Both Karen Brown and David Solenday were honored by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) on Wednesday, November 3, 2021 at the School Board of Directors meeting of Baldwin-Whitehall School District.
Each is receiving an Honor Roll of School Board Service award for their long-term service of 8 years.
School board service has long been a crucial part of our nation’s legacy and its commitment to public education.Today, school districts are expected to offer more services, along with world class instruction, with limited resources. These expectations provide a tremendous challenge for school directors — unpaid volunteers who give of their time to contribute to the schools and communities they serve. Schools’ continued efforts to provide high-quality, continuous education to all students during the pandemic further highlights the key role school directors play in educating our children.
“Mr. Solenday and Ms. Brown are elected leaders who have given unselfishly of their time and energy to support and guide our public schools and the students they serve,” said Dr. Randal A. Lutz, Superintendent of Schools. “Their efforts, along with those of their fellow board members, reflect the mission of our schools to provide opportunities for success for every student.”
Mr. David Solenday is a graduate of Baldwin High School. He went on to earn a degree from Robert Morris University and now works as a project coordinator at Community Care Behavioral Health. Mr. Solenday has been a lifetime PTA member, works with the Baldwin Highlander Music Patrons, and volunteers for Baldwin Community Day. He has two children, Harrison a member of the class of 2016 and Elizabeth a member of the class of 2019. Mr. Solenday is an ardent advocate of public education and feels BWSD’s active volunteers, fantastic staff, positive leadership, and diverse culture make it great. He became a member of the School Board “to represent different groups in the community and ensure that others have a voice in making educational and administrative decisions. I have a personal interest in preserving and improving the quality of our schools. I believe in quality public education for current and future students.”
Karen Brown brings a strong background in education to her work as a board member. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in education from Slippery Rock State College and a Master’s Degree in administration from Duquesne University, as well as a Principal’s Certification. She has worked as a teacher in elementary and middle grades and as a middle school principal. Ms. Brown and her two children (now college graduates themselves) graduated from the Baldwin-Whitehall School District, which was central in her desire to become a member of the board, “After being an educator for 40 years, I felt it was time to give back to the community that educated me and my children.” Brown feels that understanding the District’s legacy is key to progress, “This District was built with strong values and traditions. I want to uphold those traditions and values while finding ways to move the District forward. The more we can be on the cutting edge of education, the better we will be able to meet the needs of the students in our fast-technology world.”
For more than 35 years, PSBA has been recognizing the contributions of dedicated local school directors with long-term service. The Honor Roll is the association’s way of thanking those individuals who exemplify leadership by giving unselfishly of their time and talents for the betterment of the public schools serving students across this great commonwealth.