During the May 16 school budget vote, qualified residents will elect one person to the Broadalbin-Perth Board of Education. Incumbent Paul Chizek is not seeking re-election. The candidate who receives the most votes on May 16 will be elected to serve a five-year term beginning July 1, 2023.
The school budget vote and board election will take place 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 16 in the Robert C. Munn Gymnasium at BPHS. Click here for more information about voting.
The candidates are listed below in the order they will appear on the ballot.
Samantha Gallup
Samantha Gallup is seeking her first term on the board. She and her husband, Adam, have three children — Camden, Roman, and Palmer — all of whom attend B-P Elementary School. She has lived in the school district for the past 11 years.
A graduate of Fonda-Fultonville High School, Gallup earned a bachelor’s degree in health science and a doctorate in physical therapy from Utica College of Syracuse University. Gallup is self-employed as a pediatric physical therapist. In that role, she treats patients from birth to age 18 years through early intervention and school-age programs.
Gallup has served as a classroom volunteer and as a volunteer coach for basketball and soccer programs with the Broadalbin Youth Commission.
James Rickard
James Rickard is seeking his first term on the board. He and his wife, Katherine, have two children attending B-P schools: Ava and Aleya. Rickard moved with his family to his wife’s hometown five years ago.
Rickard graduated from nearby Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk High School and went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SUNY Cortland. He also earned a master’s in educational psychology and statistics from the University at Albany. Rickard is a retired developmental and behavioral psychologist who worked for the state Office for People with Developmental Disabilities for 34 years.
Rickard is an active volunteer with Broadalbin-Perth’s PTO and Booster Club. He has served on the Innovate 2.0 Committee and helps out with stage performances and classroom activities. Rickard volunteers with St. Joseph’s Church and local youth sports, and he and his wife have been foster parents for six years. Rickard is a past master with the Free and Accepted Masons, and has served on numerous volunteer boards: the Maryland Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals, Schenevus Central School District Board of Education, and Otsego County Youth Commission.
Byron Armstead Barker
Byron Armstead Barker is seeking his first term on the board. His wife, Kerri, is co-principal at Broadalbin-Perth Elementary School and they have two children — Lincoln and Larkin — who both attend BPES. He has lived in the district for 17 years.
Originally from Athens, Texas, Barker earned an associate’s degree from the University at Oklahoma and a bachelor’s degree from Roberts Wesleyan University. He earned a federal police certification through a Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) and certification as a federal investigator at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va. After working in law enforcement at the federal level, Barker left the public sector. He now works as a corporate investigator, handling loss prevention, fraud, and theft cases.
A member of the Perth town board, Barker has also served on the Innovate 2.0 Committee and volunteered at BPES.