Get To Know Berkeley Heights School Candidate: Christine Reilly

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ — Christine Reilly is one of the three candidates running for election in the contested Berkeley Heights School Board election being held on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

There are two three-year seats up for grabs on the school board. Candidates include: Doug Reinstein, Christine Reilly and Gentiana Brahimaj.

Christine Reilly

Description:

My name is Christine Reilly. I have lived in Berkeley Heights since 1994 and have put three children — Spencer, Samantha and Ellie — through the public school system here. Each of my children are unique and they all had very different educational needs and experiences — so I was able to see our school system in action from a variety of different angles — which has been very helpful to me in my role as a board member.

Professionally, I am a CPA and have an MBA from New York University. Currently I am part owner and Chief Risk Officer for LiftForward, Inc., an early stage financial technology company in New York. Prior thereto I worked for a large commercial finance company (CIT: NYSE), for more than 18 years and held a number of operational and financial executive roles at CIT including the following: President of CIT's Small Business Lending Division (2006-2011); EVP and Head of Corporate Mergers & Acquisitions (2001-2006) ; EVP & Chief Audit Executive (1999-2000); and Chief Financial Officer of the Consumer Finance Division.

Why are you running for the school board?

I am running for a second three-year term on the Board of Ed so that I can continue the good work that I think is underway in our district. Three years ago I ran on a platform of "Good to Great" and I believe we have made a lot of progress towards that end — but there is more to do. Working with the administration we put together a comprehensive five-year strategic plan that targets not only the collective achievement of our student body as a whole but the individual academic and emotional success of each and every one of our students. We are two years into the strategic plan and, as Chairwoman of the Strategic Planning Committee, I have been very impressed with the dedication and passion that both Administrators and teachers have demonstrated in implementing the Plan's various initiatives, all of which are focused on improving performance in the following five key areas: student achievement, academic curriculum, talent and professional development, guidance services & communication, and technology. I am confident we will achieve our progress and achieve our longer term goals while continuing to balance the needs of our taxpayers.

What experience do you have that would help you serving on the school board?

As to why I think I can be an effective Board member: first and and foremost, I am a parent who believes strongly in public education. Secondly, as a corporate executive for many years, I have extensive financial and operational experience and skills that I believe are very relevant to ensuring effective governance of a large school system like ours. Lastly, I also feel I possess the requisite "soft skills" needed to optimize collaboration and ensure effective group decision-making at a Board level.

Currently I serve as Chair of the Finance Committee and Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee. I am also a member of the Technology Committee. Since joining the Board, I have learned a great deal about how our system operates and have been impressed with the sophistication of the issues that our district continues to face. I have profound respect for the diverse professional skill set of my colleagues on the Board and I believe I can continue to make a positive contribution to the team.

What issues would I like to see addressed if elected?

Well, as I district I think 5 years ago we were good...I think we are now very good...so I would like to see us become great! For details, see the Berkeley Heights 5 Year Good to Great Strategic Plan — its on the district website. It's a ground up, comprehensive document that reflects what the teachers and Administrators think we need to do to get there and I hope to continue to support them on this journey. In addition, I would like to see the board consider the viability of full day kindergarten and whether it is cost effective for our taxpayers; potentially expand the subscription busing pilot program which was put in place for the first time this September; continue to explore ways to help working parents stay informed and involved; and improve our overall outreach to all parents, students and taxpayers to ensure that we are listening.

— (If you are a candidate and would like to participate in the profile, please email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com)

(Image provided: Christine Reilly)

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