Page 10 Thursday, October 29, 2015 The Westfield Leader and The Scotch Plains – Fanwood TIMES A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION State Assembly LD21 Candidates, pick two State Assembly LD22 Candidates, pick two (R), (R), Jill Lazare (D), David Barnett (D) William Vastine (R), William Michelson (R), Jerry Green (D), James Kennedy (D)

Jon Bramnick Nancy MunozJill Anne Lazare David Barnett William “Bo” Vastine William Michelson Jerry Green James Kennedy

Jon Bramnick (R) Nancy Munoz (R) Jill Anne LaZare (D) William “Bo” Vastine (R) Jerry Green (D) James Kennedy (D) Assemblyman Jon Bramnick is Assemblywoman Nancy Muñoz was Jill Anne LaZare is a Summit-based Mr. Vastine was elected to Scotch Jerry Green has served in the New James Kennedy served as Rahway serving his fifth term in the New sworn into office on May 21, 2009, attorney. Ms. LaZare, who runs her Plains Township Council in 2010, Jersey General Assembly since 1992. mayor from 1991 through 2010, when Jersey General Assembly represent- filling the unexpired term of her late own practice in Summit, ran for this and served from 2011 to 2014. He He currently serves as chairman of he declined to seek a sixth term. He ing Union, Somerset and Morris husband Assemblyman Eric Muñoz, seat two years ago. was deputy mayor in 2012, and served the Assembly Housing and Local was named by the Union County Counties in the 21st District. Mr. M.D. On November 3, 2009, she was With an interest in music and edu- on the planning board and as council Government and as a member of the Democratic Committee to run for Bramnick was elected by his col- elected to her first two-year term repre- cation, she studied at the New En- liaison to the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Health and Senior Services Commit- Assembly after Assemblywoman leagues in January 2012 to serve as senting the 21st Legislative District, gland Conservatory of Music. She Board of Education and the Raritan tee. Linda Stender (D) announced she the assembly minority leader, mak- which includes 16 towns in Essex, earned her bachelor’s degree from Rail Coalition. Mr. Green is a business consultant. would not seek re-election following ing him the highest-ranking mem- Morris, Somerset and Union counties. Monmouth University, and later at- He serves on the Scotch Plains He also serves on the advisory com- a scandal involving her husband’s ber of the Republican Caucus in the Assemblywoman Muñoz is a tained her law degree from Rutgers Republican Committee as the elected mittee for Valley National Bank in shore home that was damaged in assembly. graduate of Skidmore College where Law School in Newark. District 23 representative, previously Wayne and on the board of directors Hurricane Sandy. Mr. Bramnick grew up in she earned her bachelor’s degree in She has been a lifelong resident of serving as first vice-chairman on the of the Business Partnership of Mr. Kennedy owns a local store, Plainfield and graduated from nursing; she earned her master’s de- , growing up along the Plainfield Republican Committee. He Somerset County. Kennedy Jewelers, and was presi- Plainfield High School. His parents gree as a clinical nurse specialist from shore in Deal. Ms. LaZare and her previously ran for the state Assembly Assemblyman Green served on the dent of the Rahway Chamber of Com- owned Lazaar’s Stationers, their Hunter College. She has worked as a husband have been Summit residents in 2009, when he and his running- Union County Board of Chosen Free- merce during the late 1980s. family business in Plainfield, for nurse in surgical intensive care at for almost 20 years, and had raised mate, Martin Marks, came within 4 holders from 1989 to 1991, and from In 2006, Mr. Kennedy persuaded over 50 years. From 1984 to 1991, Yale-New Haven Hospital and has their three children, two of which percent of defeating long-time in- 1982 to 1984, serving as the board’s the Union County Board of Chosen he served on the Plainfield City also worked at Massachusetts Gen- graduated from local public schools. cumbents. chairman in 1990. He served on the Freeholders to invest $6.2 million in Council. He was an assistant pro- eral, Memorial-Sloan Kettering Can- Professionally, Mr. Vastine is fi- Union County Planning Board, the the renovation of the Union County fessor of business law at Rider Uni- cer Center and Overlook Hospital in nance manager with the Plainfield Parks and Recreation Committee, and Performing Arts Center, an historic versity from 1984 to 1989 and an Summit, New Jersey. David Barnett (D) Area YMCA and is the founder of Human Services and Economic De- 1,300-seat vaudeville venue that adjunct professor of business law at Ms. Muñoz is serving on the Assem- David Barnett is an entrepreneur Tech Startup Professionals. velopment. opened in 1928 as the Rahway The- Rutgers University from 1989 to bly Health and Senior Services Com- and business executive specializing He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree ater. The building fell into disrepair 1990. mittee and the Assembly Commerce in creating and managing operations in Speech Communication from as a movie house in the 1970s, but Mr. Bramnick is a partner in the and Economic Development Commit- for fast-growth companies. He Texas A&M University. after being reopened by a local non- law firm of Bramnick, Rodriguez, tee. She currently serves as the deputy founded Corsis Technology Services profit preservation group in 1984, it Mitterhoff, Grabas & Woodruff, republican whip after serving as policy in 1993, and steadily grew the com- has become a cornerstone of the based in Scotch Plains. He was ad- co-chair from 2012 to 2013. pany from two employees to over Rahway Arts District and part of the mitted to the Bar in 1978 Ms. Muñoz resides in Summit with 100. He also serves as managing part- William Michelson (R) ongoing $100-million redevelopment and the New Jersey Bar in 1984. He her five children and has served as the ner of the private equity firm and William Michelson has been an of downtown Rahway. is a certified civil trial attorney and president of the Parent Teacher Asso- venture incubator Marshall Junction attorney for 36 years and owns a law Mr. Kennedy and his wife, Lori, a a frequent lecturer for both the New ciations/Organizations at Summit’s Partners, LLC. practice in Fanwood, handling mat- kindergarten teacher who retired in Jersey Institute for Continuing Le- elementary, middle and high school, Community involvement and ters of legal malpractice and ethics, June 2011, have one son, Sean, who gal Education and the American as well as serving as the president of volunteerism is deeply important to governmental and political topics, and operates the jewelry store on a day- Association for Justice. the President’s Council. She has de- Mr. Barnett. To this end, he is the LGBT/same sex issues. He is also an to-day basis. Mr. Bramnick holds a bachelor veloped a passion for education and mayor of Springfield and sits on many urban planner with a subspecialty in of arts degree in political science human services issues both from the other township and county boards. historic preservation. from Syracuse University, where personal and fiscal perspectives. He is a board member of the All Stars Mr. Michelson has many years of he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Ms. Muñoz has become the prime Project of New Jersey, a non-govern- experience in local government, on He also holds his law degree from sponsor of the Jessica Lunsford Act ment funded organization dedicated planning boards and the like. Cur- Hofstra University’s School of Law. legislation first introduced by her hus- to providing after-school education rently, he is chairman of the Plainfield He resides in Westfield with his band. When passed, this measure will and career development opportuni- Historic Preservation Commission, wife Patricia and has two grown increase penalties of sexual offenders ties to youth in the nation’s poorest in a city that has 10 historic districts. children, Brent and Abigail. and the people who harbor them. communities. View the Candidate Interviews www.goleader.com/services/video For Clerk of DEMOCRATIC Westfield Bd. of Education Candidates (3 Candidates for 3 seats, 3-year terms) Union County COLUMN Gretchen Ohlig, Robert S. Garrison, Charles R. Ostroff, 5 Year Term DAN ORTOLANI

He’ll FIGHT for

Modern Efficient Gretchen Ohlig Robert Garrison Charles Ostroff Gretchan R. Ohlig Charles Ostroff Joanne Rajoppi Transportation Gretchan R. Ohlig has served on Charles Ostroff and his wife Lisa the Westfield Board of Education for have lived in Westfield for approxi- between Westfield the past four years and is its current mately 12 years and have two chil- vice president. During her time on dren, Ava, 11, and Harrison, 8. He is the board, Ms. Ohlig has served as chief credit officer for Arbor Com- and NYC chair of the policy and curriculum mercial Mortgage, a multi-family committees and also has been a mem- housing lender. Mr. Ostroff has been ber of the facilities, finance, and leg- with Arbor for six years. He began islation committees. Gretchen and his professional career as a practic- her partner have five children rang- ing attorney but transitioned to real He’s COMMITTED ing in age from 18 to 12. She prac- estate finance full-time 18 years ago. tices law at Phelan, Frantz & Peek, Mr. Ostroff has bachelor’s degree to Advocate for LLC on Orchard Street in Westfield, from George Washington University a small firm specializing in real es- and a law degree from the University tate, estate planning and trust and of Baltimore. Ward 1 Neighbors estate administration. She is also a founding trustee of and counsel to Joanne Rajoppi (D) Joseph Aubourg Liam’s Room, Inc. For Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi is the first woman Joseph Aubourg (R) Robert S. Garrison county clerk in the 154-year history of For Union County Clerk He’s DEDICATED Robert Garrison has vast experi- Union County. She was elected in Joseph Aubourg is an adjunct pro- TO REPRESENT ence in federal, state, county and 1995 and re-elected in 2000, 2005 and fessor at both Middlesex County to representative municipal government, labor rela- 2010. She previously served as the College and Monmouth University, tions, public finance, workforce de- first woman Union County Register teaching communications and criti- WARD 1 velopment, political campaigns and of Deeds and Mortgages for 12 years. cal discourse. He has worked exten- two party campaign finance. He specializes in Ms. Rajoppi, a native of Spring- sively with media markets as a pro- government relations and issue and field, served on that municipality’s duction assistant for the Tribeca Film ON TOWN government in grassroots advocacy. Board of Education and Township Festival and researcher for Black Garrison most recently served as Committee and was the first woman Entertainment Television. He has Director of the Bergen County De- mayor of Springfield in 1977. She been an advocate for minority voting COUNCIL Westfield partment of Planning and Economic was elected to the Union County initiatives delivering a 20-percent in- Development and the Executive Di- Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1978 crease in recent elections. “As a senior executive for a global software company, I have fostered high rector of the Bergen County Improve- and became its first woman chairman He received his bachelor’s degree quality customer service, managed a budget on a scale similar to Westfield’s. ment Authority. in 1980. Gov. Brendan Byrne ap- in political science and communica- His work centered on transporta- pointed her to serve as New Jersey’s tions from Kean University in 2006 In Westfield, I led Cub Scout Pack 172, and lead a Folk and Bluegrass band, tion policy, conduit bond financing, assistant secretary of state in 1981. and his master’s degree in strategic Little Secret, which plays to support charitable causes. As a commuter, I am community development and rede- She received her bachelor’s degree, communication from Seton Hall velopment of downtowns. cum laude, from Case Western Re- University in 2012. He is a 2001 all too aware of the need for Westfield to raise its collective voice to insist on Mr. Garrison has served on various serve University in Cleveland and her graduate of Abraham Clark High solutions for our transportation system. I am committed to fight for solutions.” boards including the Casino Rein- master’s in public administration from School in Roselle. vestment Development Authority the Center for Public Service at Seton (CRDA), the Governors Ethics Task Hall University. Ms. Rajoppi served Force, the North Jersey Transporta- as an adjunct lecturer in public admin- tion Planning Authority, the Hudson istration and public policy making at County Board of Elections and the Rutgers University in New Brunswick Bringing a Fresh Perspective to Town Government Union County Planning Board. for 18 years. She also has taught con- Mr. Garrison received his law de- tinuing education courses for munici- VOTE DEMOCRATIC Tues. Nov. 3rd gree from Rutgers Law School, a pal clerks throughout the state for 12 masters degree in government ad- years. She resides in Union Township WWW.DANOFORCOUNCIL.COM ministration from the University of and is the mother of two sons, Peter- Paid for by and Authorized by Westfield Democratic Committee, 956 Wyandotte Trail, Westfield, NJ 07090 Pennsylvania’s Fels Center of Gov- Anthony Pappas and Andrew Pappas ernment, an undergraduate associate and grandmother to Arianna.