Marci Handwerk Piescienski of Germansville and Jim Warfel of New Tripoli have announced their intentions to seek election to the Northwestern Lehigh School Board.

Both candidates have cross-filed for the Democratic and Republican ballots.

They will coordinate their campaigns in support of quality schools in a quality community.

Piescienski is a lifelong resident of the Northwestern Lehigh community.

She is a 1988 graduate of Northwestern Lehigh High School and a 1993 graduate of Kutztown University, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree in accounting.

She has remained active in the community with organizations such as Girls on the Run and Northwestern Elementary Fit Kids club, and has also led various adult fitness classes as part of the Northwestern Community Education Program.

Additionally, she says her involvement with the Northwestern Professional Development and Act 48 Committees allows her a unique understanding of the changes in education and within the Northwestern Lehigh School District.

Professionally, she has been a corporate accountant, payroll administrator and assistant asset management coordinator.

Currently, Piescienski is employed as an instructional assistant at Northwestern Lehigh Middle School and is an active board member of Sons of a Carpenter mission group.

She has one daughter, also a Northwestern graduate, two sons, both students in the high school, and a grandson in the Northwestern Elementary.

Warfel is a retired educator, who has served as a special-education teacher and supervisor.

He was employed in the Northwestern School District for 15 years as the curriculum coordinator/assistant superintendent and as the first principal of Northwestern Middle School.

He also served as a middle school principal and pupil services director in South Brunswick, N.J.

His career included adjunct faculty positions at Penn State Great Valley and Lehigh University.

Warfel earned a Doctorate in special education administration from Temple University, a Master’s degree in special education from the College of New Jersey and a Bachelor’s Degree in political science and secondary education from LaSalle University.

Warfel is an active member of the Lynn Heidelberg Historical Society and is a board member at the Lehigh Valley Community Music School.

He volunteers at the Christ’s Church at Lowhill Food Pantry.

Warfel and his wife, Mary, have been residents of Lynn Township for 11 years.

Their two sons, their spouses and five children live in the Lehigh Valley.

Warfel is an Army veteran who served in the Vietnam War.