Murali Aiyar Reappointed to Lawrence School Board

At the conclusion of a special two-hour Lawrence Township Board of Education meeting held last night (Tuesday, May 29),  Murali S. Aiyar was reappointed to the board to fill a vacant seat.

Aiyar, a resident of Port Mercer Road who works as director of clinical data management for Ephicacy Corp., served on the school board from July 2011 through April of this year after he was appointed to serve out the reminder of the first year of a three-year term that was left vacant by a resignation.

The remaining two years of that seat were up for grabs in the election that was held on April 17. Three candidates, including Aiyar, appeared on the ballot for that unexpired term.

, defeating Delores B. Reid and Aiyar.

But in the days leading up to the election, Wilson notified the school district and local media outlets via email that he wished to withdraw from the election due to “an unforeseen personal obligation.” Because he did not withdraw from the race by the March 5 deadline set by the state, however, his name remained on the April 17 ballot.

On April 19, Wilson submitted to the school board a formal letter declining the seat. Even though Wilson officially declined the position, the seat did not automatically go to Reid, the runner-up in the April 17 election.

Instead, by law, the school board was required to appoint someone to fill the seat until the next election in April 2013, when voters can choose for themselves someone to serve the remaining year of the term.

The board advertised the vacancy. Three people – Aiyar, Tamara Pommells-Boone and Clifford W. Snedeker Jr. – in turn submitted formal “letters of interest” by the May 21 deadline to be considered for the open seat.

Last night, all three were interviewed by the five school board members who were present – board President Laura Waters, Vice President Kevin Van Hise, Leon Kaplan, Bill Michaelson and Michael Horan. Absent were board members Jo Ann Groeger, Deborah Cherry and Thomas Patrick.

Each of the three candidates was asked to provide some background about themselves and answer several questions that covered why they wished to serve on the board and what they considered to be the greatest challenges the board and school district faces moving forward.

Pommells-Boone, a Denow Road resident who holds multiple psychology and education degrees from Rutgers and Rider universities, works as a mental health clinician for the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey and as a clinician supervisor for Holistic Behavioral Solutions.

Snedeker, a graduate of Lawrence High School and Westminster College who lives on Irwin Place, will soon be retiring from the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs after nearly 30 years of service.

In the end, after lengthy deliberation, the board decided that Aiyar will fill the open seat until the next election.

During his interview Aiyar explained that, having spent the last year learning how the board operates, he wants to pick up where he left off and help the board with community outreach and curriculum projects, among other things.  

Aiyar and his wife have three young children who are or will eventually be attending township public schools.

Aiyar will be formally sworn back into office by board secretary Thomas Eldridge in time for Aiyar to take part in the school board’s “retreat,” an event that will be held on June 5 during which board members will gather in private in the library at Lawrence High School for several hours to discuss plans and priorities for the next school year.  

“I think that we need to be sure to reach out to the candidates and keep them engaged and hopefully we’ll be seeing them again in the future, be there open board seats or maybe they’ll be interested in running in the next election,” Michaelson said at the conclusion of last night’s meeting.

“One behalf of the whole community, all three of them are to be commended [for applying],” Kaplan agreed.

For Background, See:

• May 29: “School Board to Hold Special Meeting to Fill Empty Seat”
• May 7: “School Board Seeking Candidates for Open Board Seat”
• April 27: “”
• April 23: ""
• April 18: ""
• April 16: “”
• April 12: “”
• Feb. 29: “”