Meet the candidates

Zachary J. Epps (he/they) is an analytical thinker and servant leader with a deep desire to contribute towards measurable improvements in the lives of children, youth, and families. Zachary believes that decisions should be rooted in the real experiences of those impacted.

Zachary is grounded by his family - a brilliant wife, Phylicia, and three children. A lifelong learner and gracious competitor, Zachary stays active through exercise and enjoys reading to learn. They have served on non-profit boards, including the Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project, an organization committed to ending the practice of sending children to adult prisons, and currently coaches a Cheltenham Travel Soccer Team.

Zachary is co-founder of Paths to Progress, LLC, a partner in community development, and supports teams and organizations in improving internal culture and performance through values and data-driven decisions. Before launching Paths to Progress, Zachary managed a national youth leadership development program. As a School District of Philadelphia Superintendent’s Executive Leadership Team member, Zachary designed efforts to establish a shared vision for schools. Zachary has also worked directly with domestic and international organizations to build their capacity to implement results-based and data-driven decision-making.

As part of their formal education, they are completing a Master of Business Administration program at St. Joseph’s University, which includes certificates in Corporate Financial Management and Organizational Leadership. They attended the University of Maryland, College Park, and received a Criminology and Criminal Justice degree.

Leah has lived in Elkins Park for 16 years with her husband Jim. She is the parent of 3 children, a 5th grader at Elkins Park School, an 8th grader at Cedarbrook Middle School and a 10th grader at Cheltenham High School. Leah has worked professionally in higher education student affairs and non-profit fundraising, however now focuses her time on her children, volunteer activities, and board service. She has served her alma mater, Eastern University, in several ways including the Alumni Council and currently as a member of the Board of Trustees where she chairs the Academic & Student Development Committee.

Leah has volunteered in all of her children’s schools in various capacities, including Wyncote PTO President, she has been a part of the United Parent Group’s Leadership Circle and has supported the Cheltenham Education Foundation. She is grateful for the time she has been able to spend with Cheltenham students, their families, and staff. These experiences and relationships are a part of her initial and ongoing inspiration to run for school board.

As an incumbent School Board Director finishing her first term, Leah has served as co-chair of both the Educational Affairs and Facilities committees. She has also been a part of the Liaison Group, Collective Bargaining Negotiations, Superintendent Goal Setting, Strategic Planning, Branding Initiative and High Quality Instructional Materials Planning for Math & Science.

Leah holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Eastern University.

Daniel and his partner Lyla Duey are enthusiastic Myers parents of Ida (9 years old), Emmeline (7 years old), and Orla (essentially 2). Dan and Lyla both grew up in Cheltenham, graduating from CHS in 2005 and moving around the east coast to pursue their careers and education. They moved back in 2016 so that their kids could attend Cheltenham schools.

Dan has been involved in the community since his return, volunteering as a member of the Cheltenham Township Library System board and as an incumbent Cheltenham School District board member. On the CSD board he serves as a co-chair of the Finance committee, co-chair of the Policy committee, and recurring member of the two union negotiation committees.

For a living Dan started a creative collective of artists and technologists called Bad Idea Factory, which exists to help people channel their technical abilities for the public good. He spends most of his non-board time building free and open source software to make it easier to hold those with power accountable. You can reach him at 215-400-1233, but be sure to text first to confirm that you’re not trying to speak with him about his car’s extended warranty.

Caroline and her family have lived in Elkins Park since 2008, when they relocated from Boston for positions at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. Her husband Mike Nakkula is an experienced educator and professor at Penn, who has coached youth hockey and baseball throughout the area. They chose Cheltenham in large part because of the quality and diversity of the school district. She has two sons who are graduates of Cheltenham Schools (2019 and 2021), and her older son is the head baseball coach at CHS.

Caroline is a psychologist who is currently the Director of the Office of School and Community Engagement at Penn GSE. Over her career as a program administrator, practicing child therapist, and university educator, she has focused upon creating innovative institutional partnerships among schools, universities, and community health organizations that support equity and access to high-quality resources for urban children, youth, and families. She is passionate about ensuring that all children have what they need and deserve to reach their full potential and realize their possibilities, and sees public schools as the ideal vehicle to accomplish this mission. Caroline’s long career in education began as a middle school math teacher in Baltimore. Caroline has a BA in psychology and sociology from Yale University, and Ed.M and Ed.D. degrees in counseling and consulting psychology from Harvard Graduate School of Education.