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Nulty appointed to school board
On Tuesday the Verona Board of Education selected attorney John Nulty to fill Philip Giannuario’s
vacant seat, following a series of public candidate interviews.
“I think we had a terrific bunch of candidates,” Board President John Quattrocchi said Wednesday.
“It was a tough decision. People brought different skills to the table...”
“In the end, as we told all of the candidates, it would be great to pick all of them, but we could only
choose one.”
The new board member would serve from that date until next April’s elections, when he or she must run for election.
Barbara Borchese, Gerald Caprio, John Nulty, Mary Paparazzo and James Robertson, submitted letters of interest before the deadline. Caprio, however, dropped out of consideration at last week’s meeting, saying he would be out of town during the interviews.
Tuesday’s format was simple. After entering the room and briefly talking about themselves, each candidate would be asked three questions: why do you want to be a board member; what do you think is the role of a board member; and what are the strengths and weaknesses of the Verona district. Board members could then ask any follow-up questions.
Borchese was asked to go first, and the rest of the order was drawn randomly.
Barbara Borchese
Borchese said she became interested in volunteering after watching U.S. Sen. Barack Obama discuss community service during the Democratic National Convention.
“If I told [my sons] to help out for their town and country, I should do the same,” she said.
The six-year resident works as vice president, director of operations for the IT department of Common Health. Borchese served as PTA president in Nutley and is a parent of three special needs children.
She considered a board member’s role to be “the hands and voices of a lot of people.”
As to the district’s strengths, she called Verona a “great small community” with a great team of teachers who collaborate with parents.
She listed technology and providing greater options for “average students” among Verona’s weaknesses.
James Robertson
Robertson said he has been on “the front lines of parenting.”
The 18-year resident works as an attorney and served as a special counsel for Princeton Regional Schools and Trenton Public Schools. He sat on Gibbs University’s board of trustees and was its chairman.
“I’ve seen every aspect - I’ve sat in on closed sessions, advised during closed sessions,” he said.
Robertson considered a board member’s role to set the tone, lead by example and set a moral and ethical path towards achieving excellence.
He suggested private/public collaborations and seeking grants or specialized programs funded by private institutions. He named academics and co-curricular among Verona’s strengths and maximizing limited funds as a weakness.
John Nulty
Nulty said he has been an attorney for 15 years, concentrating in civil litigation and public entities.
Together with his wife Kathleen, the 13-year resident has three children in H. B. Whitehorne Middle School and Forest Avenue Elementary School.
“Now as they are more involved, I have a broader interest,” he said.
A board member’s role is to know the facts and do everything possible for the school system, he said.
Nulty said he approaches topics with a deliberative process and recognizes the value of presenting opinions even if they will not carry the day.
He said Verona’s strengths were an “engaged populace” and terrific leaders, while its weaknesses are funding limitations. The candidate planned to run in the spring. He said he represents unions but did not see that as an opportunity for a conflict of interest.
Mary Paparazzo
A former board member, Paparazzo asked to be considered on the basis of her experience as a taxpayer and parent as well.
The 27-year resident holds an early education degree from Kean University and works as a dental hygienist. She said her children have participated in band, soccer, baseball and drama club.
“I am concerned about bullying, dress code and school safety,” she said. “I am interested in consistency in discipline and grading and professional development.”
Paparazzo served on the board from 1998 to 2004.
She considered a board member’s role to be an advocate for the community, not in planning education but “help put its standards forth.”
She saw the school district’s strengths as being its variety of foreign language courses and its ability to prepare students for post-secondary education, while a weakness is the need to work on foreign language articulation.
Paparazzo said she would run in the spring.
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