Magda Byrne
Magda is honored to be endorsed by the Lansdowne Democrats to represent Lansdowne residents for another term on Borough Council. She can’t believe the first four years went by so quickly!
During her first term Magda has had the opportunity to be involved in many different projects in Lansdowne. Some of those include the replacement of metal domes with a self-sustaining donation box at the Highland Avenue parking lot; the annual partnership with Comcast for Comcast Cares Day (now entering its third year) to help beautify the borough; last spring’s InsideOut outdoor art installment, coordinated with the Philadelphia Museum of Art; the launch of the plaza pilot program in collaboration with Infrastructure, which will establish a central gathering area and community space in the heart of the downtown business district; the successful liaison relationship with the Lansdowne Public Library and the William Penn School District and the successful passing of a resolution that affirms the value of all citizens.
If elected for a second term, Magda pledges to help create more robust programming that benefits all residents of Lansdowne. She would also like to continue the collaborative effort with the many fantastic local organizations to build a thriving, vibrant and welcoming community.
This year marks 11 years that Magda and her husband Kenny have lived in Lansdowne. Although they arrived at this borough completely by chance, they are so thankful that they did. Magda looks forward to the opportunity to continue to give back to the Lansdowne community!
Janet English
Janet English is running for reelection for Lansdowne Borough Council. She has served on council for the past eight years. She is recently retired and has lived in Lansdowne for over 20 years.
Her journey into community service began on the Lansdowne Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary in support the Lansdowne Fire Company. Janet then served on the Lansdowne Library board which as a frequent user of the library, was an easy decision. Her next step in 2011 was to run for a seat on Lansdowne Borough Council.
During her current term on council Janet has considered it a privileged to chair the public safety committee. She and her committee have worked with the police department to add a K-9 officer to enhance the current police force. They also worked with the fire department to replace two older fire trucks with new ones. In addition the committee was able to show PennDOT that the intersection of Marshall Road and Owen Avenue was a dangerous intersection with numerous accidents. Along with Lansdowne’s State Representative Davidson in cooperation with Upper Darby Township and stop signs and flashing lights were installed. This has dramatically decreased the number of accidents and the severity.
Janet agrees with Jane Harbert the new superintendent of the William Penn School District who recently stated that it takes more than one person to help a child succeed. This is true for our borough as well. Janet feels that having good staff, a vision for the future, fiscal responsibility and the many groups of volunteers in Lansdowne is what makes the Borough great.
Wardell Holt
As a fourteen year resident of the borough, Wardell believes that Lansdowne has given him and his family the opportunity to be safe, secure, and prosperous. He wants to help all his neighbors do the same for themselves and their families.
Born, raised, and educated in Philadelphia, Wardell understands and has experienced the challenges with which our communities are faced. He has experienced first-hand a neighborhood dealing with fiscal, social, and infrastructure challenges, while struggling to maintain the neighborhood’s character.
After earning his MBA from Drexel University in 1999, Wardell traveled for work as a consulting firm executive. He was home only Friday through Sunday while his hero, his wife, held down the fort with their now seventeen year old son and ten year old daughter. In the last couple of years, he started a new position with a new company, no travel required, and it is time to give back to the place that welcomed him and his family so long ago.
In his professional life, Wardell is an experienced problem-solver. Delivering innovative solutions for clients is what he does. It is his passion. He now wants to bring that same passion, that same drive, and that same set of results to the place he lives and loves so much.
Within the team of Democratic Committee endorsed candidates in Lansdowne Borough, he would like to continue the work that has kept Lansdowne a place to learn, a place to grow, and a place to live his life, and yours to the fullest.
Michael Schleigh
Mike Schleigh, more commonly known as “Violet’s Dad” is currently the President of Lansdowne Borough Council. He was first appointed to the Council in March of 2009 and has since been re-elected. Mike also served as an Auditor and representative to the local sewer authority for his borough.
He is an Eagle Scout, a Free Mason, and a Shriner who believes in charity and good citizenship. He has lived in Lansdowne for over a decade. You may have seen him and his daughter on the various ball fields or checking out the Farmers Market.
Since he was first elected, Mike was instrumental in starting Lansdowne’s National Night Out program and started the most recent incarnation of the Neighborhood Watch Program. Under his leadership, Borough Council supported the recent ballot initiative (which was strongly supported by the voters) to allow the issuance of a Performing Arts Center liquor license to the Historic Lansdowne Theater. He believes that this will be a successful venue and help revitalize our central business district. Mike also supported the effort to use the downtown business district to host the Lansdowne Arts on the Avenue Festival last fall.
Presently Mike is spearheading the consideration of new zoning and public health ordinance changes to help the Borough deal with issues arising out of the opioid addiction that plagues our region. He is a well established trial attorney and a solicitor for another southeastern Delaware County borough, and uses this experience to help examine proposed ordinances and programs particularly from a risk assessment and legal point of view.