F-M voters: Meet your BOE candidates

Friday, May 13, 2011 -1 a.m.

Residents who live in the Fayetteville-Manlius School District will, next week, not only vote on the 2011-12 fiscal budget but also for candidates running for seats on their respective boards of education. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday May 17 at Fayetteville Elementary School, 704 S. Manlius St., Fayetteville. Two incumbents and one newcomer are running for three open seats on the F-M BOE.

Jeff Brown

Mackenzie Hughes Law Firm Partner Jeff Brown is seeking his first term as a member of the board of education. Brown is a 13-year district resident who served on the district's Advisory Council on Special Education from 1999 to 2006. He earned a bachelor's degree from Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration and a law degree from Syracuse University. Brown is a major with the 174th Fighter Wing and is in charge of public affairs for the unit. He served as a state assemblyman from 2003 to 2006 and currently serves as the village attorney for Manlius.

"I want to use my unique experience as a former state legislator and a parent of two young school-age children to work with F-M's parents, teachers and administrators to make the best decisions possible for the long-term prosperity of our schools and our community," said Brown on running for a seat.

He and his wife Gina have two children enrolled in the district.

Dr. John Cucinotta

Dr. John Cucinotta is seeking his eighth term on the board; he was first elected into office in 1990 and has since served two years as vice president and two years as president. Additionally, he is a member of the Facilities Committee.

"As the current board president, I have helped guide the board through several difficult, controversial issues this year," he said. "Over the next few years there will be many challenging issues due to financial conditions. I will continue to work hard as a board member to seek the best solutions to maintain our high quality programs and standards while dealing with financial realities of the community."

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