This year, with only 4 available Board of Education openings, and 5 talented community members seeking election, the ELDTC had to ask ourselves “Do we have a primary and endorse only four?” But we felt, with all being highly qualified, that the excess of interest is good news… and what the democratic process is all about. So we chose to leave it to the voters. Make sure your voice is heard and vote Tuesday, 11/7!

Jill Carini

For Board of Education

Jill Carini and her family have lived in East Lyme for 38 years, and has held public office for close to 30 of them. Her service started on the Board of Assessment Appeals, before progressing to the Board of Education. Jill works in the Financial Services industry as a Mortgage Broker, and on the Board has been an unfailing advocate for teachers, students, and parents. She values transparency, and supports public engagement in the school board process.

She is married with a daughter who was educated in East Lyme Schools and was a volunteer for the Lillie B. Haynes PTA for which she served as treasurer for three years. She is a natural cheerleader for education systems and seeks to continue her advocacy plus, as a veteran BOE member, offer the institutional knowledge to provide critical context to long-term issues.

Esteban Garcia

For Board of Education

A first-generation immigrant to the USA, Esteban Garcia is passionate about serving his community, and is a champion of the transformative potential of education. He was appointed to the Board of Ed. in 2022 and seeks to return. Professionally, he works in Finance & Administration at Southern Connecticut State University, where he also teaches an academic success seminar for struggling students. Previously, he worked for 10+ years in the banking industry where he honed his skills in financial analysis and budgeting.

Esteban is also a Board member of several non-profits which strive to enhance educational accessibility and funding: Connecticut Students for a Dream, Connecticut Association of Latinos in Higher Education (CALAHE), and the Southeastern Connecticut Organization for Racial Equity (SCORE). Esteban is a parent to two students at Flanders Elementary and is married to a long-time teacher at East Lyme High School. As such, his aim is to support teachers and students, maintain the high standards and reputation of East Lyme schools, and to increase its recognition as one of the town’s economic drivers.

Steve Luber

For Board of Education

Steve Luber has been a teacher and administrator in higher education for almost 20 years. He is a PhD and the Acting Director for the Ammerman Center for Arts & Technology at Connecticut College where his work involves history, new technologies, and performance. Steve and his family moved to East Lyme in 2019 to be a part of a vibrant community that supports education and the arts, and feels his recent arrival would allow him to bring added experience and fresh perspective.

Steve is a strong advocate for academic freedom, teacher and staff compensation, and supporting diversity within the community through curriculum, programming, and services. His two children both attend Niantic Center School. Steve also serves on the Board of the East Lyme Library, and you can often find him perusing offerings at the Book Barn or Tumbleweeds, and caffeinating at many of the fine Main Street establishments.

Vivek Purohit

For Board of Education

Vivek Purohit and his family have been residents of East Lyme for the last 15+ years. He holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo and is a Drug Development Scientist at Pfizer. Vivek seeks to join the Board of Education because he believes the East Lyme School System is the best in the region but has the potential to provide even more growth and development opportunities, particularly to its middle and high school students. He also sees that not all improvements require added funding, and sees these insights as a primary value he can bring if elected. His only son is a thoroughbred Viking (Class of 2023) and benefitted from the excellent East Lyme Schools.

Vivek’s passion for East Lyme and its school system inspired him to get involved in volunteer town governance which is how he came to join the 2022 Charter Revision Commission. He is running to add his broad scientific training, critical thinking, and objective decision making skills to the Board of Education.

Cate Steel

For Board of Education

Cate Steel spent her career working as a speech pathologist in multiple school systems and seeks to continue her service to the Board of Education and to leverage her knowledge and tenacity for the benefit of students in East Lyme. She is an artist, gardener, survivor, and host and producer of her own Community Access television show “Stories Worth Telling”. Cate’s priority is giving a voice to those unheard, whether that be students, teachers, aides, or administrators. In 2020, Cate ran for State Representative for the 37th District. She won East Lyme but a narrow loss in Salem to Holly Cheeseman denied her the seat.