Bell named to fill board vacancy
Board cites financial background in naming new member
In a ceremony that looked like none before it, Towamencin’s supervisors welcomed their newest member Wednesday night.
Resident Daniel Bell was appointed unanimously to fill the seat left vacant by the passing of supervisor Jim Sinz earlier this month.
“I’m very excited to join the team and support the community,” Bell said.
Readers may remember Bell’s name from 2019, when he ran as part of the Republican “North Penn VIEWS” team that unsuccessfully challenged six incumbent Democrats for seats on the North Penn school board. Since then, Bell said Wednesday night, he’s made a major career change, moving from a human capital consulting job back to his previous employer, Mastery Charter Schools, where he had previously been an assistant principal and is now their senior director of finance.
Bell had previously worked as a teacher at E. Merton Crouthamel Elementary School in Souderton, and as a teacher for Mastery Charter in Philadelphia, and now oversees the financial operations, analysis and planning for the school that counts roughly 14,000 students in Philadelphia and Camden. He and wife Jennifer have three daughters who attend Walton Farm Elementary School, and said his other interests include community events, church membership at Lenape Valley Church, and summer events with the BuxMont Swim League, according to a biography provided by the township.
“I am honored to represent the people of our township and serve the interests of our community through these critical times,” Bell said.
He’ll take the spot of former supervisor Jim Sinz, a U.S. Navy aviator who was first elected to the board in 2003, was reelected in 2009 and 2015, and passed away on May 8 at age 74 after a battle with brain cancer. Last week the board announced a special meeting would be held on May 27 to fill that vacancy though 2021, and supervisor Laura Smith nominated Bell, a motion seconded by supervisor Dan Littley and then approved unanimously.
“Daniel is eager to leverage his commitment to his family and community, along with his background and skills, to support the continued growth, health and safety of Towamencin and the surrounding region,” said supervisors Chairman Chuck Wilson.
After the unanimous vote, Bell placed his hand on a Bible held by his wife Jennifer as he was administered his formal oath by township Solicitor Jack Dooley, in a meeting room closed to the public, as the other four supervisors sat spaced out in the township meeting room and the proceedings were streamed live online.
“We welcome Dan to the board. We look forward to working with him over the next two years,” Wilson said, as Bell took a seat next to Littley.
“I know his experience in finance and budget analysis will certainly come in handy over the next several months, as we work through the impacts — that are really unknown at this point — of COVID-19 on the economy and on the township’s financials. Welcome aboard,” Wilson said.
Once Bell took his seat, the board took up several housekeeping items to fill spots left vacant by Sinz. Supervisor Rich Marino was named to fill Sinz’s former position of board secretary, and Bell was then nominated to fill Marino’s former posts of board assistant secretary and assistant treasurer. All three appointments were approved by unanimous votes, and Wilson announced the first two as four-nothing votes, before the rest of the board pointed out their fifth member.
“I’m so used to saying ‘four’ over the last several months,” Wilson said.
The board also named Bell to Sinz’s former positions on the board’s police pension committee and non-uniform pension committee, both of which were also five-nothing votes.
“I know his experience in finance and budget analysis will certainly come in handy over the next several months.”