A current State College Area School Board member will seek election to College Township Council this year.
Democrat Gretchen Brandt, a 20-year resident of College Township, announced on Monday that she will run for one of the two council seats up for election in 2025.
“I look forward to advocating for sustainable practices and fiscal responsibility in the many decisions that will come before Council in the next four years,” Brandt said in a statement. “I also look forward to actively engaging with the residents of College Township.”
Brandt has served on the State College Area School Board for the last 10 years, winning election to three terms. During that time, she said, she has been an outspoken supporter of sustainable practices and fiscal responsibility.
She added that she understands “that it is the responsibility of local governments to make sure that development decisions support the long-term health and safety of our community for our families, our environment, and our budget.”
Brandt has served as vice president of the school board and is the school district’s liaison to the Centre Region Council of Governments. In her role with the COG, she currently serves on the Parks Authority Committee, the Climate Action and Sustainability Committee and the Parks Governance Committee. She also has chaired the intergovernmental Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) Working Group.
“It would be my honor to serve our township, and I am committed to making it the best community in Pennsylvania,” Brandt said.
Brandt’s current school board term runs through 2027. She would step down from the board at the end of this year only if elected to College Township Council, she said.
She will begin circulating petitions for nomination on Tuesday.
The last day to circulate and file nomination petitions is March 11, and the primary election is May 20.
The two College Township Council seats up for election this year are currently held by Democrats Eric Bernier and Dustin Best.
