Pair of PSD board members announce reelection campaign

David Olson and Deborah Krishnadasan will seek reelection for the Peninsula School District’s Board of Directors this fall.

Olson will run to represent District 5 and Krishnadasan District 2. Both of their seats will be up for election on the General Election ballot Nov. 7.

Olson, a commercial banker, currently is finishing a four-year term. Krishnadasan has served for the past two years following a special election in 2015.

“(The Board has) accomplished some great things over the past few years such as the passage of Maintenance and Operations levy with a record percentage and the hiring of a new superintendent,” Olson said in a release. “We also created a cross-district partnership to prioritize legislative issues, and as we work with outstanding teachers, staff and parents, we continue to see increased academic achievement at all levels.”

Olson said current priorities are to address facility maintenance needs, classroom overcrowding and the need for a new school.

Krishnadasan, who has 15 years of experience working in the oil/gas and high-tech industries, said her service helped her gain a better understanding of students’ and teachers’ needs.

“The work the PSD Board and district are doing to provide the vision and the resources to our schools and community is encouraging,” she said. “I look forward to continued partnerships with board members, staff, teachers, parents and our community at large to further enhance the education we offer our students.”

Olson is a retired Navy officer who also worked as a defense consultant for seven years. In addition to the school board, he is also a board member for the City Club of Tacoma, the World Trade Center Tacoma, the Hilltop Business Association and the Greater Gig Harbor Foundation. He and his wife, Tonia, moved to Gig Harbor in 2005. They have four children, three of whom graduated from Gig Harbor High School.

Krishnadasan, an active community volunteer, worked for Burlington Resources, Visio and Microsoft before she moved to Gig Harbor nine years ago. She and her husband, Baiya, have three children, Gabriel, 15; Audrey, 13; and Alexander, 10.

This story was originally published April 19, 2017 at 10:26 AM with the headline "Pair of PSD board members announce reelection campaign."