Four Running For Three Available Seats On Central Regional School Board

By Patricia A. Miller

Four people are vying for three Berkeley Township seats on the nine-member Central Regional Regional Board of Education.

Central Regional is losing two current board members. Christine Dwight is running for a seat on the Berkeley Board of Education. Debra Matthews - who was appointed to a seat in July when Denise Pavone-Wilson resigned - did not file to run.

Current Central board member Nick Mackres is running for his first full term. Mackres won a one-year unexpired term in 2012. The slot was the unexpired term of longtime board member Robert Ray, who was elected to the Township Council. Thomas Raneri was appointed in 2012 but decided not to run in the November election and Mackres ran unopposed.

Mackres, 9 Halsey Avenue has a bachelor's degree in science and a master's degree in business administration from Columbia University. He is a vice president with the National Security Roundtable.

Jennifer Leicht, 58 Pheasant Drive, is running for her first term on the board.
She is a paraprofessional with the Berkeley Township school district. She attended Middlesex County College.

John Hudak, 11 Morris Boulevard, is running for his first term. Hudak, a chiropractor, has a bachelor's degree in science from Excelsior College.

Joseph Mielewski, 38 Holly Boulevard, is an information technology manager. He has a bachelor's degree in science and a master's degree in business administration from St. Peter's College.

The regional school board has five seats from Berkeley Township and one each from Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, Ocean Gate and Island Heights.