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By MADDY VITALE
There are 11 Ocean Metropolis Board of Education candidates jogging in the Nov. 2 election. They are vying for a few, three-yr seats.
Next is a record of inquiries asked of the candidates by OCNJDaily.com. The candidates are being profiled in a sequence of articles concentrating on university district concerns.
Catherine Panico, Dale Braun, Chris Halliday, Jacqueline McAlister, Suzanne Morgan and Robin Shaffer have been profiled in preceding articles. Ryan Leonard, Liz Nicoletti and Henry Disston Vanderslice are profiled in this tale.
Ryan Leonard
How extensive have you lived in Ocean City?
My spouse Samantha and I the two grew up in Upper/OC, and we had been OCHS class of 2001. Right after faculty we lived and worked in Manhattan, moved down to Rumson, and when our oldest was in preschool, we created the transfer again residence to be nearer to our households, friends, and hometown.
What is your profession? Affiliated Companies?
I am the Chief Information and facts Officer for a worldwide fintech corporation. My group operates details protection, infrastructure, and all know-how for a range of 24-hour markets.
Do you have little ones in the district or had been they in the district?
I have two remarkable sons. The oldest is in initially grade at the Principal School, and the minor person is at the moment at Discovery Globe for preschool.
Why are you functioning for University Board?
For accurately that motive! My youngsters will be OCHS Class of 2033/2037, and though just wondering about that blows my mind, they are our amount 1 worry, and we hope they acquire the similar incredible educational experience we did.
What do you hope to do if elected and what do you feel is performing/not functioning presently on the board?
I want to represent all college students, family members, and stakeholders even those who may possibly not concur with me. I do have some problems that the family members of our littlest learners aren’t often effectively represented on the board or the assembly agendas.
Good friends are pissed off with the needless issue for mother and father (particularly of more youthful young ones) to be concerned in this method. The most straightforward case in point of this is that the district previously pays for professional recording of each and every college board assembly, but a stakeholder demands to file an OPRA ask for to get a duplicate. It is 2021. Other districts in the space proudly post their meetings. We need to as well.
What would you like to change/obtain, new courses, different way of handling the COVID pandemic?
You just cannot have seasoned Zoom-Kindergarten very last calendar year and not know that we are in desperate want of technological updates in the district. Our academics very last year were being exceptionally resilient and practically nothing short of incredible, but the technological know-how platforms we give to them are merely not enough.
I truly feel that incorporating a seasoned IT specialist to the board will help to modernize some of the platforms and programs the district utilizes, as properly as enable us to target on the foreseeable future.
Have you held place of work before or do you have anything at all else in your track record that you imagine lends by itself to staying a board member? Do you work or have you worked in the education industry?
My mother is a retired art trainer, and I have many other awesome educators in my extended relatives. I have witnessed initial-hand the perseverance and devotion to their college students they all have, and it inspires me to want to assist them realize success even more.
When remaining a tech government isn’t straight relevant to the education and learning process, my information and facts protection history is focused on teaching, teaching, and empowering coworkers and stakeholders. I have been a tutor/mentor for several companies, and I give back again anywhere I can leverage my time and skillsets.
Liz Nicoletti
How extended have you lived in Ocean Metropolis?
Full time since July 2019. I have also expended all of my summers in Ocean Town as my mothers and fathers very own a home and my spouse and I have owned a property in Ocean Town due to the fact 2001.
What is your occupation?
My profession is a continue to be-at-residence mom.
Do you have youngsters in the district or ended up they in the district?
Indeed, I have young children in the district. Tricia is a junior at the Ocean Metropolis Significant College. Christian and Connor are freshmen at the Ocean Town Substantial University and Will is in the seventh quality at the Ocean Town Intermediate School.
Why are you running for university board?
I am operating for faculty board since I imagine I am currently being termed by God to stand up and stand towards some of these tyrannical tips and mandates that are infiltrating the university methods and indoctrinating our most innocent, the young children. I feel our academic process in this place is in a disaster.
Our Ocean Metropolis community values ought to replicate the Ocean Town general public high college, middle college and elementary universities. I want to see additional parental involvement in school conclusions, especially curriculum. I would like to see common values again in our universities. I want our structure again at the forefront. We have to have to find a new superintendent that reflects the faculty group values.
What do you hope to do if elected and what do you think is performing/not working currently on the board?
I think that what is not doing the job on the board currently is proper conversation amongst community, moms and dads and the board and the superintendent as considerably as email messages or cell phone phone calls which qualified prospects to the morale of the ambiance in the board area.
What would you like to change/accomplish, new courses, diverse way of managing the COVID pandemic?
As significantly as the COVID pandemic, I would like to get things again to typical such as optional mask with a common sense tactic. Letting mom and dad to make acceptable conclusions for their children no matter whether to permit them have interaction in the actions or not.
Do you have something in your history that lends itself to becoming a board member? Have you served in advance of? Do you do the job or have you labored in the education and learning discipline?
I have in no way held a political office environment before or served on the board, on the other hand, I have been on sporting activities teams all of my existence and have led my groups as captain on numerous teams which includes D1 field hockey at St. Joseph’s College. I think remaining on a staff is critical to collaborating on any board, not just this Board of Education and learning.
I researched elementary education at St. Joseph’s University and I taught at Presentation BVM College as a sixth quality instructor for two several years and I taught in the Oxford university district as a long-phrase substitute. I have been a licensed instructing tennis-pro for numerous decades.
My volunteer working experience incorporates 10 decades of Tennis in the Streets, a grass roots firm bringing tennis to the internal metropolis and was also selected to Persons to People Ambassador Application as a educating ambassador to Australia.
Henry Disston Vanderslice
How prolonged have you lived in Ocean Metropolis?
I was born and raised in Ocean Metropolis all 35 many years, with the exception of college and time invested on my occupation in Philadelphia.
What is your profession?
Actual estate. My relatives has owned a regional authentic estate enterprise for 30 years. I hope to deliver my activities in organizations, as properly as my track record in media and know-how, to assistance fill a will need on the faculty board.
Do you have little ones in the district or ended up they in the district?
Quickly to be! I have a 1-calendar year-old, Henry, who will be in enrolled in the Ocean Town university district in just a several many years.
Why are you functioning for Faculty Board?
I care deeply about the upcoming of the young children in our group, and I like Ocean Town with all my coronary heart. Household has been deeply rooted in this unbelievable neighborhood for about 70-moreover several years, and now that my wife and I have a child of our own, I knew it was time for me to action up and do my aspect.
With having a son and ideally a lot more youngsters just one working day, I absolutely feel that it is my duty to give back again to the group by supplying a fresh new viewpoint to the school board. I’ll solution the role with just one agenda, and that is generating selections based mostly on what’s best for our small children and their upcoming.
What do you hope to do if elected and what do you consider is doing the job/not doing the job currently on the board?
I’ll tactic each final decision with an open head and a popular target of making the best alternative for our children. As we transfer ahead, it’s critical to thoroughly technique how we employ condition mandates. We have an obligation to the local community to proceed to improve as a district by learning and adapting.
It’s clear that there’s a extremely proficient and accomplished group of candidates working in this university board election. Pretty not often will you see 11 candidates operating for three open school board seats. It displays that individuals definitely care, and want to enable. We all have to work together to make the greatest decisions for our children.
What would you like to alter/accomplish, new programs, distinctive way of dealing with the COVID pandemic?
I sense for the numerous mom and dad in the group that had a challenging time juggling existence while students were being at residence, so I’m thrilled that we’re again to in-particular person studying. It is essential that we place the psychological health of our students, teachers, and mom and dad in the forefront when making vital decisions.
Have you held business office before or do you have anything at all else in your history that you think lends itself to staying a board member? Do you do the job or have you worked in the schooling area?
I carry a strong company track record, specializing in electronic advertising and technological know-how. Technology is advancing at this kind of a fast fee. Our students really should have the best resources readily available to aid them improve as college students and as folks.
I’ve also coached youth sports due to the fact I was in 7th quality, aiding out at OC Basketball camps. The tiny league fields are named soon after my grandfather, Harry Vanderslice, and I hope to assistance have on his legacy by remaining greatly involved in Ocean City’s youth Athletic plans. I acquired so a great deal about life from my childhood coaches, and I hope to depart the similar outcome on young ones that I have the opportunity to mentor.
Meet up with the candidates at a community Q&A session on Tuesday, Oct. 19, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Ocean Metropolis Absolutely free General public Library’s Chris Maloney Lecture Corridor (1735 Simpson Avenue). The forum will be moderated by radio temperament Maryann McElroy. Candidates will have an prospect to share their platform and response vetted queries from the community.
Neighborhood customers may possibly post thoughts to [email protected]
Below is the comprehensive record of candidates:
James Bauer, incumbent
Dale F. Braun Jr.
Chris Halliday
Ryan Leonard
Jacqueline McAlister, incumbent
Suzanne Morgan, incumbent
Catherine Panico
Robin Shaffer
Conor Fleming
Liz Nicoletti
Henry Disston Vanderslice
