Ex-Superintendent to Lead NJ School Boards Group

The new executive director of a state association that provides training for school board members, advocates for school boards in Trenton and Washington, and offers technical support on policy, finance and labor relations matters, is a former Madison schools superintendent who is a friend to the borough, the president of the Madison Board of Education said.

The New Jersey School Boards Association announced Wednesday that Dr. Lawrence Feinsod was named executive director of the association after a nationwide search, and will assume the role in late October.

The organization’s 26-member Board of Directors unanimously approved the appointment on Friday.

Feinsod, who served as Madison's superintendent for about 17 years before leaving for a superintendent job in Cranford in 2001, has been an educator and public schools advocate for more than 40 years, the announcement says.

The association has 70 staff members and an annual operating budget of about $10 million. It serves more than 4,800 school board members in 587 local districts, and 65 charter schools, according to its website.

“I thank the Association’s Board of Directors for this exciting opportunity,” Feinsod says in the news release. “I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and working with school board members across the state in advancing the achievement of all students.”

Madison Board of Education President Lisa Ellis said Feinsod is the right person for the job, and a is a friend to Madison.

Feinsod succeeds Marie S. Bilik who is retiring after five years as executive director.

“Clearly, the Board of Directors appreciates Dr. Feinsod’s depth of educational experience, his respect for the important role that local boards of education play in advancing student achievement, and his enthusiasm for the work of NJSBA,” said John Bulina, NJSBA president and co-chairman of the organization’s search committee. “I believe that under his leadership, local boards of education will have a strong, effective voice in Trenton and Washington.”

In addition to Madison and Cranford, Feinsod has served as superintendent in Mount Arlington and, since 2008, as the state Department of Education’s executive county superintendent for Essex County.

The West Orange resident began his career as a teacher in Linden, served on Board of Education of the Morris-Union Jointure Commission for 20 years, including a term as the board’s president, and is a former president and co-founder of the Garden State Coalition of Schools. He holds a Doctor of Education degree from Rutgers University, a professional diploma in Educational Leadership from Fordham University, and a bachelor's and a master's degree in Special Education from Kean College of New Jersey, now Kean University.

The news release says he is a recipient of the Outstanding Educator Award from the Newark affiliate of the National Organization of African American Administrators (2012), the Outstanding Service Award from the New Jersey Association of School Administrators (2008), and the Education Leadership Award from the New Jersey Coalition of Educational Leaders for the support and advancement of women in leadership positions (2004). He also was presented with New Jersey State Vocational Service Award for his contributions to education from the president of Rotary International.