P.O. Box 909 ● Trenton, NJ 08605-0909 ● Phone: 609.695.7600 ● Fax: 609.695.0413 ● Web: www.njsba.org/PI

NJSBA Names 2010 School Board Member of the Year

TRENTON, December 1, 2010 —Linda L. Bond-Nelson, an 18-year member of the North Plainfield Board of Education, is the 2010 New Jersey School Board Member of the Year, the New Jersey School Boards Association announced today.

“Linda is a dedicated volunteer who serves her community and her school district with wisdom and enthusiasm,” said Marie S. Bilik, NJSBA executive director. “She has worked tirelessly for a quality education for North Plainfield’s children.”

School board members in New Jersey receive no compensation for their service.

Bond-Nelson is currently the president of the North Plainfield school board; she has served in that role for eight years and has served as board vice president for nine years. During nearly two decades of school board service, she has chaired or served on all of the board’s committees, including curriculum, negotiations, finance and facilities, policy, communications, and evaluation and personnel.

She has also been active in the Somerset County School Board Association, serving as a former second vice-president; as a trainer for NJSBA’s New Board Member Orientation program; and as a volunteer at NJSBA’s annual Workshop training conference.

Bond-Nelson served for many years as a PTA member and officer in North Plainfield’s Stony Brook School, and has been an active parent in the North Plainfield High School Music Parents Association. She is also involved in education professionally, working as operations manager at Drew University’s admissions office.

She earned the designation of Certified Board Member in 1996 and Master Board Member in 2005 through NJSBA’s Board Member Academy, a program that recognizes advanced levels of training among school board members.

Bond-Nelson was nominated by Dr. Marilyn Birnbaum, superintendent of the North Plainfield Public Schools, with support from David W. Branan, the school board’s vice president.

Birnbaum noted, “Linda has provided outstanding leadership to and made an impact on the Board as well as the children, district and community.

“During her years of service to public education,” Birnbaum added, “Linda has encouraged the development of curriculum and programs that meet the needs of all students; encouraged the implementation of a comprehensive technology plan; supported professional development for all staff; supported collaborative relationships with outside resources; assisted in opening lines of communication and establishing linkages with parents and community members; and assisted in getting a district-wide building referendum passed after five attempts and played a major role in this $32,000,000 building project.”

“Linda has always been sought after as an authority on various topics related to school board action by her fellow board of education members,” Branan commented. “We look up to her for guidance.”

NJSBA honored Bond-Nelson at its Delegate Assembly meeting on Nov. 20 in Plainsboro.

Given annually since 2005, the School Board Member of the Year award honors a local board of education member who makes significant contributions to the community; exemplifies leadership in the field of education with a strong commitment to the children of New Jersey; demonstrates a strong commitment to his/her personal and professional development as a board member; and shows active involvement in school governance at the local, county and state levels.

Nominations are judged by an independent panel from the Pennsylvania School Boards Association.

The New Jersey School Boards Association is a federation of 588 local boards of education and includes 44 charter school associate members. NJSBA advocates the interests of school districts, trains local school board members, and provides resources for the advancement of public education.