Montgomery County Board of Education Member Karla Silvestre announced her candidacy for an At Large seat on the County Council.
Silvestre was first elected to the Board in 2018 and previously served as its president. She currently chairs the Fiscal Management Committee.
“I moved to Montgomery County nearly twenty years ago for the jobs, schools, and public amenities like parks and transportation hubs that gave my family a high quality of life,” Silvestre said in a news release.
Silvestre’s Candidate Statement
“[O]ur county faces great challenges with strained resources and now federal actions disrupting our workforce and our community. I want to put my proven experience to work for the people of our county to strengthen our local economy and provide the quality of life that our residents expect and deserve,” she wrote in her announcement.
Silvestre, of Silver Spring, said she plans to work to bring good paying jobs to the area, prepare residents for the workforce and ensure that everyone in the county has “a high quality of life.”
“I know how to work with others to get things done, build bridges, and at this critical time in our county we need serious leaders who will work everyday to put the needs and interests of our residents front and center. Montgomery County continues to be full of promise, and by working together to grow our economy, we can secure the resources like quality education, workforce training, childcare, affordable housing, and reliable transportation that are essential for every member of our diverse community to thrive.” Silvestre said.
Silvestre’s Service Record
Silvestre works at Montgomery College as the Director of Community Engagement where she helps residents connect with educational and workforce opportunities. Before that, she worked for the county government as a Community Liaison in the Office of Community Partnerships, helping residents engage with county government and county government to respond more effectively to its residents.
She has served as the Latino liaison for the county executive in Montgomery County’s Office of Community Partnerships and was a manager of the county’s Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center.
Silvestre is a naturalized U.S. citizen, originally from Guatemala.
