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WARREN TWP. – Sage Drive resident Eric Winch is among seven candidates running for three, three-year seats on the grades K-8 Board of Education in the Tuesday, Nov. 8 general election.
The field also includes Scott Otto, Stephen Toor, Natalie Feuchtbaum, Patricia Zohn, Ned Bolcar and Mark Bisci. Zohn and Bisci are incumbents. Board member Lisa DiMaggio is not running for re-election. Otto did not submit a candidate profile when requested by this newspaper.
Winch, 45, has lived in Warren for five years and has two children. He holds a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice from Rutgers University, a law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law, and a master’s degree in business administration in information technology management from Seton Hall.
Winch works as chief information officer at Union College in Cranford. He is a past coach with the Warren baseball and softball program.
Why are you running for the school board?
“If working in higher education has taught me anything, it’s that education is one of the keys to a better life,” Winch said. “We all want the best for our children, and while we can’t control the world around us, what we can do is make sure our children have all the tools they need to be successful and happy.
“Today’s world has shown us that we must be able to adjust and adapt to ever-changing and unpredictable circumstances,” Winch said. “All the decisions made by our schools now can have lasting impacts on our children in the future.
“Professionally, I am guided by that mission every day,” Winch said. “As a member of the school board, I would be able to apply that directive to our children and ensure that they all, no matter their background or needs, receive the high-quality education they deserve.”
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the district over the next three years? Over the next year?
“I believe that school safety must be at the forefront of discussions, including planning, training and awareness,” Winch said. “Although we live in a relatively safe community, in today’s world that ‘safe’ designation can create a false sense of security. While I don’t endorse creating hysteria, I believe that proper planning and training can limit the impact from any security event.”
What special qualifications do you bring to help meet the challenge?
“I have worked in higher education most of my professional life,” Winch said. “I began my career as an attorney, but soon transitioned into higher education. I have held various positions across two-year and four-year institutions.”
“I have also participated in the Warren Township Schools Strategic Plan Voice and Engagement Committee,” Winch said. “As part of the committee, I worked along with school staff, board members and other parents, discussing how to create a sustainable change management plan and how best to communicate change to the school community.
“Further, at Union College, I am a member of the Emergency Management & Planning Team, which evolved from the Covid-19 Task Force I was also a member of,” Winch added. “While Covid-19 is still a subtopic of this team, the scope of our work extends to the broader issues of public safety. Given the recent events across our nation, our discussions and activities ensure that our campus remains prepared and vigilant.”
Are there any specific areas that you feel are of particular importance that the board should be addressing, or should continue to focus on?
“Rebuilding trust with the community and reaffirming that the school board’s mission is to support the success of our children,” Winch said. “I value the importance of education, and as a parent understand the desire to give our children the best opportunities possible and to keep them safe.
“As a higher educational professional, student success has always been my core mission,” Winch added. “Too often these goals are lost in personal and even political battles, and the only ones who get hurt are our kids. That needs to change and should be a board priority moving forward.”
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