Ramapo Indian Hills BOE: Four Seeking Two Trustee Seats

WYCKOFF, NJ - In Wyckoff, four candidates will vie for two open seats on the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional School Board on Nov. 5.

John Carolan, Robert Fortunato, Marc Schaeffer and Frances Nelson, are all seeking three-year trustee terms.

The board’s seats for Franklin Lakes and Oakland are both uncontested and being sought by incumbent John Butto and Judith Sullivan, respectively.

Each candidate was asked to fill out a profile in advance of Election Day for publication. See below for their answers.

John Carolan

• Age: 52
• Years in town: 11 years
• Occupation: Lead, Payer Integrated Planning & Operations for Pfizer, Inc.
• Public offices held: Trustee, Wyckoff Board of Education, Sept. 2012-May 2015
• Committeeperson, Wyckoff Township Committee: Chairman of the Finance Committee, Fire Commissioner, DPW Commissioner, Liaison to the Wyckoff K-8 Schools and Shade Tree Commission, Lead for Wyckoff Rose Garden Activities Committee
• Family: Married to Dianne with two children, Andrew, a 2018 Ramapo High School graduate, and Elizabeth, a junior at Ramapo High School
• Community activities:Volunteer at St. Elizabeth’s Church, Knights of Columbus Service Organization
• Why are you running: I am running for the Ramapo-Indian Hills School Board to serve our community and be a board member that will challenge our system to raise the bar in education. My running mate, Robert Fortunato, and I are committed to the principles of achieving academic excellence and innovation, delivering financial accountability and transparency, and championing open communication with our whole community. Beyond the critical tasks of addressing curriculum, cultivating policy and being good stewards of your tax dollars (education utilizes 71 cents of each local tax dollar), a school board member should bring diversity of thought to the academic community he or she serves. My years of experience in a company that has Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) in its DNA has positioned me well to challenge the educational requirements for a 21st century student who will eventually be sought after by future employers. In addition, my experience on the Wyckoff Board of Education and the Wyckoff Township Committee has provided me with a strong understanding of the complexities of public finances, how to address Federal and State mandates and how to engage you, the public, in meaningful discussions which leads to better decision making for our students and residents. Wyckoff expects our high schools to deliver an education that ranks our district at the top when compared to others in New Jersey. As with all organizations, you are either improving or reducing capabilities. Board members must be vigilant and create an environment that encourages innovative education and continuous improvement. Board members need to set an expectation and provide resources for teachers and administrators to be innovative in new teaching methods and explore efficiency gains for common practices. Culture is also a key component of a healthy organization. Culture can be a competitive advantage and, when done right, it cannot be easily duplicated. We want Ramapo-Indian Hills High Schools to be a place where others visit to learn our techniques because of our results. This kind of continuous improvement can only start with school board leaders that set high expectations, do not accept the status quo and foster a culture that is accountable, caring and motivating. That is what I will advocate if elected to the Ramapo-Indian Hills School Board. I ask for your vote.

Francis Nelson

• Age: 54
• Occupation: Previously, Project Director, Virtual Labs, Students 2 Science, a non-profit designed to “inspire, motivate and educate our nation’s future STEM leaders.” Adjunct Professor at William Paterson and Villanova Universities. Scientist, Wyeth Research Laboratories.
• Public offices held: None
• Family: Married to Andrew, with two children, a 20-year-old who attended district schools and a 17-year-old who is a senior at Ramapo High School
• Community Activities: APTS member, Ramapo Booster Rep, Class Parent, Volunteer at Temple Beth Rishon, and Volunteer (via Students 2 Science) at Children’s Cancer Institute, Joseph Sanzari Children’s Hospital.
• Why I am Running:I have spent my career involved with students at every level, at every step along their pathway to adulthood. My deep knowledge of education trends and a proven track record of implementation will be an asset to the Board of Education. We need to be open to new and novel ideas in education so that ALL students are at the forefront and are prepared with 21st -century skills in order to jump into their next phase of life. We are fortunate to have the resources to be one of the best districts in the state. I believe we need to harness those resources into a mission that ensures the decisions made by the Board of Education make Ramapo and Indian Hills High Schools trendsetters in higher education. Our students and taxpayers deserve the very best. Join me to “Aim Higher,” and together we can best serve our students. See Nelson4rihboe.com for more information.

Robert Fortunato

• Age: 51
• Years in town: 17 yeaars
• Occupation: Attorney
• Public offices held: Current chairman of the Wyckoff Planning Board, former member of the Wyckoff Environmental Commission
• Family: Married to Verna, with three children: Natalie, a 16-year-old junior at Ramapo High School, Bryan, a 14-year-old freshman at Ramapo High School and Stephanie, a 3rdgrader at Washington School.
• Community activities: Member of the cornerstone team at St. Elizabeth’s Church, swim official at Wyckoff YMCA. Has served as head coach for basketball, baseball and softball, as well as assistant coach for soccer.
• Why are you running: I have 2 children in Ramapo High School. For the sake of my children and the other students, I want to ensure that the high quality of our high school education is maintained and, wherever possible, improved. Many people may not know that the annual budget for the 2 high schools is about $55M. With so much at stake, it is important that the school funding be spent responsibly and efficiently. I believe my training as a lawyer, and my experience running a business, give me the know-how to make practical yet responsible decisions. My running mate John Carolan and I have been attending regular Board of Ed meetings for the past 6 months, so our transition onto the Board, if elected, should be relatively seamless. I also pledge to keep an open line of communication between the administration and the parents. I will respond to any questions and concerns promptly and in a straight-forward way.

Marc Schaeffer

• Age: 67
• Years in town: 26
• Occupation: Retired, formerly Chief of Staff to the President and Board of Trustees at William Paterson University (almost 16 years)
• Public offices held: None
• Family: Married for 42 years to Margaret Lee with one son, David, 32, a graduate of Wyckoff schools and William Paterson.
• Community activities: Has served as an assistant Little League coach. Currently a mentor for two undergraduate students each year at William Paterson University and a member of the Humanities and Social Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board
• Why are you running: I am running because I think it is vitally important to bring educational expertise and education board experience to the RIH Board. The current board is composed almost exclusively of individuals with legal and business expertise. These are no doubt valuable skills, but boards with a wider breadth of experience and expertise are more effective boards because they bring a greater range of perspectives to the issues before it. My colleague, Dr. Fran Nelson (column 4) and I will bring that kind of expertise and experience. The theme of my campaign is “Putting Students First.” By this I mean that I will evaluate every decision through the lens of whether that particular allocation of precious public tax dollars is the best possible choice to enhance student success. If I’ve learned one thing from 40 years in the field, it’s that education is the catalyst empowering students to achieve their best future. Every member of the RIH district owes it to every student to provide the greatest opportunity to fulfill his or her potential. The coming year will be particularly important for the RIH community. The Board is expected to embark on a strategic planning process that has the potential to shape crucial RIH goals and objectives for years to come. I have extensive experience organizing and executing strategic planning for a major regional University and believe that I have much to contribute to this process.