Patrick Nolan, Michael Zuppa and Kurt Wayton have won three-year terms on the Upper Freehold Regional School District Board of Education.
Nolan, of Upper Freehold Township, and Wayton, of Allentown, are members of the board. Zuppa, of Upper Freehold Township, is a newcomer who will join the panel in January.
In Allentown, Wayton ran uncontested for one available three-year term. After the results were tallied on Nov. 7, he retained his seat by receiving 398 votes, according to results posted online by the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office.
In Upper Freehold, Nolan was the only candidate on the ballot for two available three-year terms. He retained his seat by receiving 1,193 votes, according to the clerk’s office.
Zuppa ran as a write-in candidate and, according to the clerk’s office, won a three-year term by receiving 58 write-in votes.
Incumbent Timothy Stolzenberger, who joined the board in 2015 and sought re-election as a write-in candidate, received 48 write-in votes. His term will end in December.
The results of the election are unofficial until they are certified by the county.
Nolan has been a resident of Upper Freehold for 14 years and a member of the board for six years. He is a portfolio strategist with BlackRock.
“Our district has made tremendous strides in the past decade,” Nolan said. “Curriculum has been revamped and the district now offers so many high-level opportunities to the kids of our community. I am proud to have been part of that effort for the past six years and I feel like we can do even more.
“I am proud we have raised the learning experience for our kids without simply ‘throwing money at it.’ We have had to cut millions from the budget in each of the past four years while finding ways to make the district stronger. Continuing to advance the educational experience of our kids in a fiscally responsible manner is what motivates me,” he said.
Wayton has been a resident of Allentown for five years and a member of the board for two years. He is a teacher at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South.
“As an educator, I think it is my duty to influence policy,” Wayton said. “Education is both my profession and passion. I want to ensure that Allentown continues to build on our excellence.
“I received my undergraduate degree from Indiana State University in social studies education in 2000 and studied special education in The College of New Jersey’s graduate program. I have been teaching and coaching at the high school level for 18 years. I am a tireless and dedicated steward of education. I believe teaching is among the world’s most important professions,” he said.
Zuppa has been a resident of Upper Freehold for 10 years. He previously served as a board member and president of the Upper Freehold Baseball and Softball League.
“After 10 years of watching from the sidelines, I want to get involved,” Zuppa said. “Our district has had great success over the years, but there are always things that can be improved. I want to help identify which is which, focus on our strengths as a community and assist where I can in the areas that need help.”
Zuppa is vice president of sales at Hope Family Vineyards.
“I am a sales executive and work for a family winery out of Paso Robles, California,” he said. “I travel the country and work with people in many different roles, from executives, general managers and business owners, to finance personnel, purchasing agents and sales professionals. My experience will help me work with our community and schools toward achieving our common goals.”
School board members in New Jersey serve without compensation.