N.J. School Boards Association Elects New President for 2012-2014

TRENTON, May 21, 2012—John Bulina, a long-term member of the Tabernacle Township Board of Education in Burlington County, was elected to a two-year term as President of the New Jersey School Boards Association during the organization's annual meeting in West Windsor on Saturday.

NJSBA is a non-partisan federation of the state's local boards of education.  It provides training, advocacy and support services to promote student achievement through effective local school board governance.

"This is the most dynamic time for education in the past 60 years. The challenges and opportunities are tremendous," Bulina told the NJSBA delegates following his election, adding that school boards have the opportunity "to close the socio-economic gap, and we have the opportunity to prepare our students for a 21st Century global economy."

"Research…tells us successful students come from schools with a relentless culture of high expectations and…high standards for attendance and punctuality," he continued.  "Research also tells us the importance of all New Jersey's educational partners, including parents, to join together to create an all-encompassing educational system.

"We as board members can do much to increase parental involvement in advancing student achievement because the rewards are exponential and far-reaching."

Bulina has served on the Tabernacle school board for 23 years, including four as president.  Prior to his election as NJSBA president, he was the Association's vice president for legislation/resolution for two years and its vice president for finance for four years.  He holds Master Board Member certification, which recognizes successful completion of training in school board leadership, through the NJSBA Board Member Academy.

In addition, Bulina has served on the executive committee of the Burlington County School Boards Association.  He has also been a commissioner of the Burlington County Educational Media Technology Center for 11 years.

An adjunct professor at Burlington County College, Bulina is a graduate of the State University of New York, Oswego and holds an advanced degree in education from Nova Southeastern University.

Bulina is a member of St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church, Roebling, NJ, and Holy Trinity Byzantine Catholic Church, Philadelphia.

The NJSBA delegates, representatives of the state's local boards of education, also selected the following officers for 2012-2014:

• Vice President for County Activities—Anne Kathleen Erickson, Hamilton Township Board of Education, Atlantic County;
• Vice President for Finance—Donald Webster, Jr., Manchester Township, Ocean County; and
• Vice President for Legislation/Resolutions—Rosemary Bernardi, Evesham Township, Burlington County.

Raymond R. Wiss, a member of the Northern Valley Regional Board of Education in Bergen County, will serve as NJSBA Immediate Past President for the 2012-2014 term.

May 21, 2012

The New Jersey School Boards Association is a federation of 586 local boards of education and includes more than 75 charter school associate members. NJSBA provides training, advocacy and support to advance public education and promote the achievement of all students through effective governance.