Nominating District G

Term Start: July 1, 2022

 

Mr. Patton is a retired educator after serving many years in the Christina School District. He began his career in education, teaching at John Dickinson and Christiana High Schools. In 2000, he was appointed as the assistant principal at George V. Kirk Middle School. Mr. Patton later served as principal of Kirk Middle School and The Bayard School. Before retiring in 2019, his career brought him to the Christina District office to serve as Supervisor of Student Services. He has received numerous certificates and awards for community service, athletics, coaching, and volunteering in his community.

Mr. Patton also served as President of the Delaware Academy of Public Safety and Security Charter School Board and Vice-chair of Las Americas Aspira Academy Board of Directors. Mr. Patton has earned degrees from Delaware State University and Wilmington University and served in the United States Army.

Alethea Smith-Tucker

Vice President

Nominating District A

Term Start: August 1, 2020
Term Expires: June 30, 2025

Phone: 302-552-2630

Mrs. Smith-Tucker is a wife, mother and passionate education advocate.  A native of Decatur, GA, she has lived in Wilmington, DE, for 24 years with her husband, Gerald Tucker, and two young children.  Over the last 10 years, Smith-Tucker has worked with organizations such as The Parent Advocacy Council for Education (PACE), Wilmington Early Education Readiness Team, Christina School District - Parents as Teachers, and Mom's House of Wilmington, fighting for a quality education that serves all students. Through these experiences, she has helped to empower parents to use their voice as a tool for change.  As the owner of a small business, Help U Produce, LLC, a business consultancy and coaching firm, she uses her years of corporate experience to help organizations improve operations and performance.  Smith-Tucker's professional experience spans throughout the corporate industry including MBNA, JPMorgan, Nemours, and Banker's Life. 

Nominating District F

Term Start: July 1, 2021

Phone: 302-552-2630

Dr. Naveed Baqir, is a systems architect, software engineer, and community activist. He served as a public elementary school teacher during the late 1990s and has taught at the University of Delaware and other universities. Dr. Baqir came from humble beginnings where even basic schooling needs such as a classroom, a chair, and a desk were not available to him until junior high. However, he completed high school with distinction, and after earning graduate degrees in Technology Management in 2004 and Business Administration in 2005 from Eastern Illinois University, he earned his Ph.D. in Information Systems from the University of North Carolina in 2009.

Dr. Baqir is the first immigrant American and Asian American member of the board and is looking forward to fostering community connections that are needed to involve students, teachers, parents and communities in the educational process.

• Board Representative, DSBA Board of Directors 
• Board Representative, Friends of Christina School District (FOCSD)

Y.F. Lou is a parent of two children who are currently attending West Park Place Elementary School. He is a public health professional with a passion for improving the health outcomes of his community. He currently works in the Delaware Health Department, where he focuses on improving the quality of healthcare for the most vulnerable in our long-term care facilities. He started his career in the Delaware Health Department as a public health officer.

Y.F. is a graduate of the New Castle County Firefighter Academy and a volunteer firefighter in Newark, Delaware since 2012. He is also a licensed real estate agent, and a concert violinist for almost 20 years. He is passionate about spending time with his children and is committed to ensuring that all students have access to a quality education.

Y.F. attended and graduated from the Cape Henlopen School District in Lewes, Delaware. He graduated from the University of Delaware as an undergraduate and attended both the University of Southern California and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health for his graduate degree in public health for patient safety and healthcare quality.

Douglas Manley

Douglas Danger Manley is a software engineer who specializes in bridging gaps and bringing teams together so that everyone can be more productive and spend less time on monotonous tasks.  That's not all that exciting, so he also became a volunteer firefighter in 2013 with Mill Creek Fire Company.  He's put out fires, rescued cats from trees (and roofs), helped members of the public in need, and everything in between.  When he's not working, you can find him running at one of the state parks at lunchtime or playing Ultimate Frisbee on Fridays.

Nominating District B

Term Start: July 1, 2021
Term Expires: June 30, 2026

Nominating District D

Term Start: July 1, 2024

Phone: 

Dr. Trauth is a dedicated educator and mother of two, with one child graduating from Newark High School and the other from Middletown High School. With 20 years of experience in education, she has taught middle and high school science and has worked closely with K-12 teachers and administrators throughout Delaware. Dr. Trauth holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Indiana University-Bloomington.