The New Jersey School Boards Association’s board of directors met in-person and virtually on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024.

The NJSBA Board of Directors honored those members retiring from service. Left to right, Karen Cortellino, M.D., NJSBA president; Robert Morrison, member for Somerset County; Laurie Markowski, member representing Hunterdon County; Paul Williams, member for Warren County; Elizabeth Martin, member for Vocational Boards; Dr. Timothy Purnell, NJSBA executive director/CEO. Not shown, Brent Daly, member for Cumberland County.

President Karen Cortellino, M.D. presided over the meeting from the Association’s headquarters in Trenton. Immediate Past President Irene LeFebvre and Dr. Tom Connors, vice president for finance; and Chanta L. Jackson, vice president for legislation / resolutions, also participated in the meeting from Association headquarters.  Executive Director Dr. Timothy J. Purnell provided his report to the board from headquarters.

The board of directors approved the following items:

  • Extension of payment of dues for BOD members’ boards.
  • Annual ACES grant request from the Educational Leadership Foundation of New Jersey.
  • Award of contract to Unitemp Mechanical Degrees, LLC, Somerset, New Jersey to install the replacement boiler at NJSBA headquarters.
  • New appropriation of $120,000, from the free balance account, for the cloud migration project.
  • Open session minutes of the May 3, 2024, board of directors meeting.
  • Open session minutes of the June 21, 2024, board of directors meeting.
  • Legislative Committee appointments.
At Friday evening’s NJSBA board of directors meeting, several new members were sworn in. Left to right: Front row: Kathy Winecoff, Monmouth County member; Jean Trujillo, Somerset County alternate. Back row: Jon-Henry Barr, moved from alternate to member for Vocational Boards; Dr. Timothy Purnell, NSJBA executive director/CEO; Barry Walker, moved from alternate to member for Somerset County; Nickolas Moustakas, alternate for Hunterdon County; Scott Nodes, moved from alternate to member, Warren County; Robert Imhoff, moved from alternate to member, Hunterdon County; Victoria Pakala, Ocean County alternate; Ruth Hands, alternate, Vocational Boards; and Karen Cortellino, M.D., NJSBA president.
Executive Director’s Report

Purnell addressed NJSBA activities, and the progress made in enabling school districts to meet the challenges presented to them ensuring that members continue to benefit from essential training, advocacy and direct service.

  • Mandated Training Changes:  Last year, NJSBA made changes to their Governance I program. This year, NJSBA has updated their Governance II program. It was debuted at the live online course on Monday, September 16. One of the areas focused on in that refresh is policy. Setting district policy is a primary responsibility of any board of education and oftentimes new board members get assigned to their district’s policy committee. Adding more comprehensive information on policy in Gov. 2 will help new board members have a better understanding of policymaking. NJSBA has already received positive feedback on the training.
  • NJSBA Financial Update:  Each summer, NJSBA’s auditors conduct a thorough review of the Association’s finances for the fiscal year that ends June 30. The auditors have completed their work, and the draft audit report was presented to the NJSBA Audit Committee. The auditors issued an unmodified or “clean” opinion of NJSBA’s financial statements. The board of directors will receive the final audit report and will vote on it at the November meeting.

NJSBA’s financial performance for the new year has started strong. Dues collection is on target; 90% of dues have been collected for the fiscal year and payments continue to arrive regularly. In addition, sponsorship and exhibitor revenues for Workshop have been strong, as have registration orders.

  • Workshop 2024: Workshop will feature over 200 training sessions, as well as an expansive exhibit floor, student performances and special events. The full agenda can be found on the NJSBA Workshop website as well as on the mobile app. The mobile app is available for download in the Apple and Google Play store by searching “NJSBA Workshop 2024.” Navigating Workshop will be easier than ever with the addition of digital informational maps and kiosks, as well as an information booth. Some new features will be debuted on the exhibit floor like the Arcade, EDTalks, and the Daniel Sinclair Career Readiness Expo.

There are two counties that have 100% of the districts in their county registered for Workshop: Somerset and Union counties.

  • NJSBA Connection Expands: NJSBA Connection is the Association’s member-only platform designed to connect, engage and empower school leaders across the state. It is an amazing tool and a great place to find out what other districts are doing and share best practices. There are currently about 4,800 people signed up. There are groups for each county school boards association, as well as one for the Personnel Administrators Association. Currently, the platform links to NJSBA’s Negotiations Data Report Generator, education jobs listing and to recent postings of PERC decisions. This year, NJSBA Connection will be expanding with the addition of affinity groups for board presidents and new board members, a monthly blog and more resources.
Recognition of Retiring and New Members

The following retiring members were recognized for their service to the NJSBA and the students of New Jersey: Brent Daly, member for Cumberland County; Laurie Markowski, member for Hunterdon County; Robert Morrison, member for Somerset County; Paul Williams, member for Warren County; and Elizabeth Martin, member for Vocational Boards.

The following new members and alternates and reelected members and alternates were introduced. All members attending took the oath of office.

New Members:

  • Atlantic County Alternate – Theresa Hudson, Absecon Board of Education.
  • Cumberland County Member – Cedric Holmes, Vineland Board of Education.
  • Hunterdon County Alternate – Nickolas Moustakas, Holland Township Board of Education.
  • Middlesex County Alternate – Diana Solis, New Brunswick Board of Education.
  • Monmouth County Member – Kathy Winecoff, Millstone Township Board of Education.
  • Ocean County Alternate – Victoria Pakala, Brick Township Board of Education.
  • Somerset County Alternate – Jean Trujillo, Hillsborough Township Board of Education.
  • Warren County Alternate – Jaclyn Rowbotham, Harmony Board of Education.
  • Vocational Boards – Ruth Hands, Cumberland County Vocational Board of Education.

Reelected Members and Alternates:

  • Hunterdon County Member – Robert Imhoff (elected to member from alternate position).
  • Mercer County Member – Dana Krug.
  • Mercer County Alternate – Addie Lane.
  • Middlesex County Member – Liwu Hong.
  • Monmouth County Alternate – Mark Patterson.
  • Somerset County Member – Barry Walker (elected to member from alternate position).
  • Warren County Member – Scott Nodes (elected to member from alternate position).
  • County Association Leadership Member – Michael Jacobs.
  • County Association Leadership Alternate – Tammeisha Smith.
  • Vocational Boards Member – Jon-Henry Barr (appointed to member from alternate position).

The board of directors also received reports from the president, vice president for county activities, vice president for finance, vice president for legislation/resolutions, and immediate past president, and detailed reports from NJSBA staff on advocacy and legislation and Workshop 2024.

Information items included Association Financials, Legal Case Summary, Member Dues Update 2024-2025, Revised 2024-2025 Governance Calendar, and written reports from officers.