East Brunswick Board Of Education General Election 2025: Liwu Hong

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — Incumbent Liwu Hong is seeking another three-year term on the East Brunswick Board of Education.

A scientist and lawyer by profession Hong was first elected to the BOE in 2017. Ina. Q&A with Patch, he talks about what sets him apart from other candidates and why he’s a good choice for another term on the BOE.

Patch sent out a questionnaire to all candidates seeking a seat on the BOE. Their profiles will be published as received.

Are you running for office in East Brunswick? Contact Sarah Salvadore at sarah.salvadore@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements.

Liwu Hong

Age: 60

Town of residence: East Brunswick

Family: My wife and I have three children.

Education: Juris Doctor Master of Science in Polymer Chemistry; Master of Science in Organic Chemistry

Occupation: Scientist: Schering-Plough & Merck (1997-2010) Attorney-at-Law (2006-Present) Admitted to bars of New Jersey, New York, and federal courts.

Previous or current elected or appointed office: East Brunswick Board of Education (2017-present) Middlesex County School Boards Association, delegate (2022-present) Board of Directors, New Jersey School Boards Association (2022-present) District Ethics Committee, New Jersey Supreme Court (2021-2024)

Why are you seeking a seat on the BOE?

The East Brunswick School District is in the critical transaction period. We just have a new Superintendent, and we will have a new Business Administrator/Board Secretary. Both contracts with EBEA and EBPSA are expiring, and both shall be re-negotiated. As the NJSBA certified Master Board Member and Certified Board Member, as a scientist, lawyer, and a small business owner, my expertise and experience will provide special addition and well-needed assistance at this most challenging time; therefore, I decided to seek a seat on the EB BOE.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

I am well-educated: I hold a Juris Doctor Degree from Seton Hall Law School. I have two Master of Science degrees: one specializes in Polymer Chemistry, and the second one is for Organic Chemistry. I know the importance of good education and how to gain it. I am a business owner - after working for corporate America for 15 years, I started several successful businesses, which helped me gain business development and growth, especially the budgetary skills. As a small business owner, I accumulated managerial experience complying with all laws, regulations, and local ordinances. I am an immigrant US citizen. I experienced all kinds of discrimination, bullying and hating; therefore, I know not just how important good education is to the minority students, but also what kinds of protections and attentions the minority students need and deserve. I have been serving this community for a long time. In addition to being an active school Board member, I have been actively serving the East Brunswick community in many different ways. I have been one of the funding trustees for Mayor Cohen Charity Fund since 2019 to assist our community members in need. I have been a trustee for East Brunswick Education Foundation since 2017 to provide additional and critical needs to our teachers and students. I was appointed to the District Ethics Committee by the New Jersey Supreme Court in 2022 to guard the integrity of our judicial system and protect the most vulnerable people. I am a very experienced school board member: I was first elected to the school board in 2016, then was reelected in 2019 and 2022. My service and leadership have been widely accepted and recognized by our local, county, and state communities. In 2022, I was elected to the Board of Directors for the New Jersey School Boards Association. Since then, I have been efficiently discharging the Board of Directors’ responsibilities. As a board member, I have devoted my time to our school district and committed myself to collaborating with parents, educators, EBEA, EBPSA, and all other community organizations in the best interest of our children. I served on many Board standing committees. I strongly believe that our teachers and administrative staff are the most precious assets our district has. Our excellent public school is the cornerstone of our community and is the future of East Brunswick. I cherish the productive working relationship with EBEA, EBPSA and the East Brunswick Township. As a negotiation team member, I worked closely with EBPSA and EBEA and successfully secured contracts in a timely manner with EBPSA and EBEA without any disruption to our teaching and learning communities. As the chairperson for the Curriculum Committee since 2020, I have been working closely with our teachers for the best curriculum a public school district could have. As the Chairperson for the Technology Committee, I worked with administrators to bring innovative technology to our district and successfully implemented the one-on-one program, which guaranteed the seamless transfer from in-person to virtual learning when the Pandemic struck. As the Transportation Committee chairperson, I advocated the increase of our district-owned bus fleet, promoted the safety of our school buses, and maximized the efficiency of our transportation system. My serving tenure has been recognized by our community, Middlesex County SBA and New Jersey School Board Association. NJSBA certified me as a Master Board Member in March 2024 and a Certified Board Member in March 2023. Due to my outstanding service records, I was elected to and have been serving as a Board of Director for NJSBA and the Executive of Middlesex County SBA. I am willing to do anything within my own capacity. As a community member, I have been a PTA member since my children started kindergarten, paying dues and staying involved. I make donations to EBEF annually. In 2022, I made a special donation to Memory Elementary School for the robots in media centers so that both 3rd graders and 4th graders can have their firsthand on programming, robots, and automation. When COVID hit in 2020, my friends and I raised more than $18,000 to help the local police department, Parks and Recreation, local hospitals, and EB residents in need.

What, according to you, is the biggest issue facing the school district?

The biggest challenge the East Brunswick school district is facing is that our school district is in a huge transition at this moment: we just hired a new Superintendent who will be on board in December 2025, and the Business Administrator will retire at the beginning of February 2026, right before the State of New Jersey releases the state aid for 2026 school year.

Are you happy with the way the district has handled state aid cuts and budget issues? What would be your approach?

I am satisfied with the way the district has handled state aid cuts, addressing budget issues by listening to the community, keeping the essential programs, and cutting costs. As one of the Board of Directors of NJSBA, I have been advocating funding formula change and adequate special aid funding. I will keep doing this for more funding and resources from the state and other governmental agencies because I strongly believe the proper funding is a real solution to our own budget issues.

What other issues do you feel need to be tackled in the school district?

The district should use innovative technology to improve operational efficiency and cut the operating costs. At the same time, the district shall explore additional financial resources such as raising funds from our alumni, local corporations, and large foundations. This is essential to retain our outstanding teachers and supporting staff. What, according to you, is the one thing the district has been most successful in doing this past year? Our entire community and current Board worked together and successfully retained our new Superintendent, who will lead out district and community for many years to come.

Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself or your campaign?

I urge all voters to do their own homework and know all the candidates before voting. It is you who choose East Brunswick’s future. It is you who choose our children’s future. Choosing the right person who has the skills to serve and who has the track record to serve.

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