Matthew Jay Lane, Esq., District 1
Term expires: November 2028

Assistant: Kristina Doctor
Phone: 561-434-8038
matthew.lane@palmbeachschools.org
kristina.doctor@palmbeachschools.org 

Matthew Jay Lane, Esq. is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Emory University and a graduate of Northwestern University School of Law. Subsequent to law school, Mr. Lane was selected to serve as a law clerk to the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

He is a past Council Member of the City of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida and has served on the Board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Palm Beach County, as legal counsel to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, as a Board Member of the Anti Defamation League, and as Chair of the Palm Beach County Bar Association Marital and Family Law Committee for four (4) terms. Matt has also served on the Board of the North County Neighborhood Coalition and the Palm Beach Gardens Parks & Recreation Advisory Board. He is a member of the Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce Education Committee.

Matthew Lane is a divorce and family law attorney at the Lane Law Firm, P.A.

He is married to the love of his life, Susan, and they are very proud of their son, Stephen.

Virginia Savietto, District 2
Term expires: November 2028

Assistant: Tina Senior
Phone: 561-434-7481
virginia.savietto@palmbeachschools.org
martener.senior@palmbeachschools.org

Virginia Savietto was born in Argentina and moved to Florida with her parents when she was 13 years old, and has lived in Palm Beach County for more than 35 years. She has won numerous national and local awards for her excellence in creativity and leadership. 

Ms. Savietto served the residents of Palm Beach County through the Board of County Commissioners for more than 19 years, building healthy working relationships with a wide spectrum of departments, divisions, and agencies. Previously, Ms. Savietto was an adult ESOL teacher at Lake Worth Community High School. 

Thanks to her passion for improving communities, she has helped mobilize diverse groups to raise awareness of the various services and resources available to people in need. She currently serves on various boards and committees in the community. Her ultimate goal is to build an inclusive, equitable school system where every child has the opportunity to succeed and where parents feel engaged and empowered.

Ms. Savietto is a graduate of Lake Worth High. She holds two Bachelor of Science degrees: Graphic Design and Legal Studies, as well as a Master of Arts degree in Project Management, Business and Marketing. She has a 13-year-old son named Luca and a dachshund named Mikey. In her time off she enjoys being outdoors and spending time with Luca, family, and friends.

Karen Brill, District 3,  (Board Chair)
Term expires: November 2026

Assistant: Kristina Doctor
Phone: 561-434-8038
karen.brill@palmbeachschools.org
kristina.doctor@palmbeachschools.org 

Born in the Bronx and raised in New York’s Rockland County, Ms. Brill has resided in unincorporated Boynton Beach for more than 32 years. Elected to the Palm Beach County School Board in November 2010, Ms. Brill has been actively involved in public education locally and at the state level for more than 28 years, most notably as an advocate for students with disabilities.

Ms. Brill is a 2020 graduate and lifetime member of Leadership Florida. She is also a graduate of Florida’s Partners in Policymaking, served six years on the State Advisory for the Education of Exceptional Students, chaired the Palm Beach County School District’s ESE Advisory Committee, and served five years as President of the Exceptional Student Education Coalition of Palm Beach County. She has also served on the School Advisory Committees at Morikami Park Elementary School, Odyssey Middle School, and Park Vista Community High School.

In 2002, at the successful conclusion of a federal complaint against the state of Florida regarding the FCAT, Ms. Brill received a gubernatorial appointment to the FCAT Blue Ribbon Task Force. She later assisted in the creation of legislation that enables students with disabilities to obtain a standard high school diploma by demonstrating mastery of the state requirements and helped write the District’s Inclusion Plan for students with disabilities.

Currently, Ms. Brill serves on the Board of Directors of the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County and serves as a member of the Palm Beach County Community Alliance. She serves as a delegate on the Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations (COBWRA) and is a member of the COBWRA Growth Management and Education Committees. Additional memberships include the Florida School Board Association, Realtors Association Broward/Palm Beaches/St. Lucie, Forum Club of the Palm Beaches, Economic Forum of Palm Beach County, BIZPAC, League of Women Voters, National Council of Jewish Women, Hadassah and Palm Beach County NOW.

Ms. Brill graduated summa cum laude from Palm Beach Atlantic College with a Bachelor of Science in Organization Management and received her Master of Business Administration from Palm Beach Atlantic University. She has an extensive and diverse business background, having worked at RCA Records and later for Malcolm S. Forbes in New York. Upon moving to Florida, she worked in Private Wealth Management for Deutsche Bank (Legacy Bankers Trust), spent a year as Executive Aide to Clerk and Comptroller Sharon R. Bock, and then joined Richard S. Bernstein & Associates as Director of Business Development and Marketing. Following her election to the School Board, Ms. Brill embarked on a successful new career in real estate and is an award-winning Realtor/Broker Associate with The Keyes Company.

Erica Whitfield, District 4
Term expires: November 2026

Assistant: Angela Santacruz
Phone: 561-434-8139
erica.whitfield@palmbeachschools.org
angela.santacruz@palmbeachschools.org

Erica Whitfield has always wanted to make a difference in peoples’ lives, especially the lives of children. In 2014, she ran for a seat on the School Board in order to better serve her community and all the children of Palm Beach County. In November of 2014, she was elected to the Palm Beach County School Board for District 4.

Ms. Whitfield is a native Floridian with a passion for the community, and the health, achievement, and success of children. She attended the University of Florida where she received a Bachelor of Health Science degree. She went on to earn a Master of Public Health degree from Emory University.

Prior to her service on the School Board, Ms. Whitfield worked at the Palm Beach County Health Department, where she focused on chronic disease education and community partnerships. Ms. Whitfield continued her career at the School District of Palm Beach County serving as the project coordinator for the Robert Wood Johnson, “Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities” grant and a wellness coordinator for the School Food Service department. She worked to bring about policy and environmental changes to make our students healthier.

Since becoming a School Board member, Ms. Whitfield has championed public health issues. She worked to implement the first policy requiring Hands-Only CPR to be taught to every student before graduation. For the past several years, she has served as the Chair of the United Way’s Childhood Hunger Action Committee – Childhood Subcommittee, and implemented Backpack and Food Pantry programs throughout the District, bringing in many community partners. She is championing improved academic success at private early learning centers in Lake Worth and Delray Beach through Community Collaborative sponsored by the Early Learning Coalition. She is building connections between the principals and the City Commission in Lake Worth through the Education Advisory Board and at City Commission meetings. She serves on the American Heart Association Palm Beach County Market Board, the PBC Homeless Advisory Board, the Early Learning Coalition, the Greater Florida Consortium of School Boards, Pine Jog Board of Directors and is a member of Leadership Florida, Leadership Palm Beach County and the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches. Ms. Whitfield lives in Lake Worth Beach with her husband and two children, one of whom is a current student in our schools and a younger child who is a future student.

Gloria Branch, District 5
Term expires: November 2028

Assistant: Kristina Doctor
Phone: 561-434-8038
gloria.branch@palmbeachschools.org
kristina.doctor@palmbeachschools.org 

A native Floridian and resident of Boca Raton since 1983, Ms. Branch has been involved with the Palm Beach County School District for 40 years. Ms. Branch attended Boca Raton Community High School then went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Florida Atlantic University. 

She is the past Chair of the FAU National Alumni Board of Directors, a past board member of the FAU Foundation Board of Directors, as well as the Fuller Center for underprivileged children. She has also been involved with numerous non-profit organizations over the past 35 years. 

Ms. Branch had a career in banking, business development, and project management that spanned more than 35 years. Most recently, she worked as a substitute teacher for two years gaining valuable knowledge from being in the classroom almost every day. She served on the Spanish River Community High School PTSA Board and SAC Committee.

Ms. Branch is focused on ensuring fiscal responsibility in the District in addition to ensuring that all kids can read, write, and count, getting back to the basic fundamentals. Her other areas of focus include K-12 education preparing students for life through college preparatory classes and/or career academies for workplace readiness programs, as well as the safety and security of our schools. 

Marcia Andrews, District 6, (Board Vice Chair)
Term expires: November 2026

Assistant: Angela Santacruz
Phone: 561-434-8139
marcia.andrews@palmbeachschools.org
angela.santacruz@palmbeachschools.org

On November 2, 2010, Marcia Andrews was elected to serve on the Palm Beach County School Board for District 6 and was reelected in 2014, 2018 and 2022. 

As a School Board member, her focus is on student academics and personal achievement. She works closely with the Superintendent and the School Board to assure policies are in place that meets the needs for our students’ success. 

Mrs. Andrews is actively involved with the Educational Advisory Boards in the communities of District 6. She visits schools and is available to assist regional superintendents, principals, teachers and staff. She is always available to assist parents. As of 2012, she established a School Board Members’ satellite office in the Glades Region and School Board meetings are simulcast from there as well. 

Her work with the School Board is highlighted by the approval of the School Board to build three new schools for the Glades Region. Gove Elementary School opened August 2013, Glade View Elementary School and Rosenwald Elementary School opened in August 2015. 

She established the Glades Career Readiness Roundtable (GCRR), a group of business leaders, non-profit organizations, parents, community leaders, and educational institutions formed to meet the academic and career needs of students and adults. GCRR has secured over $2 million of funding for needed programs in the Glades Region, including pre-apprentice programs at West Technical Educational Center. She stays connected with businesses in District 6 with memberships in the following Chambers' of Commerce: Central Palm Beach County, Wellington, Belle Glade and Pahokee. 

Mrs. Andrews has and continues to hold leadership roles in education, community, social, and civic organizations. She has received numerous honors from many groups for her work. She currently serves on the Board of Palm Beach County Communities in Schools, Take Stock in Children, PBC Criminal Justice Commission, Equality Florida LGBTQ+ Advisory Board, Glades Tri-Cities Education Board, HCA Florida Palms West Hospital Board of Trustees, US Selective Service Board, and is Chair of the Council of the Great City Schools’ Board of Directors. She is a former member of Florida School Boards Association (FSBA) Board of Directors and former Chair of FSBA Equity Committee. She is also a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority and Payne Chapel A.M.E. Church. 

Mrs. Andrews is a dedicated professional with 49 years’ experience as an educator and as a School Board Member in Palm Beach County School District. Her passion for helping others led her to the field of teaching at the middle school level. Through the years, she has served as an assistant principal, principal, director, and chief officer of human resources. Mrs. Andrews has been instrumental in recruiting thousands of employees to the Palm Beach County School District. After retirement, she started volunteering in the community and later founded her company, Up Front Consulting, LLC. 

She grew up in Palm Beach County and graduated from the Historic Roosevelt High School. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Florida Atlantic University and a Masters in Administration and Supervision from Nova Southeastern University. She enjoyed teaching her students and worked hard to make sure they were successful. She wants to continue to be a change agent for building better school and community relations. 

Mrs. Andrews has been married to Robert Andrews for 53 years and has one daughter, a teacher, and five grandchildren. She has been a resident of the western communities for 39 years. She enjoys tennis, exercising, speed walking, and taking care of her two best fur friends, Piper and Dinky.

Edwin Ferguson, District 7
Term expires: November 2026

Assistant: Tina Senior
Phone: 561-434-7481
edwin.ferguson@palmbeachschools.org
martener.senior@palmbeachschools.org

Edwin Ferguson is the Founder and President of The Ferguson Firm in Riviera Beach, FL. The firm opened in 2005, just months after Mr. Ferguson graduated from the Barry University School of Law. Over the course of his career, Mr. Ferguson has honed his advocacy skills by fighting for the rights of persons injured due to the acts of others and also by fighting to defend the rights of persons who have been accused of committing criminal acts.

Mr. Ferguson's passion for the law is partly due to his desire to help others injured as a result of the wrongful acts of others. Days before Thanksgiving in 2002, Mr. Ferguson's mother, Abby, died in an automobile accident that was caused by the reckless acts of another motorist. Mr. Ferguson has taken the pain of his mother's loss and turned it into a never-ending source of energy and focus to be utilized in addressing the needs of his clients and the community.

A licensed attorney in Florida and Maryland, Mr. Ferguson's practice is primarily focused in the areas of personal injury and real estate, with a small segment of his practice reserved to handle select criminal cases. Mr. Ferguson is a member of the Palm Beach County Bar Association and F. Malcolm Cunningham Bar Association.

Mr. Ferguson gives back to the community through the presentation of his “Know Your Rights - Navigating Police Encounters” seminar that he has held throughout Palm Beach County since 2012. Alongside his service within the community, Mr. Ferguson currently serves as the Board Member for District 7 with the School District of Palm Beach County. As a product of Palm Beach County, he attended Lincoln Elementary School, Bear Lakes Middle School, and graduated from Suncoast High School.

When he's not fighting for the rights of his clients or performing public services for the community, Mr. Ferguson spends his time with his wife (Keli) their two children (Xavier and Abby), the family’s French bull dog (Zeus), reading, exercising, and rooting for his beloved Miami Dolphins and Miami Heat.

Isabella Mirisola, Student Representative
Dr. Joaquin Garcia High School
Term expires: May 2025