WESTFIELD — The Westfield Board of Education met on May 1 for its reorganization meeting, where Business Administrator/Board Secretary Patricia Ramos swore in re-elected membersLeilaMorrelliandSonalPatel, along with newly-elected Julie Steinberg, for their three-year terms. New board leadership also was chosen.
After being nominated by Ms. Morrelli, Rob Benacchio, last year’s vice-president, was unanimously elected to serve as the board’s president.
“I wanted to nominate Rob as president of the Westfield Board of Education because he is an extremely dedicated board member who has served as co-chair of the curriculum committee,” said Ms. Morrelli. “He is also an active member of the finance and facility committee and serves as a liaison to the recreation commission. Since being elected two years ago, Rob has shown himself not only to be a willing team player, but a stronger leader. His tenure as vice-president indicates his pragmatic skills, not only with his communication with all stakeholders but with his impartiality. Rob is proactive, approachable and knowledgeable, and it’s been an honor working with him and getting to know him.”
Ms. Patel, last year’s board president, agreed that Mr. Benacchio would be the perfect choice to lead the board effectively and complemented his comprehensive approach.
“I’d like to take a moment to discuss the upcoming board year and the positive work we have ahead of us. I’d like to thank the most recent president for all the work they’ve done,” said Mr. Benacchio. “I’d like to thank my fellow board members for trusting me with this role. This is truly a collaborative process. My goal is to continue the good work, and one way to build on the role of president is by increasing our opportunities for dialogue at meetings. I want to make myself available to parents and residents to make sure I hear their concerns. I also want to make sure I get sufficient communication out to the public by email.” Regarding the “significant unrest” on college campuses and addressing parent concern, Mr. Benacchio said, “The district is prepared to address any of these concerns with systems we already have in place.” He added that there has been “so far no significant uptick in any anti-Semitic or any other discriminatory actions” in the district.
Mr. Benacchio also discussed the importance of mental-health services and coming together as a community during difficult times.
Ms. Patel was then nominated for the office of vice-president by board member Brendan Galligan.
“The leadership team has been phenomenal, and I’d like to see that moving forward this year,” Mr. Galligan said.
