Samantha Jouin Seeks Reelection To Great Valley School Board

Pennsylvania's Primary Election is May 18. Samantha Jouin is seeking reelection to Great Valley School District's board of directors, for Region 1. She currently chairs the board's policy committee and is the board's representative to the district's diversity and inclusion committee.

She explained why she is running for election.

Samantha Jouin

Age: 53

Position Sought: School Board Director Region 1, Great Valley District

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Family: Husband Francois, local business owner. Son Alex and daughter Eliza, both recent GVHS graduates and current college students.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?: No

Education: Columbia University, Bachelor of Arts. Toulouse Business School, French MBA

Occupation: Senior Director, Strategic Business Improvement for a Fortune 100 healthcare company. 25-plus years of business experience

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: Current board member, running for reelection

Why are you seeking elective office?: To maintain Great Valley's reputation for providing a high-quality education and for being one of the best school districts in the area. To use my business and leadership skills to set goals that are fiscally responsible and develop practical plans to achieve these goals. To listen to our community to make decisions that take into account the needs of all stakeholders. To ensure that the high quality of education in Great Valley is not affected by the continuing growth of the district.

The single most pressing issue facing our school district is: ... Ensuring that the high quality of education in Great Valley is not affected by the continuing growth of the district and that all kids in our community are able to benefit equally from all that GVSD has to offer.
I will continue to ensure that we maintain close relationships with our local governments so that we are kept up to date on all planned construction and can project the impact on our district and plan accordingly. I will continue to ask the hard questions and ensure that the board and district leadership are having fiscally responsible conversations about how to accommodate our increasing number of students and that we are taking into account the opinions and needs of all stakeholders in our community as we make these decisions.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?: First, the fact that I have already served successfully on the board for four years and bring important district experience and knowledge to the position. Second, my many years of business experience, including managing large budgets, aligning people around goals and decisions, leading strategic initiatives, and bringing critical thinking to the table. Last, the fact that I have been a Great Valley taxpayer for over 20 years and have two children who went all the way through Great Valley schools.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform: I refer voters to my website.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?: As a board member — voting for full-day kindergarten, hiring a new superintendent, leading the district through the pandemic, chairing the board policy committee, serving as board representative to the GVSD Diversity and Inclusion committee.

The best advice ever shared with me was: There are more than two sides to every story! This means listen carefully, listen to all stakeholders, understand all sides of a situation before making a decision.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?: I am proud of our district and what I have seen over my 20 years living here and 15 years as a GVSD parent. I want to continue to give back to my community by serving on the board, bringing my skills and experience to bear on the future of our children, and therefore of our community.

Samantha Jouin's campaign website can be viewed here.

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