Exactly Enough Candidates to Fill Openings on Village Board, School Board

With two Village Board candidates and three School Board candidates filing nomination papers by Tuesday's 5 p.m. deadline, the April 3 election ballot will have enough candidates to fill the open seats on both boards.

Resident Garry Davis filed his nomination papers Tuesday to run for the Village Board seat left open by Trustee Kevin Buckley, .

Davis is a professor in the Linguistics Department at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. A 14-year Whitefish Bay resident, he lives at 4787 N. Sheffield with his wife Suzanne, his 10-year-old daughter and his 15-year-old son. He said he has never held public office, but he was motivated to serve to help the village find a solution to its sewer problems. He said his house was severely damaged by flood waters in 1997 and in 2010.

"I have quite a bit of experience attending Village Board meetings, and I admire the village trustees and village president very much,” he said. “I would like to offer my own experience and contribute to finding a solution that we need for Whitefish Bay storm sewers.”

Trustee Richard Foster's first full term is also ending, and he is seeking re-election in April. Foster, who lives at 4645 N. Murray Ave, has served on the board since September 2008. He is a retired newspaper reporter, editor and editorial writer.

Village Board seats are three-year terms and the salary is $600 per year.

In the Whitefish Bay School Board election, incumbent Gerry Steele will not seek re-election this year, which means the three candidates seeking office will not be contested in the April election.

Steele, who has served one term on the School Board, is one of three board members whose terms expire in April. The terms of incumbent Kathy Rogers and Pamela Woodard are also ending, and both are seeking re-election.

Anne Berleman Kearney, 6001 N. Berkeley Blvd., a principal of Appellate Consulting Group and an adjunct professor of law at Marquette University will also be on the ballot.

Rogers, who lives at 5059 N. Woodburn, is finishing her first term on the board. Woodard, who lives at 4942 N. Diversey Blvd., was elected to a one-year term last year to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Joe Martinelli. Previously, she had served on the board for 15 years, including five years as board president.

School Board terms are three years long. The salary for president is $1,250, and the salary for a member is $1,200.