NORTH BRUNSWICK — Four candidates will vie for three seats on the North Brunswick Board of Education on Election Day.
Gangadhara “Rao” Vakkalagadda will face incumbents Anthony R. Brooks, Gloria N. Gonzalez and Ingrid Dillon on Nov. 3.
Donna Mikolajewski is the only candidate listed for a one-year unexpired term.
Anthony R. Brooks (incumbent)
Age: 52
Resident for nine years
Profession: Group Benefit, sales
Volunteer efforts: coach for Buddy Ball
Positions held in town: vice president of the Board of Education
Accomplishments while serving on school board: member for 3.5 years; remodeled science and engineering labs at North Brunswick Township High School; increased math and language arts enrichment programs throughout the district; increased pre-school and special education enrollment; enhanced security and safety policy procedures throughout the district; increased the number of house centers at Linwood Middle School; built multipurpose turf football field at the high school.
Reason for running for re-election: “I have enjoyed having a positive impact on the education of our youth and look forward to continue the progress for another term.”
Goals if re-elected: to prepare all of our children for the next phase of life after graduating from high school, in a safe environment.
Ingrid Dillon (incumbent)
Resident for 21 years
Family life: Kristen Becerril, 26, Connor Becerril, 20, Brandon Becerril, 19, all attended North Brunswick public schools from elementary school through high school graduation.
Profession: certified public accountant, finance manager at large telecom company
Volunteer efforts: aspires Mentoring Academy to mentor middle and high school students for STEM careers; Community Network, community service projects; HACEMOS, Hispanic employees resource group that mentors students in the NJ Governors Hispanic Fellows program; OASIS, Asian employees resource group volunteer for fundraising and mobile app development workshops; organizer of the National AT&T program for Take our Daughters and Sons to Work Day; Point Community Church activities include Homework Help and an adult ESL program at Parsons Elementary School; received United States President’s Volunteer Service Award in 2014 in recognition of sustained volunteer service.
Boards served on: treasurer and past parliamentarian of Community Network of African American Telecommunications Professionals of NY/NJ; past treasurer for Women of AT&T Organization NJ chapter; lead for National Take Our Children to Work program
Positions held in town: member of North Brunswick Board of Education since 2013, current president
Accomplishments while serving on the board: school board accomplishments were funded within 2 percent cap; North Brunswick Township High School now ranks in the top 40 nationwide; addition of several instructional deans throughout all schools; hiring of elementary and middle school principals, administrators and staff; expanded special education and early elementary programs; added kindergarten readiness for ESL students; new turf football and soccer fields, addition of girls softball fields; executed plan for long-range solution to overcrowding; updating classrooms and constructing new state-of-the-art science and engineering labs at the high school; roofing upgrades in all schools, replacement of gym floors and bleachers; contributing to the restoration of Veterans Park; implementing Gold Standard Safety & Security Policies; favorable bond rating which allowed the district to accelerate repayment of some debt and savings from refinancing at better rates; district continues to achieve the highest Quality Single Accountability Continuum scores from the Department of Education.
Reason for entering the election: “I am committed to making a difference by way of a direct contribution to the future of our children and the lives of the residents of this community. I believe that our children are our future and that by investing my time and energy through my service on the board I can ensure that the education the North Brunswick Township Board of Education provides will inspire and empower them to become good citizens of the world who will advance the human race by building strong families, further economic empowerment and social causes, contribute to technological and medial advances while being good stewards of the environment.”
Goals if re-elected: to ensure programs result in the narrowing and eventual closure of the achievement gap; continuation and expansion of enrichment programs to address the widening needs of the community for programs that support the family unit (special needs, academic, social, bi-lingual); address needs of the whole child that contribute to their development and success; deliver the highest quality of education for the investment of tax dollars; ensure that the district continues to build a best-in-class school system that delivers quality and value; retain and build on the focus on community involvement.
Gloria N. Gonzalez (incumbent)
Resident for 12 years, 9 months
Family life: son, 10, attends fifth grade at Arthur M. Judd Elementary School
Occupation: director of e-Multi Channel Marketing at Pfizer Inc.
Volunteer efforts: served on the North Brunswick Juvenile Conference Committee by appointment of the Family Division of Superior Court; active member/volunteer of the Judd School Parent Teacher Organization.
Accomplishments during first term on school board: “I was sworn in on Feb. 25, 2015, to cover an unexpired term on the school board. I serve on the Negotiations, Personnel, Community Relations and Curriculum committees. I have recently been appointed to chair the Negotiations Committee and look forward to collaborating with the union representing our teachers, aides, clerical and custodial staff, on a new two-year agreement.
“Since joining the board, I have been part of many accomplishments, including: negotiation and approval of a one-year agreement with the union; the search, interview and hiring of two elementary school and one middle school principals; the leasing of Our Lady of Lourdes School in Milltown to temporarily house the Early Education Center, relieving some of the overcrowding conditions at our four elementary schools; and the identification of land and the kickoff of referendum activities to build two new schools to help us continue to meet the growing needs of our students and our community.”
Reason for entering the election: “I joined the board first and foremost to serve the children of our community. My goal is to ensure all children attending our schools have the best teachers, environment and tools to thrive and succeed. If we are successful in expanding our physical infrastructure and driving our curriculum to greater levels of excellence, we will be able to elevate the recognition and ratings of our schools to new levels. For our township, this will result in attracting new families and increasing property values. Investing in our children’s future will always pay high dividends for them and for our community.”
Gangadhara “Rao” Vakkalagadda
Age: 45
Resident for 12 years
Family life: two children, ages 7 and 9, attending Livingston Park Elementary School
Profession: regulatory consultant for pharmaceuticals, pharmacist, former adjunct faculty at Montclair State University
Volunteer efforts: chairperson and active member of the North Brunswick Township India Day Committee; team parent for North Brunswick Soccer Club; lifetime benefactor of the Friends of the North Brunswick Public Library; volunteer for the Parent Teacher Organization activities at Livingston Park Elementary School; active member of Agraj Seva Kendra; member of the Arts and History Advisory Committee (Agraj Seva Kendra) managing the Arts and History Grants from Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission
Reason for entering the election: “I want to contribute my time and experience in helping the school board of North Brunswick accomplish two aspects of its mission: partnership with the community and empowering the students.
“In terms of ‘partnership with the community,’ I will represent the Asian Indian community on the board to foster stronger relationships and bring diverse perspective in the decision-making process.
“In terms of ‘empowering the students,’ I am a big proponent of that concept and strongly believe that the children and youth of today are capable of stepping up to tackle the competitive challenges of today, if provided with the right technology, tools, guidance and, most importantly, opportunities.
“In my volunteering experiences with the NBT India Day Committee, I have personally seen students shine as leaders given a challenging opportunity. I want to contribute to empowering the students of North Brunswick by making the best choices related to school curriculum, teachers, facilities and opportunities so that each and every student is motivated and ready for college and a strong future.”
Goals if elected: “I will work with the board and the community to ensure that we maintain the best pool of teachers and staff; bring the best of technology, a well-rounded curriculum and a wide range of extracurricular activities for the students to choose from; and address the issue of overcrowding by supporting to build the new school.”
Mikolajewski did not respond by press time.