School Board Appoints Vincent Loncto to Vacant Seat

With six solid candidates to choose from, the decided Monday night to appoint Vincent Loncto to fill .

Current members stressed the importance of appointing a member with a strong background in finance as it battles difficult budgetary times. Solid communication skills were also desired, members said.

, having served as a CFO of several large public companies. He last worked at McGraw Hill, where he soaked up a great deal of background in educational policy before his recent retirement. His new-found free time would allow him to fully dedicate himself to education in the Ridgewood community, he said in October.

Trustee Sheila Brogan nominated Janice Willett, an editor with a background in finance, while Christina Krauss endorsed Jim Morgan, a past president of the Ridgewood Education Foundation (REF) and another candidate with corporate business experience. Neither were able to pick up the requisite votes.

Board president Michele Lenhard seconded Bob Hutton's motion to appoint Loncto and the remaining members followed suit; he was appointed by a vote of 4-0, with Reilly abstaining.

Loncto will begin Reilly's term after being sworn in on November 21. He will remain in Reilly's chair until April of 2012, when the seat is up to the voters. The victor in April will serve a one-year term until April of 2013, when Reilly's term was scheduled to end.

"I just want to dedicate myself and my talents as much as I can to ensure the success of the school district and achieving the overall goals of elevating the education," Loncto said in his pitch to the board on Candidate's Night in October.

Board members encouraged the candidates not selected to consider running again in April, when a total of two seats are up for grabs – Loncto's seat with a one-year term and Board VP Bob Hutton's chair, which expires in April of 2015.