Candidates appear on this page in the order they will appear on the ballot.
We invite the public to attend our Meet the Candidates night on Wednesday, May 8th at 6:00pm at Troy Middle School. Candidates will be asked a few questions that have been submitted by the public ahead of time via Google Form. Access the Google Form here to submit a question: https://forms.gle/KdGvLeYbWJGwgVxbA. Submission of a question via the form does not guarantee your question will be asked. The deadline for question submissions is Tuesday, May 7th at 4:00pm.
Elizabeth Poleto (Incumbent)
Elizabeth Poleto has served on the Board of Education since 2012, previously in the position as parliamentarian and serving on the district’s Audit committee. Mrs. Poleto is a graduate of Catholic Central High School and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University at Albany. She is currently a stay at home mom, while pursuing her Masters in Speech Pathology from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Mrs. Poleto was previously employed as a compliance specialist of New York State Industries for the Disabled, a medical claims adjuster for Progressive Insurance, and a cancer registrar at Samaritan Hospital. She enjoys volunteering for the Colon Cancer Challenge, Relay for Life and at the Double H Ranch. She resides in Troy with her husband, Bob, their four-year-old son, Bobby and two-year-old daughter, Laura.
Davina Mayo-Dunham
Davina Mayo-Dunham is a graduate of Troy High School. She attended Siena College for her bachelor’s degree and the College of Saint Rose earning her masters degree in social work. Ms. Mayo-Dunham is currently employed at Siena College as Program Coordinator and Adjunct Professor in the BSW Program and previously worked as a school social worker for the Troy City School District. At Siena, she serves on many committees such as Engage for Change, Project HOPE Task Force, Women in Leadership, Re-Imaging Damietta Task Force, Black Student Union and the Community of Color Network. Ms. Mayo-Dunham also volunteers her time with the Juvenile Accountability Board and the Black and Latino Achiever group.
Donald Miller (Incumbent)
Donny Miller is finishing his first term as a Board of Education Member and is seeking re-election to his second term. He was born and raised in the city of Troy, and is a product of the Troy School system. He is a 2008 graduate of Troy High School and spoke at graduation as the Gross Medal Award recipient. He received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from SUNY ESC. Mr. Miller is currently the Director of Employee Relations at the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, where he was formerly a senior analyst. He has volunteered his time to the Chas Tangredi Foundation, Equinox Thanksgiving Community Dinner Prep, the Ronald McDonald House Foundation, the Regional Food Bank, City Mission and the Leukemia Lymphoma Society (LLS). Mr. Miller and his wife, Shannen, have two daughters, one of whom is in 2nd Grade at School 18 and the other who is in the UPK-4 program at School 12. In his free time, Mr. Miller enjoys running, taking the dogs for walks and spending time with his family.
Joshua Chiappone
Joshua Chiappone is a lifelong resident of Troy and a proud 2004 Troy High School graduate. For college he remained in the city he was passionate about, Troy, attending RPI where he earned his BS in Business Management. He is currently employed by Engineered Building Systems as an HVAC Account Executive and was employed with Johnson Controls, Inc. as a Sales Engineer and Sales Manager. Mr. Chiappone is a committee member for Troy Little Italy Quality of Life, Troy Industrial Development Authority, and Troy Zoning Committee. In his free time, he is an All American Sports and Recreation Flag Football Coach and also a Twin Town Little League Coach. Mr. Chiappone and his wife, Kathryn, have three children; JJ, who attends School 16, Madeline, who is in the UPK-3 program at Sacred Heart and Leo, all of which he looks forward to being the next generation of Flying Horses.
Matthew Flowers, Jr. (Incumbent)
Matthew Flowers, Jr. is running for his third term on the Board of Education. He has served on the district’s Safety, Equity and Audit committees as well as on the statewide committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Mr. Flowers is a lifelong resident of Troy and graduate of Troy High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from the University at Albany. Mr. Flowers is employed by Excelsior College and previously worked at Parsons Child and Family Center as well as TRIP, Inc. He is currently a board member for OurCore INC., a non-profit organization dedicated to serving marginalized youth in Newburgh, New York. In the past, Mr. Flowers was a board member of the Troy Boys and Girls Club and an inductee of the TBGC Hall of Fame. He hosted a radio show on WRPI for 22 years. Mr. Flowers has a son enrolled at Troy Schools and two daughters who graduated from Troy High School
Kenneth Mayfield
Kenneth Mayfield is a community member of Troy. He attended HVCC, SUNY Empire State College and Russell Sage College where he earned his Masters in Professional School Counseling. Mr. Mayfield has a unique blend of nine years in education, currently as a school counselor, and previously as a Special Education TA, In-School Suspension (ISS) Teacher, Paraprofessional. He was also employed as a Package Handler Non-DOT – Federal Express, and an Architectural Services and Documentation Intern at Davis Brody Bond LLP. In his free time, Mr. Mayfield volunteers at the YMCA. He is committed to ensuring that every child, without expectation, has the resources and support they need to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.