Eight Lawrence Township residents who are vying for four seats on the Lawrence Township Public Schools Board of Education will make their case at a candidates forum set for Oct. 29.
The candidates forum, which starts at 7 p.m., will be held at the Lawrence Township municipal building, Route 206. It is being sponsored by the Lawrence Chapter of the League of Women Voters.
Four seats are up for grabs, three seats carry a three-year term, and one seat is for an unexpired term that will end in January 2021. Voters will chose from among the eight candidates for the four seats in the Nov. 6 general election.
Up for grabs are three seats held by board members JoAnn L. Groeger, Joyce Scott and Kevin Van Hise. The fourth seat, held by Dana Drake, is for an unexpired term that will end in January 2021.
At the forum, each candidate will present opening remarks. The candidates will answer questions from audience members that have been submitted to League of Women Voters representatives at the forum. The candidates will be offered a chance to make closing remarks.
The candidates forum will be moderated by Karen Siracusa, who lives in West Windsor Township and who is a trained League of Women Voters moderator.
Becky Jo DiPierro is seeking to fill the unexpired term. She is a teacher/mentor. She holds master’s degrees in kinesiology and in adult and organizational development.
Drake, who is seeking to fill the unexpired term, is a small business consultant. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Groeger, who is seeking re-election to a full term, taught in the Lawrence Township Public Schools for 32 years. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Kings College and master’s degrees from Georgian Court University and Shenandoah University.
Tam Ngo, who is an attorney and stay-at-home mom, is seeking a full term. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Smith College and a law degree from UC Hastings College of the Law.
Jennifer Perry, who is seeking a full term, is a wife and mother. She earned a bachelor’s degree in social work.
Scott is seeking re-election to a full term. She graduated from Mercer Vocational and Technical School, and attended college.
Keva Stewart is running for a full term. She is an interior designer who earned a bachelor’s degree of fine art from the Maryland Institute College of Art.
Van Hise, who is seeking re-election to a full term, is an attorney. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University and a law degree from Rutgers University School of Law-Camden.
