Alysia Longwell appointed to vacant Derry Area School Board seat
Alysia Longwell, a Derry Area parent and college instructor, has joined the district school board — at least temporarily.
The school board on Monday unanimously appointed Longwell, the sole applicant, to fill a board seat vacated by the June 3 resignation of veteran School Director Kevin Liberoni.
Longwell, who lives in the Derry Township village of Brenizer, will serve through early December — at which point a board member to be elected by voters on Nov. 4 will begin to serve out two years remaining in Liberoni’s term.
Longwell told the school board she wants to “serve and learn alongside others who care about our schools. I care about our schools, our families and our community.
“I’m someone who listens well and stays focused on what’s best for the students.”
Originally from Indiana County, Longwell said she moved with her family to Derry Township 14 years ago when they were seeking a central location between her workplace and her husband’s.
Longwell holds an associate’s degree from the Community College of Allegheny County. She has been an associate professor in the college’s surgical technology program for one year and previously served as a clinical instructor in the program for a decade.
At Derry Area, she has volunteered for elementary programs and has chaperoned student field trips. She has a child who will be starting fifth grade in the fall and another who soon will begin attending district classes.
She also has volunteered with Brenizer’s Halloween parade and Easter egg hunt.
“We appreciate you and your willingness to help the district,” Derry Area Superintendent Greg Ferencak told Longwell.
Longwell told TribLive she may consider seeking election to continue serving on the board.
“That’s a possibility,” she said. “I wanted to kind of see how this went.”
In accepting applicants for appointment to the vacant seat, district officials ruled out anyone who will be a candidate on the Nov. 4 ballot for one of four, four-year board seats.
In addition to incumbents Nancy Findish and Steve Frye, who were the only listed candidates on the primary ballots, fellow incumbent Josh Campbell received enough write-in votes to capture both Democratic and Republican nominations.
Mark Galimberti appeared to win the remaining Democratic nomination and Chad McIntire the final GOP slot, through write-in voting.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
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