Reporter Staff
Pat Braman and Lisa Strauch Eggers have both announced they are seeking reelection to the Mercer Island School District School Board. Janet Frohnmayer announced she will be running for Position 5 in May.
Pat Braman has announced that she will seek re-election to a second term in Pos. 1 for a second term on the Mercer Island School Board.
Braman and her husband, Dan, have lived on Mercer Island for 30 years. Braman was an English teacher and chair of both the English and humanities departments at Mercer Island High School.
Braman has served as president of the board, vice president and as the board’s legislative liason since her election to the board in 2003. She is on the program committee for the Washington state School Director Association.
Braman taught English at Mercer Island High School from 1968 until her retirement in 1994. She was active in the education union leadership, and volunteered in other roles regarding education including the East King County Public Health and Safety Network, a group of agencies that focus on reducing youth risky behaviors. She is a past president of the Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce, has held several leadership positions at the Mercer Island Congregational Church and has long been involved in advocating for teachers and educational issues in Olympia. She was named Mercer Island Citizen of the Year in 1997.
In 2003, Braman told the Reporter that among other issues, she regarded the implementation of board governance policies as a key goal. After the hiring of Superintendent Cyndy Simms in 2003, the board has worked to form those policies.
The Bramans have two grown sons, Don and Jonathan, who both graduated from Mercer Island High School. Three Braman grandchildren will attend Lakeridge Elementary School in the fall.
Lisa Strauch Eggers has also announced her decision to seek a second term for Pos. 3 on the Mercer Island School District Board of Directors.
Strauch Eggers, an attorney in private practice, moved to the Island with her family in 1997. She holds degrees from Johns Hopkins University and the Georgetown University Law Center.
She and her husband, Mitch, have three boys in Mercer Island Schools. Beyond her volunteer work with Island schools, she has served on the editorial board of the Jewish Transcript and is active in Jewish Federation activities.
Strauch Eggers brought with her professional experience in corporate governance from working with corporate business clients to the School Board. She has served as president, vice-president and in other liason roles since she was elected to the School Board in 2003.
In an earlier interview, she told the Reporter that she felt it was important to model community service to her children.
“Children should grow up to be whole people — not just doctors or lawyers,” she said.
Pos. 5 on the School Board, presently held by Leslie Ferrell, is being sought by Janet Frohnmayer. Ferrell, elected in 2003, has announced she will not be seeking reelection.
