On Election Day, November 6, 2018, Jersey City residents will choose among eight candidates to fill three open board member seats coming to full term. There are two independent candidates – Natalia Ioffe and Asmaa Abdalla, three candidates running on the Jersey City United slate, and three candidates running on the Education Matters slate. The candidates are as follows, listed in the order that they will appear on the ballot.
Education Matters
- Marilyn Roman (Incumbent, 1i) – Marilyn Roman is a lifelong resident of Jersey City, and she has been an educator for over 42 years. She was involved in bringing the first preschools to Jersey City Public Schools, acted as interim Mayor of Jersey City in 1992, and has served on the JCBOE since 2012.
- Joan Terrell-Paige (Non-Incumbent, 2i)– Joan Terrell-Paige is a lifelong resident of Jersey City, having attended PS 14 and Snyder High School. She has served as a former President of the Claremont Avenue Block Association and as an aide to a former Jersey City councilwoman.
- Mussab Ali (Incumbent, 3i) – Mussab Ali is a graduate of Jersey City Public Schools, having attended PS 23, PS 6, Academy 1, and McNair Academic. He campaigned and won a seat in 2016 as the youngest member ever elected to the JCBOE. He is currently a senior at Rutgers University.
Jersey City United
- Vidya Gangadin (Incumbent, 4i) – Vidya Gangadin is a resident of Greenville, having been elected to the board of education in 2012. She was re-elected in 2015, and has served as Vice President, President, and Chair of the Finance Committee.
- Neil Abadie (Non-Incumbent, 5i) – Neil Abadie is the CTO for SafeBus, which offers technology solutions for school transportation issues to students and families. He comes from a family of educators and seeks to continue this legacy on the JCBOE.
- Dominique Smith (Non-Incumbent, 6i) – Dominique Smith is a graduate of Jersey City Public Schools, having attended PS 33, as well as County Prep. She currently works as a student development professional and seeks to apply her skills with a term on the JCBOE.
Independent Candidates
- Natalia Ioffe (Non-Incumbent, 7i) – Natalia Ioffe immigrated to the United States in 1992 at the age of 11. She and her family have been Jersey City residents for 13 years. She has served her community on the parent council of PS 16 as President, Vice President, and Committee Director for the past five years.
- Asmaa Abdalla (Non-Incumbent, 8i) – Asmaa is a graduate of Jersey City Public Schools, having attended PS 27 and Liberty High School, and a resident of 22 years. She has served the students and families of Jersey City as a volunteer tutor, and she currently works as a medical lab technician
Jersey City Ed 