Open Westwood School Board Seat Draws Two Candidates

Two candidates are seeking an unexpired term on the Westwood Regional Board of Education which will be left open when longtime board member Barbara Gregory officially retires at the end of the month.

Julie Keating and Michael DeSena, both of Washington Township, have put their names in for the school board seat.

DeSena is an engineer and adjuct professor of engineering at Fairleigh Dickinson University. He has a son at Westwood Regional Middle School and a newborn due in August.

He has volunteered with various community groups, including coaching baseball and basketball, being a member of the Knights of Columbus and working closely with the George School PSO when his wife was the group's president.

"I want to make sure our schools are as good as they can be," DeSena said.

Keating is the district test coordinator at Cresskill Public Schools and a former classroom teacher for 15 years. She has two children in college and another who attends Westwood Regional High School.

She is also a member of the Washington Township Library Board and formerly worked for the summer rec program.

Keating said she hoped to help the changes that have been occuring in the district go as smoothly as possible.

"I think the schools have been going in a good direction, so I'd like to be able to continue that positive move," Keating said.

Board of Education President Roberta Hanlon said the board may appoint one of the candidates as soon as July. However, the chosen candidate will still have to defend the seat in the November election to keep it for the last year of the term.

Hanlon, as well as board members Joseph Blundo and Robert Koch, are all runnning unopposed to keep their seats on the board in November.

Election day is November 5.

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