Note: The following news release was submitted to Saucon Source by Saucon Valley School Board candidate Scott Babashak, who is cross-filed to run in the primary election. A total of eight candidates–including two incumbents–are running for four open seats on the board.
Scott Babashak resides in Saucon Valley and has been a Lehigh Valley resident since late 2000, when he moved here for a reporting job at WFMZ-TV in Allentown, after a 10-year career in broadcast production in New York City.
Babashak previously worked at WNBC and NBC Sports, and also executive produced and hosted career programs for PBS affiliates WNYT in New York and NJTV in New Jersey.
After meeting his future wife, and fellow broadcaster Liz Keptner, the two were married in the Valley. They moved for a short while to Sacramento to pursue positions at a Fox affiliate there. Their daughter Sophie was born in California and the Babashaks decided to move back home to be closer to family.
After returning in early 2005, Babashak moved on from broadcasting to a career in financial services. He is currently a Certified Financial Planner and President of GFP Investment Services Inc., a registered investment advisory firm specializing in employer retirement plan consulting and individual and family retirement planning.
Sophie Babashak attended St. Michael the Archangel School in Coopersburg from K-4 and in 2015 transferred to the Saucon Valley School District. After meeting with faculty and counselors, and conferring with friends who were long-time participants in the Saucon Valley schools, the Babashaks decided Saucon was an ideal setting for her education. Both parents are products of public schools in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and want to solidify connections to public schools as much as possible. It’s been years since Scott Babashak won a public school campaign—as High School Class President, Class of ’85, but he is excited to be back in the running for school board. A board seat should be more productive and meaningful.
Liz Keptner Babashak is currently a teacher and a faculty member at Penn State Lehigh Valley, and the couple’s daily conversations about student issues, both financial, educational and social, have emphasized to him how important it is to provide resources for all children.
Babashak says it goes without saying that recently the country, state and local communities have seen some of the most fascinating political events in recent history. That has been one of the motivators for a school board run. The focus is to facilitate common ground in the community around educational priorities.
Parents, teachers and taxpayers certainly need to be part of the discussion and need to be heard. This discussion, he says, should first and foremost be based on facts. That means presenting the facts in a public venue, analyzing and debating the information in a civil manner, and unbiased decision making; decision making that considers all children, from every economic background, ethnic background and educational level.
He says he is ready to dedicate time to understand the issues, listen to reasonable, fact based debating, and work with fellow board members to make decisions that include All Children First.
Babashak has served on Chamber of Commerce boards since 2010, chairing both Southern Lehigh and Bethlehem boards. He is currently on the Board of Governors and has helped to create several chamber events that focus on children’s education and well-being. The Babashaks served as spokesfamily at Da Vinci Science Center for several years, helping create instructive videos and facilitate family events and fundraising at one of the Lehigh Valley’s great STEM educational venues.
In this past presidential election, the Babashak family helped register voters on the Southside of Bethlehem and were active in the campaign.
He has coached his daughter Sophie’s youth soccer team for several years and assisted with the Saucon basketball league as well.
Both of Babashak’s careers, in journalism and financial services, have made it a point to gather facts and be informed, prepared and ready to stand up for and defend core principles of fairness and objectivity, as well as sensitivity and the ability to lead with both knowledge and heart.
