Julie Mahan has been a Fair Lawn resident along with her husband, Thor, for 15 years. They have two sons, Lincoln, Class of 2034, and Lawler, Class of 2032. Mahan has an undergraduate degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Rhode Island and a master’s degree in Social Work from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University. She is a licensed clinical social worker. Since 2005, she has been a school social worker with experience in public and private education in New Jersey and New York. She also manages her own private practice in town and specializes in psychotherapy with children, adolescents and their families.

Mahan is passionate about mental health and wellness and she believes social emotional learning is a core building block for education and should be a priority for all learners. In her free time, you can find her coaching, volunteering in class or cheering for her boys on and off the fields.

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Joseph Baldofsky, has been serving on the Board of Education since 2022. He is a lifelong resident of Fair Lawn and a proud product of the Fair Lawn Public Schools. An alumnus of Fair Lawn High School’s Class of 2015, Joseph was elected Student Body President his senior year after serving as the Student Board of Education Representative from 2013-2014.

Joseph received a B.A. in History with a minor in Political Science from The College of New Jersey in 2019 and is currently pursuing a J.D. at Rutgers Law School in Newark. Joseph previously worked as the Confidential Aide to the Bergen County Executive and has extensive government experience having interned at all levels of government – from Fair Lawn’s Borough Hall to the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Joseph is passionate about improving the services available to our students, especially mental health resources, enhancing the integration of technology in the classroom, and addressing the environmental and fiscal sustainability of our District.

As the first member of Generation Z (demographic cohort born between 1997 and 2012) elected to serve at any level in our community, Joseph is excited to bring his unique perspective to the Board of Education.

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Gene Banta and his wife Janice have lived in Fair Lawn for over 40 years. They have three children who graduated from the Fair Lawn School System in 2002, 2005, and 2012.  He has one grandchild at Lyncrest School with another grandchild starting there in 2023.

He is a graduate of St. John’s University with a B.A. in English and a minor in Business. He is a graduate of New York Law School and is a member of the New Jersey and New York Bars and is admitted to practice in three Federal District Courts.

He is a practicing attorney with over 30 years’ experience. He specializes in Commercial Litigation, Real Estate and Business Formations. Prior to becoming an attorney, he managed restaurants with sales of more than $2 million per year.

He has been a member of the Board of Education for 30 years. He has served as President of the Board for 10.5 years and Vice President for 4.5 years. He has been the Board’s lead negotiator with the Teacher's Union for the past 25 years and has been a member of the Board's negotiating team with the other three associations. He has chaired the Finance, Buildings & Grounds, Personnel, and Policy committees of the Board.

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Dr. Edward Bertolini has resided in Fair Lawn since 1993, moving here primarily because of the quality of the school system. When possible, I add my middle name to underscore the power of education. My father, the son of immigrants from northern Italy, left school after tenth grade. There are few places in this world where a parent with a limited education can have a son, benefiting from the educational system, reach the highest levels in secondary education. “Education is the great equalizer” and I am an example of this statement. 

He has over 50 years of experience in the education field and graduated from Paramus Catholic Boys High School, received an undergraduate degree in Political Science and American Studies from Manhattan College, a Masters in Educational Leadership from Montclair State University, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from NOVA Southeastern University. 

His professional career has spanned over four decades as a teacher, supervisor, coach, vice principal, principal, and superintendent of schools in the private and public sector in northern New Jersey schools. In December 2022, he retired as superintendent of schools from the Leonia Board of Education. 

His educational philosophy is based on the fundamental principle that it is the responsibility of the Board of Education to establish policies that provide the best course of study for each individual student. We need to ensure these  opportunities  encourage, excite, and challenge.  My work on the Board of Education will be driven by my educational philosophy to ensure each Fair Lawn student reaches their fullest potential.  Thank you for your support!

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Jeanne Browne has been a proud resident of Fair Lawn for the past ten years, with ties to this great community stemming back to childhood, when her grandparents resided here.  Jeanne has two children in our school system, Charles, a Memorial Middle School student, and Jack, a Westmoreland Elementary School student.  She is a member of Westmoreland's and Memorial Middle School's PTOs where she can be found volunteering at numerous school happenings including, but not limited to, book fairs, dances, and classroom events.  Serving the students of Fair Lawn is her greatest passion.  Browne is an active member in the Fair Lawn community, stepping up to coach in many different rec sports throughout her sons' athletic careers and is an active member of the CRC committee in town. 

Browne received her BA in Elementary Education/Special Education from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, where she competed on the Women's Fencing Team, coached by Dr. Nikki Franke.  She went on to earn her master's degree at Boston College in Educational Leadership and Policy.  She brings 17 years of experience in the field of education as a special education teacher.

Her educational philosophy as a board member is to establish policies that put students and their success first, while working together with her fellow board members to ensure our district continues to be run in a successful, fiscally responsible way.  She is honored to serve her community, especially the students, who are the future of Fair Lawn.

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Rita Fayvelevich was raised in a family of educators, I am excited to have the privilege of being elected to serve on the Fair Lawn Board of Education. I am a proud graduate of Fair Lawn High School and a Fair Lawn resident for 20 years. Upon graduation, I attended Montclair State University and received a B.S and M.S. in Mathematics. I have made a career of teaching mathematics to high school students for more than ten years. My goal is to make sure our schools are fiscally responsible while providing our students the best possible education.

More about Rita Fayvelevich - Email Rita Fayvelevich ​​​​

Michael Rosenberg has resided in Fair Lawn since 1974. He is married to his wife, Ellen, and has two sons who both graduated from Fair Lawn High School (FLHS), Anthony and Dan. He has five grandchildren, Connor (FLHS), Kayla (Memorial), Riley, Gabriella (Forrest), and Daniel Jr. There are four generations of his family that are proud to call Fair Lawn their home.

He attended both primary and secondary schools in Fair Lawn starting in the fourth grade at Lyncrest School, followed by Memorial Junior High (renamed Memorial Middle School), and is a proud graduate of FLHS’s Class of 1983. He has a degree in Political Science from Ramapo College. Mike is employed by the Hillsdale Board of Education as a Social Studies teacher and is certified as an Elementary School teacher and a K-12 Social Studies teacher. He has furthered his education by taking specialized courses and workshops at historical landmarks such as Mount Vernon, Williamsburg, and Fort Ticonderoga, etc., enabling him to teach in-depth units on the country's founding. He has also taken a course from Kean University on teaching the Holocaust to children.

He is a member of the Fair Lawn Sunrise Rotary Club, has been involved in Fair Lawn’s emergency services and is a life member of the Fair Lawn Rescue Squad. He has been a Fair Lawn Scout leader since 1986, holding many positions such as a past Cubmaster of Pack 45, and Scoutmaster and Committee Chairman of Troop 53. He is also a former member of the Historical Preservation Commission, Knights of Pythias, The Fair Lawn Fire Department and CERT team.

His tenure as trustee on the Board of Education includes serving as vice president for four years and president for 2.5 years. He has chaired the Education Committee, Shared Services Committee  Technology, and the Finance Committee. Previously, he served on the Athletic/Co-Curriculum Committee, Special Education Committee and Buildings and Grounds Committee.

He had the honor of co-presenting with BOE Trustee Gene Banta and Fair Lawn Mayor Kurt Peluso at a School Boards Association workshop -- and appeared on a podcast on the same topic – on the strength of the shared services partnership between the Borough of Fair Lawn and the Fair Lawn Board of Education, which has become a model in the state for saving taxpayers’ money. He has been on the executive committee of the Bergen County School Boards Association and has continuously spent time attending seminars and workshops to increase his knowledge as a BOE trustee, as well staying abreast of the latest trends in education.

Mike has a passion for public education and his number one priority as a Board of Education trustee is to see that every child in the community receives every opportunity to succeed, while also watching out for the taxpayers of our community. He believes his extensive involvement in town activities, as well as his experience as a parent, grandparent, educator and board member, provides a unique perspective to impact public education and the Fair Lawn community.

The strength of the Fair Lawn schools is the primary reason people move to Fair Lawn. For this reason, he encourages all members of the community to attend the monthly BOE meetings to provide their input.

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Mark Spindel is a retired educator with 40 years of experience with the Passaic School District. He began his career as a sixth-grade teacher, and has been assistant coordinator of basic skills, vice principal, and principal. Mark has experience in curriculum, budgets, school mandates, and many of the nuances that take place in an educational environment.

He believes strongly in public service and therefore has volunteered to serve on a variety of boards: Property Maintenance Committee, Community School Board, Federation Apartments in Paterson, trustee at the Glen Rock Jewish Center, member of the Knights of Pythias, and currently Board of Education.

Mark holds a B.S. degree in education, and earned M.A. degrees in urban education and administration and supervision from William Paterson University.

He is married and has two daughters who graduated from the Fair Lawn schools. A 41-year resident, he’s excited about joining the Board of Education and passionate about providing every opportunity for the students of Fair Lawn to become contributing, successful citizens of the 21st century.

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Lisa Yourman is a 50-year resident of Fair Lawn and a graduate of Fair Lawn High School.  Both of her children were raised in town, and are also graduates of the Fair Lawn school system. 

An integral part of her life is giving back by volunteering. For the past 30 years, she has been a strong advocate for children with physical and educational disabilities. Over the last 25 years, Ms. Yourman has been a tireless advocate and has shared her knowledge around the country, as well as providing legislative testimony at the State and National level.

Having previously served on the Board of Education from 2008-2011, she is honored to have the opportunity to serve the Fair Lawn Community once again. 

More about Lisa Yourman - Email Lisa Yourman