Brick's Filippone Chosen Columbus Day Parade Grand Marshal

BRICK, NJ — Dennis Filippone, the interim superintendent of the Brick Township School District, has been named the grand marshal of the 2018 Columbus Day Parade in Seaside Heights.

"Dennis stood out among this year's nominees because of his commitment to the education of our youth in the school system," Parade Chairman Michael Blandina said, "especially for his efforts over the last several years to bring more culture and heritage into Brick Township's high schools."

The annual Italian festival in Seaside Heights is set for Oct. 5-7, with the parade on Sunday, Oct. 7, the Ocean County Columbus Day Parade Committee said in a news release.

Filippone has been an educator in the Brick schools since 1978. The 1974 Brick graduate returned to his alma mater after graduating from Southern Connecticut University, and was a special education teacher at Lake Riviera Middle School until 1995, when he was named assistant principal at Brick Township High School. He became principal at Osbornville Elementary School in 1999 then returned to Brick High School as principal in 2003. He was appointed director of planning, research and evaluation in 2016 and appointed interim superintendent in July 2017.

With the recent appointment of Gerard Dalton, who is to take over as the district's superintendent July 1, Filippone will return to his role of director of planning, research and evaluation, the news release said.

In addition to his work in the school district, Filippone serves as superintendent of the Ocean County Challenger League, which provides competition for students with special needs; the YMCA; the Brick Municipal Anti-Drug Coalition; the DART Coalition; the Governor's Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse; Relay for Life; the Lacey School District Education Foundation, the Ocean County Facilities Review Committee and the Toms River Planning Board.

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"We are confident this extraordinary individual will uphold the fine tradition established by his predecessors," Blandina said.

The parade committee will hold its annual Grand Marshal Dinner Dance on Thursday, June 14 at Crystal Point Yacht Club on Route 70 in Point Pleasant. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. Contact the committee at info@columbusnj.org for more information.

The dinner dance will honor Filippone and his wife, Dr. Christine Filippone. The couple, who live in Lacey, have been married for 36 years and have two daughters and a granddaughter.

Photo provided by the Ocean County Columbus Day Parade Committee