The Board received letters of interest from nine candidates. At a special meeting on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, 8 Millburn residents, Andy Demesier, Asaf Farashuddin, Brian Ruddy, Subadhra Sridharan, Nidhi Thakur, Howard Wachtel, Jodi Wiseman and Raymond Wong, made statements in support of their candidacy. (The 9th candidate, Steve Taylor, was not available, but his statement was read by the Board Secretary.)
The Board selected Farashuddin for his continuing interest in serving on the Board of Education, and his balanced approach and emphasis on collaboration. Farashuddin has two children, one currently at the High School. He is a Senior Vice President in the Insurance Services Office for Verisk, Inc. in Jersey City. In his letter of interest, he shared his “proven track record of inspiring a broad set of stakeholders to rally around a common cause.”
Board members thanked all of the candidates for their interest in serving the students and residents of our community. Each Board member commented on the talented pool of candidates who stepped forward, and said they represented an “embarrassment of riches.” Board President, Louie Shen, said, “Any candidate selected would be a welcome addition to the Board, and I encourage all of them to continue volunteering and working towards providing the best education and environment for our children.
In looking forward to his work with the Board Mr. Farashuddin said, “Millburn School District delivers a miracle to our community every year. That miracle, called public education, has the power to transform and shape the lives of our children and unlock their potential. Let us partner together in serving our community and the District.”