With three positions up for election this fall, November will bring a host of new faces to the Mercer Island School Board.

Following the departure of board president Janet Frohnmayer this month, the board will see terms end for vice president Brian Emanuels and longtime board member Pat Braman, with neither seeking re-election.

Newly-appointed board member Ralph Jorgenson will run unopposed for position no. 5, while Mercer Island Schools Foundation co-president David D’Souza will run unopposed for position no. 1.

D’Souza studied mathematics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and worked as a software engineer with Microsoft for over 20 years. He worked with Islander Middle School co-principal Aaron Miller to bring an after-school computer science program to the middle school.

D’Souza said his background as an engineer and a parent, along with his work in the community and in the school system, would make him a worthy addition to the board.

That leaves board position no. 3 as the only contested position, with Tracy Drinkwater, Bill Hochberg and Adrienne Roehrich all in the race.

Tracy Drinkwater had decided not to run shortly after the appointment process concluded in May, but ultimately opted to stick with her original plan to pursue a School Board chair. She is a tutor and educational consultant who previously worked for four years as a math and special education teacher at Islander Middle School. A mother of two daughters in Mercer Island schools, one in special ed and one in honors programs, she has served as treasurer for both the Mercer Island Preschool Association and the Lakeridge PTA.

Drinkwater studied economics at the University of California at Santa Barbara, and holds an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. She received her Masters in teaching from Seattle University. She said as both a teacher and parent of students who have special needs, she hopes to represent all kinds of learners from the board.

“I feel that my background in education and having been a teacher in the school district is a valuable perspective,” Drinkwater said, noting the educational experience of outgoing board member Pat Braman. “Having that institutional knowledge and background provides me with a perspective no other candidates have.”

Bill Hochberg, a father of children ages 12 and 10, is a longtime Islander and attorney who served as co-chair on the Committee for Mercer Island Public Schools, supporting the 2012 bond effort, and also served on the 21st Century Facilities Planning Committee. He is an MIHS alum, graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Puget Sound with a double major in politics & government and public administration, and earned his J.D.from the University of Washington School of Law.

In a press release announcing his School Board candidacy, Hocherg mentioned critical issues facing the school district included the oversight of new school construction, revisiting local impact fees now that new school buildings are being built, and selecting and working with the next superintendent when Dr. Gary Plano retires, likely during the next School Board term.

He stated that the funding of Mercer Island schools, in light of the McCleary decision, remains a paramount duty for the local School Board.

“The reality is where we’re mostly going to be affected is from Olympia,” he told the board during the appointment process May 2. “I have a strong past experience with dealing with all sorts of issues in Olympia. I know where to go, I know who to talk to.”

Adrienne Roehrich is a scientist at the University of Washington who has lived with her family on Mercer Island since 2011. She holds a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Arizona, a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and has nearly 20 years of experience teaching kindergarten through university-level students.

A mother of two with a daughter in 10th grade and a son in eighth grade, Roehrich is an advocate for math and science curriculums. She said she hopes to help improve an already strong school district.

“I bring the perspective of Islanders who are new here, which is a little bit different than other candidates,” Roehrich said. “Taking part in the various opportunities is a little daunting for new residents. What I hope to show by being part of the board is that it’s very possible for new people to come into Mercer Island and work alongside long-established residents.”