BEVERLY — Ward 4 School Committee member Jeff Silva is not seeking re-election this fall.
Silva has held the seat for two terms, winning it through a write-in campaign in 2021. He had previously run for the committee against John Mullady, but lost.
He is stepping down from the committee upon the completion of his second term to spend more time with his family, he said.
“My daughter is going to be going to Colby College and playing lacrosse, and I’m going to want to see her play,” he said.
Silva is a PhD biochemist who works at Cell Signaling Technology and is the father of four Beverly High School graduates.
He said he learned a lot from his time on the School Committee, specifically as a member of its subcommittees, including the Negotiation Subcommittee and as a School Committee representative on the City Council’s Financial Forecasting Subcommittee.
“I wanted to get involved, to understand how the school budget and school priorities are set through the School Committee,” Silva said.
“It is a balance between what the city needs to do to manage its finances through the city operations, as well as the school operations,” he said.
His opponent from 2021, Lindsay Ducharme, is the sole candidate running to take over Silva’s Ward 4 spot.
His advice to the next steward of the seat?
“Be genuinely interested in collaborating with the administration and trying to do the best with what we have,” he said.
The city’s biennial municipal election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Contact Caroline Enos at CEnos@northofboston.com.