Essex County School Boards Association Welcomes New Members

ECSBA President Reginald Bledsoe calls the meeting to order.
Kathryn Weller-Demming, an NJSBA board of directors alternate, gives an update.
Charlene Peterson, an NJSBA senior field service representative, gives a field service update.
“Retiring” board of education members who attended, from left to right: Hasani Council, ECSBA second vice president for legislation; Reginald Bledsoe, ECSBA president; Frank Velez III, Belleville School District board trustee; Erika Jacho, Belleville School District board trustee; Shawneque Johnson, ECSBA first vice president; and Charlene Peterson, NJSBA senior field service representative.
A group photo of some of the leaders in education who attended the meeting.

The Essex County School Boards Association held a meeting Dec. 14 at the Donald M. Payne Sr. School of Technology in Newark, which is part of the Essex County Schools of Technology School District.

Reginald Bledsoe, ECSBA president, welcomed the nearly 50 attendees in person and virtually, including the 10 newly elected board of education members who attended the 3Rs training before the meeting.

Charlene Peterson, a New Jersey School Boards Association senior field service representative, recognized the 18 “retiring” board of education members from Essex County who represented 107 years of service to the students and districts in Essex County. She also gave a field services update. Kathryn Weller-Demming, a board of directors alternate to the NJSBA, delivered an update to members.

A group of Essex County superintendents participated in the Essex County Best Practices Panel. The panel included Roger Leon, Newark; Dr. Gerald Fitzhugh, II, Orange; Anthony Grosso, Cedar Grove; Dr. James Pedersen, Essex County Schools of Technology; Dr. April Vauss, Irvington; and AbdulSaleem Hasan, East Orange and the moderator of the panel.

A variety of other important business was also conducted at the meeting.