Scott Township officials fill 2nd commissioner vacancy in as many months
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Scott Township officials selected a nonprofit founder and Chartiers Valley School District bus driver as their new commissioner.
Michelle Sedlak was appointed at Wednesday night’s special meeting to fill the unexpired term of Paul Abel of Ward 6, who resigned from his elected post June 17.
Hundreds of people both inside and outside the township called for Abel to step down following comments he made about state health secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, who is transgender, at a June 9 board meeting conducted on Zoom.
Sedlak was selected over three other candidates: Mike Taylor, Scott Dailey and Anthony Roscoe.
She was nominated by Nick Seibel, who was appointed last month to fill the unexpired term of Frank Bruckner of Ward 7. Bruckner resigned effective June 1 for personal reasons.
Dailey was nominated by Commissioner Stacey Atlman. The vote was 5-3 to move Sedlak forward, and her appointment was unanimous.
Altman, Kathy Gazda and Eileen Meyers voted for Dailey.
“I think we had four really good candidates,” commissioner William Wells said after the meeting. “It’s nice to see people stepping up.
“(Sedlak’s) been in the community for a long time. I think she has a pretty good understanding of people and pretty good volunteerism record. I think she’d be a good fit.”
Sedlak said she’s been in the township for at least 20 years, a bus driver for the district since March 2012 and a former president of the primary school’s parent/teacher group.
The Norwin High School graduate is the founder and executive director at Leading Education & Advocacy for Families Inc., where she leads fundraising efforts, grant writing and accounting in addition to managing the organization’s growth and development.
The nonprofit provides free services to families across southwestern Pennsylvania who have children with special needs from birth to age 21.
Sedlak earned a bachelor’s degree in natural sciences from the University of Pittsburgh in 1997, and studied communications at Clarion University of Pennsylvania in the late 1980s.
“I am looking forward to working with all of you,” Sedlak told commissioners. “I’m a collaborative type of person.”
Audio was muted for several minutes after a vote to appoint Sedlak was taken. People could be seen talking, but Zoom participants could not hear them.
Audio resumed for her swearing in by Magisterial District Judge Craig Stephens.
The commissioner appointment was the only item on the agenda for the special meeting.