Three candidates are vying for only two open trustee seats on the Roslyn Board of Education for its May 20 election. Newcomer Qiana Hobdy, the president of the North Shore NAACP, and incumbent trustees Robert Koonin and Alison Gilbert are running to fill the two open Roslyn school board seats.
Koonin and Gilbert are both seeking their second terms as trustees after serving on the Roslyn school board for three years, while Hobdy works as a psychotherapist and minister in Roslyn Heights.
Hobdy holds a master’s degree in social work from Touro University, and in addition to her role as the North Shore NAACP president, she is a minister at Friendship Baptist Church in Roslyn Heights.
She has also worked as a psychotherapist for the past five years and as a social worker with the Central Nassau Guidance and Counseling Service’s Project Forward, which offers free workshops on relationships, communication, and parenting for adults across Long Island.
If elected, Hobdy said she will bring her background in advocating for children and families to the Roslyn School District, where her two children have previously graduated from.
Hobdy also said that if she joins the school board, she can bring her background working with the NAACP and as a therapist to build an inclusive and supportive environment for students and staff.
“I think Roslyn definitely provides a level of excellence, but I think there’s always room for growth, and I want to be a part of that,” Hobdy said.
Koonin has lived in Roslyn for over a decade with his wife and two daughters, who are in the third and second grades. He brings his experience in the real estate and financial industries to his work as a trustee on the Roslyn school board.
For 11 years, Koonin served as a partner and vice chair at the real estate firm Garfunkel Wild before joining ArentFox Schiff, another real estate firm, three years ago. In this position, Koonin said he leads a team of 120 lawyers and works on financial transactions for various building types, including healthcare facilities.
Koonin said two skills he takes pride in include his ability to work collaboratively with his co-workers as well as school board colleagues and finding ways to solve complex problems.
On the school board, Koonin said he has worked on issues including finding ways to improve classroom curriculum and building facilities. Koonin also said he brings his legal experience to work with the district’s legal counsel to address any legal issues that may arise.
Since joining the Roslyn Board of Education three years ago, Gilbert said she has supported students’ interests and needs, whether it’s in the arts, sciences, or athletics. Gilbert also cited her involvement in implementing improvements to the district’s athletics facilities, including upgrades to baseball fields and tennis courts that will be in place by the start of the next school year.
Gilbert has also served on the district’s Citizens Audit Committee, where she has worked on projects that include enhancing the district’s cybersecurity infrastructure.
Before joining the school board three years ago, Gilbert served as president of the Roslyn Special Education Parent Teacher Association.
If re-elected, Gilbert said she will “continue to advance the interests of the district’s children and families.”
Voting for the Roslyn Board of Education trustee election will take place on Tuesday, May 20, at Roslyn High School’s north gym from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Voters will also decide on whether or not to approve the Roslyn School District’s $136 million budget, which would raise the local tax levy by 2.89%, under the tax cap limit of 3.14%.
