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What’s the job: Sets policy, hires the school system superintendent and approves the district budget. Some boards are fully elected, some are fully appointed and some are a blend of both. Terms vary by district.
Name: Sharon Creed
Candidate did not respond to The Banner’s voter guide questionnaire.
Name: Brett DiResta
Age: 55
Personal: A 20 year Montgomery County resident, retired Little League baseball coach, married with 3 kids.
Education: B.A., Political Science, University of Michigan
M.A., Political Leadership, University of San Francisco
Experience: President and CEO, The Maccabee Group, Democratic Political Consulting Firm, 1999-Present
Board Member, Nominating Committee for the Board of Trustees of Montgomery College, 2025-presentAdjunct Professor, George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management, 2011-PresentAdjunct Professor, University of San Francisco, Graduate Program, 2018-PresentAdjunct Professor, joint class between the University of San Francisco DC program and the University of Michigan DC program, 2024-PresentPartner and Founder, Democracy Partners, Multi-partner Political Consulting Firm, 2011-2024President and CEO, Big House Communications, Public Relations and Communications Firm, 2006-2011Research Director, Schumer for Senate, 1998Legislative Assistant, Office of Congressman Chuck Schumer, 1997
Questionnaire
Name: Andrew Frykman
Candidate did not respond to The Banner’s voter guide questionnaire.
Name: Sally McCarthy
Age: 55
Personal: I was born in Silver Spring, raised in North Potomac and live in Chevy Chase. I’m a proud graduate of Wootton, daughter of MCPS teachers, married to an MCPS grad and mom of two recent grads. I”m personally and professionally committed to public education and our local schools.
Education: I hold a BA Government & Politics, MA & PhD Education Policy from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Experience: I have over 25 years experience as an education policy professional and community volunteer. I have worked in the private and nonprofit sectors as a consultant, analyst and researcher. Most importantly to the BOE role, I have a deep knowledge and understanding of MCPS budgets and oversight structure. I am a former PTA President, MCCPTA Board member and Budget Chair and have built a connected network of school community leaders across Montgomery County. For the past three years, I have collaborated successfully with MCPS central staff, community volunteers and school leaders to launch and facilitate school-based construction and safety workgroups. I possess both the professional knowledge and community-based engagement experience to bring the energy and expertise needed to serve as a BOE member. I want to help right the big ship that is MCPS because all students and staff deserve safe and supported school buildings and classrooms, everyday.
Questionnaire
Name: Cassandra “Cassi” Sung
Age: 39
Personal: I’m Cassi Sung, a wife, mom, and professional rooted in Montgomery County. My husband Kevin and I are preparing to send our daughter into MCPS this August, which means this school system isn’t an abstraction for me. It’s personal.
I’ve spent my career managing complex systems, bringing people together around shared goals, and translating data into decisions that actually improve outcomes. That same approach drives my candidacy. I want a school board that listens, acts with intention, and builds the kind of schools every family deserves.
Outside of work, I’m involved in community advocacy through the Chamber of Mothers and am deeply connected to Montgomery County’s diverse families, including those in the LGBTQ+ community through my own. This community is my home, and this board seat is how I show up for it.
Education: B.A., Business Administration (Minor: Communication) — Lycoming College, Williamsport, PA
Lycoming is a small liberal arts college where I was deeply involved in campus life. I served in Student Senate, rising to Vice President and then President my senior year. That leadership role opened doors beyond the classroom: I sat on the college’s reaccreditation committee, participated in presidential candidate interviews, and presented directly to the Board of Trustees. It was my first real experience understanding how institutions work from the inside, and it shaped how I think about governance ever since.
Experience: I’ve spent nearly a decade helping large, complex organizations make better decisions through data, technology, and people-centered leadership. In my current role at Eversheds Sutherland, a global law firm with thousands of lawyers across dozens of offices worldwide, I oversee systems and analytics infrastructure supporting lawyers and business professionals across the firm. Before that, I advised organizations nationwide on how to implement new technology, manage change, and build cultures where people actually use the tools available to them.
That experience translates directly to a school board. MCPS is a large, complex institution. It needs leaders who understand how systems work, how to hold vendors and partners accountable, and how to turn data into decisions that serve real people.
I’m also a Lean Six Sigma certified professional, trained in process improvement and operational efficiency. I bring that same mindset to everything I do, including community work. I currently co-facilitate the Chamber of Mothers DC Area Chapter and previously led a Lean In DC circle, because changing systems starts with supporting the people inside them.
