BARRINGTON SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER TO LEAD STATE EDUCATION GROUP 

JAMESBURG, May 20, 2000—A 13-year veteran of the Barrington Board of Education in Camden County was elected president of the New Jersey School Boards Association during the organization’s semi-annual meeting here today. 

Patti J. Pawling, the new president, will lead NJSBA, a non-profit federation of the state’s local boards of education, for the next two years.  Pawling has served as the Association’s vice president for legislation and resolutions for the past four years. 

“These are exciting times in public education in New Jersey.  We are implementing higher standards for our children and new training programs for teachers, and we are about to begin an unprecedented school construction program,” said Pawling.  “I look forward to the opportunity to represent, and work side by side with, local board members during this time to assure our students’ success.” 

In addition to her service as the Association’s vice president for legislation/resolutions, Pawling has been a member of NJSBA committees that addressed legislation, association policies and special education.  Pawling has earned the “Master Board Member” designation through the NJSBA Board Member Academy, an honor earned by only 72 of the state’s 4,800 local school board members. She has also volunteered as a group leader during orientation training for the state’s newly elected and appointed local school board members.  

Pawling is a former president of the Camden County School Boards Association.  She has served as the president and vice president of the Barrington Board of Education for six of her 13 years on the board.  In addition, she has represented New Jersey at the Delegate Assembly of the National School Boards Association. 

A graduate of Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey), Pawling is a special education teacher in the Gibbsboro School District.  She has also served on the Barrington Fire Company auxiliary and has been a member of the Barrington Emergency Management Committee. 

Pawling succeeds Charles V. Reilly of Ridgewood as NJSBA president.  Reilly will assume to the position of NJSBA Immediate Past President. 

Approximately 190 local school board members, representing all 21 New Jersey counties, attended the meeting today.  In addition to electing Pawling as president, the NJSBA delegates selected the following school board members to serve in leadership positions:

·        Vice President for County Activities—Anne M. Thomas, Piscataway Township Board of Education (Middlesex County)

·        Vice President for Finance—Glenn B. Ewan, Maurice River Board of Education (Cumberland County)

·          Vice President for Legislation/Resolutions—Edward G. DeMarco, Morris Hills Regional Board of Education (Morris County). 

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The New Jersey School Boards Association is a federation of more than 600 local boards of education.  Established more than 80 years ago, NJSBA represents the education and related health and safety interests of New Jersey's 1.2 million public school students and advocates the positions of the state's local school districts.  The Association also provides inservice training and technical assistance to the state's 4,800 local board of education members.  School board members, who serve without compensation, are the largest group of elected and appointed public officials in the state. 

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