School Board Candidates Narrowed To 8 People, Interviews Nov. 30

BETHESDA, MD — The Montgomery County Board of Education has narrowed down the number of candidates for the vacant District Three seat — of the 18 people who applied, eight have been granted interviews.

All of the candidates are required to live within District Three, which includes sections of Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Kensington and Potomac. They are filling the seat of Pat O'Neill, a longtime board member who died in September at age 71.

The interviews will take place on Nov. 30.

Here are the candidates and the times their interviews are scheduled for:
The candidate information includes personal and familial connections to Montgomery County Public Schools, as well as current employment information. Many candidates have extensive PTA and volunteer experience, beyond what is included here. Please click each candidate's name for their full résumé and cover letter.

10:00 a.m. – Cynthia Anderson-Clay
Cynthia Anderson-Clay has been a resident of the district since 1998. Her children attended Bell Mills Elementary School and were in the Churchill cluster. She is currently the director of Development (consulting) at George B. Thomas Sr. Learning Academy.

10:40 a.m. – Ana Sol Gutierrez
Ana Sol Gutierrez is a former member of the Board of Education, serving District Three from 1990 to 1998. She was also the Maryland State Delegate for District 18 for 16 years, retiring in 2018.

11:20 a.m. – Scott Joftus
Scott Joftus has one child who is a graduate of Walt Whitman High School and one who is still a student there. He is the co-founder and president of FourPoint Education Partners, a consulting firm for school and district improvement, system reviews and strategic planning, and leadership development.

12:00 p.m. – Benjamin McDonough
Benjamin McDonough has a 15-year-old daughter who attends Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School. His mother and step-father were both teachers, and he taught English in Finland for half a year after graduating from college. He is now chief counsel for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, U.S. Department of the Treasury.

1:30 p.m. – Neal Orringer
Neal Orringer has kids in Montgomery County Public Schools — he said he wanted to be an advocate for children after seeing the limits of the resources that are offered to his son with special needs, even with the dedication of his teachers. Orringer is the found president of Applied Science And Research Technology Organization (ASTRO America).

2:10 p.m. – Debby Orsak
Debby Orsak was a graduate of Wootton High School and all of her children have attended MCPS, including her youngest who is still a student at Walter Johnson High School. Orsak is the president of Cagley & Associates, Inc, which works on general structural engineering of buildings.

2:50 p.m. – Vashti Van Wyke
Vashti Van Wyke grew up in Silver Spring and Wheaton until moving out of state in eighth grade. Van Wyke moved to Cabin John seven years ago, where her four children attend school. She was an attorney before her fourth child was born. One of her children has an IEP, and Van Wyke said she would be able to bring her knowledge about that process and special education to the Board.

3:30 p.m. – Julie Yang
Julie Yang is the Career and College Coordinator for Montgomery County Public Schools. She has served on various MCPS committees, including the Anti-Racism Steering Committee ad the COVID-19 Steering Committee, and has been the organizer of AAPI Heritage month since 2017.