Beverly Hills resident Dr. Michal Amir-Salkin announced her candidacy for the Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) Board of Education, hoping to fill one of two open seats in the upcoming November 2022 General Election. Born and raised in Beverly Hills, Amir-Salkin is a graduate of Hawthorne Elementary School and a parent to twins. Amir-Salkin retired her practice in obstetrics and gynecology and now teaches at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.

“BHUSD tries to reach each of its students where they are, and to give each of the students as much as possible of what he or she needs to become the best version of themselves,” Amir-Salkan told the Courier. “This is what I believe BHUSD has the ability to do, because I have seen it in my own child.”

In November of 2021, Amir-Salkan was one of seven applicants who was interviewed by the board to fill the vacancy left by Tristen Walker-Shuman, who resigned in September. As a BHUSD parent, Amir-Salkan has helped run Hawthorne’s annual book fair, organized a 2019 Space Camp trip for Hawthorne’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) students in Huntsville, Ala. and again for Beverly Vista Middle School STEM students in 2020, which was ultimately canceled due to COVID-19.

“I really want to help BHUSD figure out these issues, figure out our options, and figure out what is the best path forward for the district as a whole, for the students, and for our community,” she told the Courier.

Amir-Salkan joins Judy Manouchehri and sitting board member Rachelle Marcus in the race. At press time, Marcus and Janessa LaVoice, a children’s Applied Behavioral Analysis tutor, have filed to appear on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Amir-Salkin will hold her campaign kick-off event on Aug. 28 from 2 to 4 p.m.