HOLMDEL – Four residents are seeking three available three-year terms on the Holmdel Township Schools Board of Education in the November 2020 election.
The candidates are Eileen Briamonte, Irfan Lateef, Peter Reddy and Linda Zhang.
Briamonte and Reddy are current board members. Lateef and Zhang are running as a team.
Briamonte is a 20-year resident of Holmdel. She has been a private tutor for the past 12 years. She was appointed to the board in 2016 and is running for her second full term on the board.
“I am inspired by the great things that will come from the culmination of renovated buildings, new educational spaces, extraordinary new courses, new sports facilities and updated artistic spaces.
“There is always more work to be accomplished and goals to be set, and I am prepared and ready for the ongoing challenges,” she said.
“The board will conduct a search for a permanent superintendent shortly. The position where the board has the most influence is the selection of a superintendent. This election is important because those individuals elected will be involved in the process to identify the next superintendent.
“The type of foresight needed for our board can only be gained from direct experience. It is critical that this decision is made by those who are trusted and have the experience to make this decision in the most decisive and informed manner,” Briamonte said.
Reddy is an 11-year resident of Holmdel and has two sons in the school district. He has worked with Honeywell International to design energy saving programs for school districts for 17 years. He is seeking his third term on the board.
“I am a strong believer in giving back and trying to help wherever I can. I appreciate what I have and have always been one to do for others. Running for a third term to me is a simple choice as there is more work to do even after all we have accomplished over the last six years,” Reddy said.
Lateef is a 20-year resident of Holmdel and has four children, with two currently attending Holmdel High School. He has 25 years of experience in the telecommunications industry and currently works with a networking startup company.
Zhang is a 10-year resident of Holmdel and has two sons attending Holmdel High School. She currently works for Microsoft.
The candidates said their priorities as board members would be to ensure the safety of students, teachers and all district personnel while operating during the COVID-19 pandemic; to restore academic excellence. They said all students should thrive in an exciting and motivating environment; to advocate for the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics; and to review and redirect spending toward proper goals and objectives to hold school taxes at their current level or to reduce school taxes.
“We believe that, fundamentally, school is about education and preparing our students for their future; whether that is college or a different career path.
“It is important that we provide an exciting and motivating environment so students can thrive and achieve more. It is time to change priorities and focus on providing a more effective academic program,” the two candidates said.
