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Four Oaklyn residents are running for three available three-year terms on the Oaklyn Public School District Board of Education: Aidan DiMarco, Kimberly Love, Pete Mohan, and Therese Marmion.
All candidates have been invited to reply to the same set of prompts, telling voters about themselves, their priorities, and their views of the current state of affairs in their community. Answers have been edited for clarity and length.
Aidan DiMarco, 19
Student, Rowan University
NJ PEN: Tell us something about your hobbies, interests, and/or family.
AIDAN DIMARCO: My passion for advocacy work began in seventh grade when the tragic Parkland school shooting occurred.
As a student myself, I watched the events unfold, and that moment inspired me to engage in politics at the local, state, and federal levels to advocate for change.
I am honored to currently serve as the National Membership Director of College Democrats of America, and as President of Rowan Democrats.
My family is also incredibly important to me, and a big part of who I am.
Growing up, I watched my mom be sworn in as a councilwoman while balancing a job and caring for two children. My grandfather dedicated himself to always putting his community first while serving as a police officer, volunteer firefighter, and EMT.
Their dedication to public service has taught me the value of helping others, and I’m grateful to have a supportive family that inspires me to become a better person every day.
NJ PEN: What is your philosophy of education?
DIMARCO: I believe that every student deserves access to the same opportunities regardless of their background or where they attend school. This means advocating for resources that ensure all students can thrive, whether that’s through curricular enhancements, co-curricular activities, or emotional support.
Education should empower every student to reach their full potential. Students need to be equipped with the opportunities and support they need to succeed.
NJ PEN: What personal and professional experiences would you bring to the table as a school board member?
DIMARCO: I am lifelong Oaklyn resident. I attended Oaklyn school and graduated from Collingswood High School in 2023. Therefore, I have a unique perspective of being able to relate to our current students.
I served as my Class President all four years while attending Collingswood High School. During my senior year, I served as the Oaklyn student representative to the Collingswood Board of Education, and was able to use my position to advocate for the interests of Oaklyn students.
I focused on rebuilding school morale, advocating for the board to focus on retaining our valued teachers, and ensuring that both students and teachers had necessary resources.
During my time as a student representative, I evidenced first-hand the importance of having a responsible budget, supporting our educators, and ensuring our students can continue to succeed and reach their full potential.
NJ PEN: Why are you running for office?
DIMARCO: After graduating high school, I chose to continue my education at Rowan University. I made the decision to remain local to have the ability to stay involved in our community. As a recent graduate who understands the climate and culture of our district, I am running for the Oaklyn Board of Education to support our students and teachers.
I will always cherish the memories I have from Oaklyn Public School, and I want to be a part of writing the new chapter for our school district. I want to continue to see our district prosper, and I believe that my background, values, and ideas will help ensure our district succeeds.
NJ PEN: What are the biggest challenges your school district faces?
DIMARCO: One of the biggest challenges our school district faces is budgetary constraints. The past few years have been extremely hard for our district in terms of financial resources.
We need to be able to effectively support our educators and students by prioritizing a budget for 2025 that ensures that we allocate funds where they can have the greatest impact.
To give our educators and students the opportunity to succeed, a responsible budget that prioritizes their educational journey is a necessity.
NJ PEN: What are three key issues on which you will focus if elected?
DIMARCO: The first key issue I would focus on would be to review the budgetary concerns our district faces. It’s important that we first look into how funds are being allocated and find areas for better investment so that we can best support our students and teachers.
We need to ask ourselves why we are facing budget challenges when neighboring school districts with similar challenges continue to succeed. What was the reasoning behind hiring another assistant superintendent in our smaller district when other, larger districts, thrive without two?
As a district, we need to ensure our budget proposal for 2025 is responsible and best serves our teachers, and students, so our students have the quality education they deserve. Our main focus should be on ensuring that our resources effectively support our students and educators.
When our teachers have the resources they need, our students thrive. I want to see our school prosper and continue to provide students with the opportunities they deserve. That begins with ensuring we have a responsible budget.
I would also focus on ensuring our students are receiving the same opportunities as Collingswood students in elementary school so they are prepared to transition to Collingswood middle school and high school smoothly.
I understand firsthand the feelings students may have when starting middle school in Collingswood. We must ensure that the Oaklyn board has a strong relationship with the Collingswood Board of Education, including frequent dialogue, so that we can explore ideas to ensure our students have curricular and co-curricular opportunities that parallel those in Collingswood, and vice-versa.
As a board, we need to ensure there are ways to build relationships between Oaklyn and Collingswood students before they attend Collingswood Middle School so that they feel welcome upon arrival. One example of that would be extend the option of joint activities that allow Oaklyn and Collingswood students to learn and participate together prior to merging into middle school.
The safety of our school must be prioritized. Throughout elementary, middle, and high school, I experienced frequent lockdown drills. I recall hiding in the cubby corner as a kindergartener, listening to our teacher read us a book quietly to distract us.
We owe it to our students, and educators, to ensure they feel safe in our school. This includes ensuring that we are investing in modern security equipment and systems, having effective security policies, and maintaining a close working relationship with our police department. No one should have to fear for their safety in school, and I am committed to doing everything I can to protect our students and educators.
I care about the community I have been fortunate enough to spend my life in. I am grateful for the opportunity to now run for a seat on the Board of Education, and will dedicate myself to the best interests of the students and educators.
Kimberly Love
Regional Director, Volunteers of America Delaware Valley
NJ PEN: Tell us something about your hobbies, interests, and/or family.
(Love submitted the following biography — ed)
Kimberly Love is a resident of Oaklyn, residing there with her husband and two children for 16 years.
Love works as a Regional Director at Volunteers of America Delaware Valley, managing programs that provide much needed social services to some of the most marginalized members of our local communities.
She has been doing this work for nearly 25 years, ensuring the delivery of quality services while collaborating with funding sources to achieve programmatic goals.
Love holds a Bachelor of Science from Ursinus College and a Masters of Public Administration from Rutgers University. She serves on the board of the Oaklyn Education Foundation, the mission of which is to secure and award supplement funding for educational initiatives that enhance the learning environment for students and teachers at Oaklyn Public School.
In her free time, Love enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, singing with the Collingswood Community Chorus, and walking her dog.
NJ PEN: What is your philosophy of education?
KIMBERLY LOVE: I believe that public education is one of the most important public goods we have in this country. I believe that all people learn at different rates and abilities, making education a life-long pursuit.
I believe in equity in education at all levels, ensuring that all students are afforded the opportunity to access the support they may need at every grade level.
Students today are faced with an influx of information and misinformation in the ever-changing landscape of access to social media. Students today are also plagued with the uncertainty of safety in our schools in what feels like an ever-increasing rate.
I believe kids should feel safe in our schools. The purpose and goals of education should focus on developing a learner into an individual who can think and function independently as well as cooperating with peers in a safe, supportive, equitable environment.
NJ PEN: Why are you running for office?
LOVE: As a resident of Oaklyn for 16 years and a parent who has children attending school in the district, the public school has been a cornerstone of the community for all children and families alike. I’ve seen the school go through some transitions to an elementary school district with the addition of services to children and families over the last few years.
I am running for school board in an effort to support the changes seen at OPS, as well as to assist in growing services and supports for both students and teachers. Continued growth in our district will provide quality education to the children who attend OPS, and in turn support the community and town overall.
In addition, Oaklyn has a vested interest in how the children of OPS transition to middle and high schools, ensuring that they have continued to access to increased educational resources in the secondary schools. I believe public education is but one of the greatest public goods we have in this country, and I want to be part of the process that ensures that all children in our community have access to quality education.
NJ PEN: What personal and professional experiences would you bring to the table as a school board member?
LOVE: I have worked in the non-profit sector for close to 25 years. My ability to collaborate with various stakeholders in my professional career is a transferrable skill that will serve me well in working with the school administration, teachers, other board members, parents, and students.
My expertise in managing programs, contracts from various funding streams, and staff in the non-profit sector are skills that will provide me an opportunity to jump immediately into the role of OPS school board member.
As a parent, I bring a concern for students and their academic and inter-personal achievement at Oaklyn Public School, where so many of the town’s children have built a foundation for their continued educational pursuits in secondary schools and beyond. As a wife of a teacher, I bring an awareness of the support teachers as well as parents need from a board of education.
NJ PEN: What are the biggest challenges your school district faces?
LOVE: The budget shortfall in school budgets negatively impacted many local districts. The Oaklyn Board of Education worked to ensure that educational resources and staff support were maintained for the 2024-2025 by utilizing some of the district’s capital reserves to address this shortfall.
Continued budgetary shortfalls could be an ongoing challenge for the district. Ensuring that the allocations of state and federal funds are done strategically as to maximize the school budget will be a continuing challenge for the district. With input from administration, teachers and community, the board should explore more creative fundraising initiatives and practical ways to raise additional funding.
Oaklyn Public school leverages some shared services with the Collingswood School district, and this partnership continues to support the Oaklyn budget. Collaboration between both districts, with a focus on maximizing spending through shared services, should be regularly reviewed to ensure the most efficient use of budget resources and to meet district needs effectively.
NJ PEN: What are three key issues on which you will focus if elected?
LOVE: First, I believe that striving to ensure that the school budget for the 2025-2026 academic year is a priority so that resources are available for Oaklyn Public School. Leveraging services between the Oaklyn Public and Collingswood school district helps with this priority.
This brings me to my second key issue, which is that both school districts share a symbiotic relationship that benefits each other, but it must be beneficial and opportunistic for all students attending schools in either district, regardless of whether they are Oaklyn or Collingswood residents.
The shared resources between both districts must also be distributed equitably to ensure that Oaklyn students receive the same level of shared services. Communication between both boards regarding shared staff schedules, support, and services must ensure that Oaklyn students have equal access to resources. Each elementary school in both districts should have access to the educational opportunities or resources that students may need.
A third issue that I would like to continue to prioritize is equity in the educational services being provided in the Oaklyn Public School district, as well as for those Oaklyn students attending Collingswood schools.
Pete Mohan, 48
Head Carpenter, Miller Theater; union rigger, stagehand, and studio mechanic
NJ PEN: Tell us something about your hobbies, interests, and/or family.
MOHAN: I am a loving husband and father of three, the oldest of which is in Collingswood Middle School, and the younger two in Oaklyn Public School.
I run the chess club at OPS and have been a Oaklyn Little League coach for seven years.
I am a PTA member, occasional voice at school board and town council meetings.
I’ve also been involved with the Oaklyn Green Team and the Shade Tree Commission.
My interests include film, literature, sports, chess, hiking and live music.
NJ PEN: What is your philosophy of education?
MOHAN: My philosophy of education as it relates to K-5 children is to emphasize strong fundamentals of reading, writing, and math. We need to build a foundation of confidence and engagement so that all kids can effectively meet new material and challenges that will come their way.
NJ PEN: What personal and professional experiences would you bring to the table as a school board member?
MOHAN: I am an analytical problem solver who appreciates efficiency and accountability. I am a support person who works well with wildly different people with big egos and different ideas to collaborate and execute. I work behind the scenes to stage complex productions that make other people shine.
NJ PEN: Why are you running for office?
MOHAN: I am honored to be considered for a seat on the Oaklyn Board of Education. I want to help the excellent teachers and staff of our district gather and focus the resources needed to provide excellent education to all students.
NJ PEN: What are the biggest challenges your school district faces?
MOHAN: The biggest challenges our district faces are cuts to funding and teacher retention. Not all students have the same support outside the classroom; it is our duty to help bridge gaps to help all students succeed academically.
Unfortunately, OPS has just eliminated half of the Learning Acceleration Teachers that help struggling students catch up to their peers. If we are serious about inclusive excellence, we need to redouble our investment in our teachers and support staff.
NJ PEN: What are three key issues on which you will focus if elected?
MOHAN:
- Emphasizing the basics of reading, writing and math
- Prioritizing the funding of learning acceleration
- Enhancing the STEAM program
Currently our librarian, Ms. Faith Hvsidas, coordinates the STEAM program. She also is the librarian for five Collingswood elementary schools, and her responsibilities mean she is only at OPS three days a week. We would love for her to serve OPS five days a week.
Therese Marmion, 45 (Incumbent)
Director of Development, Penn Medicine
NJ PEN: Tell us something about your hobbies, interests, and/or family.
THERESE MARMION: My husband Michael and I have three children, two in Collingswood Middle School and one in Oaklyn Public School, where I am a part of the Oaklyn PTA as committee chair for the annual Talent Show and the Community Blood Drive.
By day, I am a Director of Development at Penn Medicine, raising essential funds in support of patient care and research to find cures for diseases.
I am also pursuing a Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics, with a concentration in Leadership & Organizational Coaching, at the University of Pennsylvania.
NJ PEN: What is your philosophy of education?
MARMION: As the child of educators, I believe strongly in the power of public education. It is every citizen’s duty to provide high-quality learning opportunities to all children in our community.
NJ PEN: What personal and professional experiences would you bring to the table as a school board member?
MARMION: I have had the pleasure of serving on the Oaklyn Board of Education since 2017. I am chair of the School Community Relations & Policy Committee, a past chair of the Finance and Buildings & Grounds Committee, and Board liaison to the Oaklyn Education Foundation.
I believe that my past Board experience, my professional skills as a communicator and leader, and, most importantly, my passion for our school district and our community will continue to contribute to our Board’s collective success.
NJ PEN: Why are you running for office?
MARMION: I am very proud of our community and our wonderful school district, and I want to be part of its growth and development for years to come.
My experience on the Board thus far, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, has taught me that honest and open communication is a key to our success as a district. The students must always be our first priority.
I believe that I have shown my ability to fulfill this essential duty as a Board member, and I would like to continue to help our district thrive.
NJ PEN: What are the biggest challenges your school district faces?
MARMION: Our district, like many in New Jersey, is challenged by the fluctuating levels of state funding from year to year. We continue to take steps to anticipate and respond to this unknown variable.
For example, I am proud of our community for passing a bond referendum in 2019, which made possible essential improvements to our school and addressed deferred maintenance needs for years to come.
The Board must continue to keep a watchful eye on budget items that we can control, like shared services, in order to protect our budget from having to cut staff and programs.
NJ PEN: What are three key issues on which you will focus if elected?
MARMION: I will continue be a voice on our Board encouraging us to closely examine our financial decisions at all levels, especially with regards to shared services.
Our Board has a duty to ensure that every budget decision we make does not negatively impact the educational services we are responsible to provide and which every student deserves. The school funding climate, as it currently stands, demands us to think critically about how we allocate our taxpayers’ dollars.
I would also like to continue to represent Oaklyn in our work with neighboring districts to advocate at the state and local government levels for fair funding to all of our schools. I would like to see an improvement in the communication between the Oaklyn and Collingswood Boards of Education, and if reelected, I would like to have a role in making this happen.
Our students and our communities are too closely knit for our decision-making and collaboration not to be better aligned. I think there should be multiple points throughout the year where our Boards meet and plan together, especially with regards to budgets and calendar discussions. Our students, teachers, and staff deserve this level of coordination and camaraderie.
I want to see more community participation with our Board of Education. I want our residents to see our Board as a source of information and a place where their concerns are heard. Social media has its place, but I would like to see more dialogue and discourse happening in person and in meetings so that all voices are represented, heard, and considered by our whole Board.
