The 2024 School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC) election will take place on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, from 7 – 10 AM and 2 – 9 PM in the Scarsdale Middle School (SMS) Auditorium Lobby at 134 Mamaroneck Road. In the event schools are closed on Election Day, the election will be held on the earlier of (i) Wednesday, January 10, 2024, or (ii) the next day school is in session. Any Snow Date or Run-off election will be held in the SMS Auditorium Lobby at the same times given above. 

A mail-in ballot is available for those who choose not to vote in person. Mail-in ballots are available to the public in hard copy at Scarsdale Village Hall and the Scarsdale Public Library, and available in electronic form on https://scarsdalesbnc.org/ starting Wednesday, December 13th, 2023. 

Any resident of the School District who is (i) 18 years of age or older; and (ii) a resident of the School District for 30 days prior to the election (December 10, 2023) may vote in the SBNC Election. 

Completed mail-in ballots must be sent to: SBNC Administrative Chair, PO Box 172H, Scarsdale, NY 10583 and received in the SBNC PO Box no later than 4 PM on Tuesday, January 9, 2024. 

Residents who are unable to access a ballot by either of these methods may contact the SBNC Administrative Committee Election Chair, by email at SBNCElection@gmail.com for assistance. For more information about the SBNC, please visit https://scarsdalesbnc.com/. 

Listed below are the candidates from each neighborhood along with their biographies

EDGEWOOD (3  candidates running for 3 positions) 

SHIVI S. BANSAL: 175 Nelson Road Length of Residency: 5 years 

Occupation: Finance 

Education: IIT Kanpur, India (BS), University of Illinois (PhD) 

Child/Children’s ages: 5, 3 

Civic Activities: Board of Trustees, Kids Base Little School; Technology Advisory Committee Village of Scarsdale

OWEN ELLIOTT: 177 Madison Road Length of Residency: 5 years 

Occupation: Stay-at-home parent, freelance corporate video and photography work, Previously: Media Producer & Director 

Education: University of Newcastle (BS, Communications)  

Child/Children’s ages: 13, 11, 3 

Civic Activities: Scarsdale Congregational Church, Volunteer; Edgewood Girl Scout troop, Volunteer; Edgewood Elementary School, Class Parent; Nutcote Trust Board, Deputy Chair; Neutral Bay Public School (Australia), Volunteer

MIMI ROBINSON: 171 Nelson Road Length of Residency: 1 year, 3 months 

Occupation: Stay-at-home parent, Previously:  HR/Pharmaceutical Industry 

Education: University of Texas (BS, Communications), NYU, (MS, HR Management)

Child/Children’s ages: 12, 10 

Civic Activities: SMS-Compact Committee, Pizza, Compost, Library Volunteer, Edgewood-Yearbook, Fifth Grade Events, Lunar New Year Co-Chair, Edgewood Fair, Multicultural Tasting, Book Fair Volunteer, Grassroots Grocery- Volunteer

FOX MEADOW (1 candidate  running for 1 position) 

ADAM HELLEGERS: 18 Lockwood Road Length of Residence: 11.5 years 

Occupation: Attorney/Real Estate Development/Affordable Housing 

Education: University of Pennsylvania (BA), Northwestern University (JD)

Child/Children’s ages: 17, 13 

Civic Activities: Board of Directors (Building and Development Committee Chair, former Chair), Osborne Association; Westchester Board, Habitat for Humanity; Board of Advisors, NYU Furman Center for Real Estate; Secretary/Executive Committee, Westchester Reform Temple

GREENACRES (3 candidates running for 3 positions) 

AMADALLY HOSSEINBUKUS: 26 Elm Road  Length of Residence: 15 years 

Occupation: Management consultant

Education: Durham University, (BS, Computer Science)

Child/Children’s ages: 18, 17

Civic Activities: Girl Scouts, Troop Co-Leader, Scarsdale Youth Soccer Parent coach, Lower East Side (NYC) Mentor

LISA PURCELL: 25 Montrose Road  Length of Residence: 6 years 

Occupation: Stay-at-home parent, Previously: Attorney

Education: Dartmouth College (BA), Columbia Law School (JD)

Child/Children’s ages: Twins, 5

Civic Activities: Class Parent (GA), Board Member, Greenacres Neighborhood Association, Coach-Scarsdale Little League

KRISTEN ZAKIERSKI:  81 Greenacres Avenue  Length of Residence: 4 years

Occupation:  Education consultant

Education:  Vanderbilt University (BS), Pace University (MST)

Child/Children’s ages: 5, 2, 5 mo.

Civic Activities: Scarsdale Forum (hospitality/special events), Greenacres Neighborhood Association (President), Hitchcock PTA (President) Hitchcock School Board

HEATHCOTE (2 candidates running for 4 positions) 

KEN MEYERSON: 5 Hanover Road  Length of Residence: 13.5  years 

Occupation: Commercial Real Estate

Education: Boston University, BSBA 

Child/Children’s ages: 16, 13

Civic Activities: All Stars Project, National Board member and co-chair, NY Board, Member, Real Estate Board of NY, Boy Scouts of AMerica, Honoree, Heathcote coach, Basketball & Baseball 

SAUM SHETTY: 2 Burgess Road  Length of Residence: 2  years 

Occupation: Digital Marketer

Education: BA, Mass Media

Child/Children’s ages: 11, 7, 5 

Civic Activities: Heathcote Multicultural Chair, SMS DEI Chair

QUAKER RIDGE (2 candidates running for 3 positions) 

Alissa Baum: 2 Sylvan Lane  Length of Residence: 17  years 

Occupation: Stay at home parent, Previously:  Attorney

Education: BA, JD, University of Texas-Austn

Child/Children’s ages: 16

Civic Activities: SHS Compact Committee (elected 23-25), SHS PTA Parent/Teacher Conference committee, LWV-Scarsdale, president (2023), JCY-Westchester Community Partners, reading buddy, SMS, Class Parent, QR, member PTA Legislative Advocacy Committee, volunteer, learning to look

Kamala Vittal: 27 Stratton Road  Length of Residence: 10  years 

Occupation: Real Estate Agent, Previously: Administrator (Montessori School, NJ), Optometrist/Researcher (Hospital, India)

Education: Elite School of Optometry, India (BS)

Child/Children’s ages: 21, 17

Civic Activities: SHS New Families Committee (Chair, 22-24), SHS Wellness Committee (Co-Chair, 23-24), SHS DEI Committee (Co-Chair, 23-24), SHS LIbrary Volunteers (Co-chair), SHS College & Career Center Volunteer, SHS P/T Conferences Volunteer, SHS & SMS Audit Committees, SMS & QR Multicultural Events

About the School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC) 

The School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC) is a committee of residents elected from across the Village for the purpose of nominating candidates to fill vacancies on the Scarsdale Board of Education. Members are elected from each of the five elementary school districts to serve a term of three years on the Nominating Committee and two additional years on the Administrative Committee. 

The Administrative Committee would like to encourage all Scarsdale residents to support the SBNC by voting in local elections, considering a candidacy, and making a contribution. The SBNC Administrative Committee runs the annual SBNC elections financed entirely by community support. Any contribution is greatly appreciated. 

Contributions may be made via PayPal online at https://scarsdalesbnc.org/please-donate/ 

Checks may be made payable to the “SBNC Administrative Committee” and mailed to P.O. BOX 172H, SCARSDALE, NY 10583 

2024 SBNC Continuing Members (Nominating Committee): 

Terms End 2024

  • Edgewood – Anne McCourt Bates, Christine Weston, Meng Zhang
  • Fox Meadow – Claudia Green, Jennifer Zola
  • Greenacres – N/A
  • Heathcote – Kimberly Miller Champlin
  • Quaker Ridge – Lisa Gans

Terms End 2025

  • Edgewood – N/A
  • Fox Meadow – Kevin Chen, David Kirshenbaum, Susan Lee
  • Greenacres – Arthur Rublin, Molly (Yue) Tu, Jocelyn Zoland
  • Heathcote – Jacob Adlerstein
  • Quaker Ridge – June (Xun) Deng, Jennifer Simon Tabak

2023/2024 SBNC Administrative Committee Members: 

Zach Altschuler (FM), Treasurer, Sarah E. Bell (TVCC), Resolution Chair,  Lauren Hammer Breslow (HE), Lara Chassin (SNAP); Susi Coplan (QR) Election; David Fenigstein, Webmaster (GA), Jennifer Goldfarb (HE), Beth Goldoff (SNAP), Stephanie Israel (QR Swapna Kanekar (FM); Cecelia Anon Kowalski (EW), Jon Lemle, Resolution Chair (FM), Alan Meizlik (EW), Valerie Phillips (EW), Nominating Chair,  Deborah Skolnik (GA) Election, Purnima Srivastava (QR), Stacey Strauss (QR), (Claire) Yin Yan (HE), Cindy Yau (GA) 

For additional information, please contact Deborah Skolnik, at SBNCElection@gmail.com