Millstone Township Board of Education reorganizes
Friedman chosen as president, Deitz as vice president
BY JANE MEGGITT
Staff Writer

The Millstone Township Board of Education elected member Mary Ann Friedman (l) as its president and Holly Deitz as its vice president at its April 23 meeting.

MILLSTONE - Mary Ann Friedman will have a lot on her plate this year.

Not only was she re-elected as the Millstone Township Board of Education president at the board's April 23 re-organization meeting, but she was also chosen to serve as the school district's representative on the Upper Freehold Regional School District (UFRSD) Board of Education.

Millstone has a send-receive relationship with the UFRSD, and its students attend Allentown High School. Kathy Winecoff, the previous Millstone representative on the regional board, decided not to run this year for re-election.

The Millstone Board of Education voted 6-3 to elect Friedman as its president, and the vote proceeded across gender lines. The three men on the board - Thomas Foley, Sergio Galindo and Peter Kudrick - voted against Friedman as president, while the six women - Laura Dreifus, Holly Deitz, Gina Morrone, Margaret Gordon, Doreen Beaumont and Friedman - all voted in her favor. Galindo had nominated Foley as president.

The board voted 5-4 for Deitz to serve as its vice president, with Gordon joining the men in voting against her.

Galindo was appointed as the board's representative to the New Jersey School Boards Association.

Foley voted against Galindo's appointment, saying he does not think the position fits Galindo's set of skills and that Galindo's assets would fit better elsewhere.

While the district has two nonvoting representatives to the UFRSD, only Dreifus agreed to an appointment as one of them. Friedman said if someone else becomes interested in the remaining position at a later date, the person could be nominated at that time.

Friedman said the board faces an exciting year as it makes final preparations to open the new middle school and reconfigure the district's current school buildings.

"I look forward to working with Holly Deitz, returning board members, newly elected board members, and administration in developing goals at our annual board/administrative retreat," Friedman said, "and then working to achieve those goals."

She said the district has a board of dedicated and caring individuals who focus on what is best for all students.

"We are also very fortunate to have a professional and dedicated administrative team, led by Dr. [Mary Anne] Donahue, who works collaboratively with the board in focusing on our students," she said.

When asked about the board's goals and objectives for the year, Friedman said the annual board/administrative retreat will be held in July. The retreat usually takes place in-district on one evening and one morning and is facilitated by the New Jersey School Boards Association as part of the district's dues. At that meeting, the board develops district and board goals.

"We spoke of several ways to continue to improve the effectiveness of our committee system as our method of board governance at our reorganization meeting, and those will be implemented as well," she said.

The Millstone and UFRSD boards of education have also been working closely together to develop areas in which they could partner and share services, according to Friedman.

"Our send-receive relationship allows us the opportunity to work together and learn from one another," she said. "I hope to be an asset to the UFRSD board, to work with both boards in further developing our partnership and to continue to improve communications between our two districts."