ault and Jim Dugan for election to the Scarsdale Board of Education by the SBNC.

In their announcement to the community last week, the SBNC thanked “all members of the SBNC for their time, thoughtfulness, and diligence in performing this important civic responsibility.” These words have deep meaning and weight. It is a job and responsibility that SBNC members take seriously.

The announcement goes on to say, “We also thank all of the applicants. Scarsdale benefits when so many talented citizens are willing to present themselves to the SBNC each year…” I cannot think of a moment when I sat in that room where the decision was easy. In our community, we are blessed with talent and fortunate to have so many community members that are willing to share their time and expertise.

Jessica Resnick-Ault and Jim Dugan are excellent candidates to be brought forward to our community. I support them and I support the work of the SBNC.

Felicia Block
Carman Road