The four candidates will appear on the ballot in this order:

Erik Buckley

Rockland BOCES employee

Lives in Wallkill; District resident for 11 years

Erik Buckley is a lifelong resident of the area and a graduate of SUNY Orange. He has worked for Rockland BOCES for the past 20 years. He works with students in grades kindergarten through 8 with emotional and behavioral disabilities as well as students with autism and developmental disabilities. He has lived in the Town of Wallkill since 2011. Buckley and his wife have two children, ages 9 and 5, who attend Pine Bush schools.

Dori Johnson

Teacher – Monroe-Woodbury School District

Lives in Wallkill; District resident for 18 years

Dori Johnson is completing her second term on the Pine Bush Board of Education. During her first term, she served as both vice president and acting president. She has been a member of the district’s Audit Committee and was a member of the PTA. She has served as the board’s legislative liaison for the past two years. Johnson is a graduate of SUNY New Paltz with both a Bachelor of Science degree in geology and a Master of Science degree in education. She has been a teacher at Monroe-Woodbury for the past 28 years. She is also an adjunct professor at SUNY Orange. Prior to her teaching career, Johnson was a geologist in the private sector. She has two children; one is a graduate of Pine Bush schools and the other is a student at Pine Bush High School.

Matthew Watkins

Self-employed – GOALS Development Company

Lives in Shawangunk; Lifelong resident of the district

Matthew Watkins is completing his first full term on the Pine Bush Board of Education. He also served from May 2016 to June 2017. He received an associate degree in marketing from SUNY Delhi and a bachelor’s degree in general business from Penn State University. He formerly served as a councilman in the Town of Shawangunk and is currently a trustee for the Pine Bush Area Public Library. He and his wife have three children, two who have graduated from Pine Bush High School and one currently attending PBHS.

Gretchen R. Meier

Physical Therapist, owner of Pine Bush Physical Therapy

Lives in Town of Crawford; District resident for 28 years

Gretchen Meier has served nine years on the Pine Bush Board of Education. She is the current president of the board, serving in that capacity for 3.5 years. She also served as vice president for 2.5 years. She is a member of the district’s Audit Committee and also served on the Health and Safety Committee. In 2020, she received the Mid-Hudson School Study Council award for Excellence in School Board Service. Meier received her Bachelor of Science degree in physical therapy from Quinnipiac University. Her husband of 30 years, Fritz Meier, is a proud Pine Bush graduate. Her two children are also successful Pine Bush graduates – one is pursuing a Ph.D. in robotics and one is employed by Pratt and Whitney.