Six candidates will vie for the three seats open on the the Monroe Township Board of Education in this year’s election on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
The candidates include Tiffanie Davis; Stacey Keubler, an incumbent; Kristine Kozachyn; Anthony “Tony Lanteigne, an incumbent; Allison Longo; and Stephanie Young.
Name: Tiffanie Davis
Age: 37
Family: Three children
How many years have you lived in the township?: Nine years
School and degree: Currently enrolled at Rowan University
Profession: Full-time mom, former sales associate and restaurant server.
What is your involvement in the community? I am a volunteer.
Why are you running for an elected seat? I am running for the Monroe board to bring back transparency into our school system. I am concerned with all the construction in our town and where these children will attend school in the near future, since our schools are currently at our near max capacity.
What is one area you would like to concentrate on if elected? I want to foster knowledge and learning for our children to help shape them into young, successful adults. I believe parents should be 100% involved with their children’s education and always have a seat at that table.
Name: Stacey Keubler
Age: 51
How many years have you lived in township?: 25
Family: Married, two daughters, 19 and 13.
School and degree: Beaver College (now Arcadia University)
Profession: Stay-at-home mother; recently began working part-time at a local Wawa. Previously in human resources with the U.S. Navy.
Is this the first time you have run for a board seat? No, I am currently ending my first three-year term.
What is your involvement in the community: I’m an active volunteer with my child’s related school events.
Why are you running for an elected seat? I am currently the chairperson of the Schools Policy & Programs Committee, which allows me to work with the administration in establishing educational and program goals for our district.
What is one area you would like to concentrate on if elected? I would like to lobby for additional state and federal funding so we could increase our district’s potential. And at the same time, reduce or at least limit the cost to the taxpayers.
Name: Kristine (Krissy) Kozachyn (She, Her, Hers)
Age: 27
How many years have you lived in township?: Four years
Schools and degrees: Rowan University, bachelor of science in biomedical engineering, minor in marketing
Profession: global product manager for a medical device industry
Is this the first time you have run for a seat for a board seat? Yes
What is your involvement in the community? Monroe local politics, personal STEM tutoring, All In Fitness running club
Why are you running for an elected seat? I see my candidacy for the Monroe Township board as an investment in our future. At 27, I’m committed to being actively involved in the school system where I plan to raise my children. While many in my generation are content to complain without taking action, I’m dedicated to driving the changes needed to create a school environment I can confidently support.
What is one area you would like to concentrate on if elected? I believe a successful board should include diverse expertise in areas like education, finance, business, and personal experience as a parent. I intend to leverage my professional skills in vision setting, budget development and management and policy setting to make meaningful contributions to the Monroe board of education.
Name: Anthony “Tony” J. Lanteigne
Age: 63
How many years have you lived in the township?: 20
Family: Married, two sons
Schools and degrees: Some college, New Jersey State Police Municipal Officer Academy, New Jersey Attorney General Investigators Academy. Also completed multiple certified law-enforcement courses.
Profession: Retired detective sergeant
Is this the first time you have run for a board seat? Yes. I am currently completing an unexpired term through December.
What is your involvement in the community?: I coached town and travel soccer, basketball and baseball for several years. I am a past member of the Monroe Township Youth Basketball board of directors and I recently retired as president of the Williamstown High School Football Team Huddle Club. I am a retired 1st assistant fire chief and EMS crew chief.
Why are you running for an elected seat? I have always been committed to serving the community in one way or another. I want to utilize my experiences to work for the school community and the community of Monroe Township.
What is one area you would like to concentrate on if elected? Currently I hold the position of safety liaison between the board and the district. I would continue to ensure we provide every student, every staff member and every visitor a safe educational environment.
Name: Allison Longo
Age: 44
How many years have you lived in the township?: Seven
Family: My partner and I have six children, 23, 22, 15, 9, 6 and 1.
Profession: I have been employed as a health-care professional for over 24 years.
Is this the first time you have run for a board seat? Yes
What is your involvement in the community? I take great pride in my involvement in the community through my role as a parent volunteer for my daughter’s marching band/color guard. Additionally, I am honored to announce that I have been nominated to serve as the parent liaison at my youngest daughter’s school.
Why are you running for an elected seat? I am running because I am dedicated to improving the quality of education in our schools and ensuring that every student has the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential. As a parent myself, I understand the importance of parental involvement. I intend to bridge the gap between parents and schools by promoting open lines of communication among students, teachers, parents/guardians and our schools. I truly believe that every person deserves to have their concerns and opinions not only heard, but addressed by their elected representatives.
What is one area you would like to concentrate on if elected? One area that I would like to focus on is to advocate for increased funding for our schools and educational resources. I have witnessed first hand the struggles and challenges faced by our students, the teachers and our schools. As a potential board of education member, I am hoping to create a meaningful impact on improving our educational resources and a better learning environment for all our children in our community.
Name: Stephanie Young
Age: 44
How many years have you lived in the township?: 44
Family: Married, two children
School and degree: Rowan University
Profession: Business procurement analyst for the U.S. Department of Defense
Is this the first time you have run for a board seat? Yes
What is your involvement in the community? I am an active volunteer in school events and a member of the PTO. I am also a former coach and I sat on the board of directors for both Monroe Township Little League and Monroe Township Youth Basketball.
Why are you running for an elected seat? I would like to be a positive voice for both the students and taxpayers of Monroe Township.
What is one area you would like to concentrate on if elected? The safety of our students and staff is a top priority. I want to make sure that our school district provides a safe and supportive place for everyone involved.
