Ridgewood May 2, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 3 Last week, the Ridgewood Board of Education reorganized with Sheila Brogan as president. The board also named newly re-elected trustee Vince Loncto as vice president, welcomed new trustee Jim Morgan, and honored departing trustee Bob Hutton. Brogan was one of the prime instigators of the Ridgewood Senior Center and Ridgewood Youth Center on the first floor of Ridgewood Village Hall. Brogan has served five consecutive terms on the board, and helped set up the Ridgewood Academy for Health Professionals coordinated with Valley Hospital, a program where students School trustees reorganize with Brogan at helm with a serious interest in medicine can experience hospital work. Brogan keeps the board informed of legislative matters. Hutton, a three-term trustee, was recognized for his service since he was first elected in 2003. Hutton lost his bid for reelection on April 17, receiving 1,103 ballots while challenger Jim Morgan earned a seat on the board with 1,316 votes. Hutton said that he wanted to serve one more year on the board in order to complete negotiations with the Ridgewood Education Association. He had topped Morgan in three districts and tied at Benjamin Franklin Middle School, but strong results for Morgan particularly at Ridgewood High School, Travel School, and Somerville School helped the challenger pull ahead, and ultimately win the race. The board resolution noted that Hutton has been involved in formulating the Ridgewood Academy for Health Professionals, which works in concert with Valley Hospital to introduce students at Ridgewood High School to careers as physicians, nurses, and medical technicians. “Bob participated in the formulation and public relations effort for the $48 million bond referendum that culminated in the passage of the $38 million bond and receipt of $10 million in state grants to fund the project,” the resolution said. “Bob has provided financial guidance through his membership on the Finance Committee in that he formulated budget parameters and strategy, he participated in monthly financial reviews, he oversaw the monitoring of referendum expenditures, and he as been actively engaged in labor negotiations since he joined the board.” At the same meeting, Morgan said he wanted to take a first step toward more transparency and interaction between the Ridgewood Board of Education and the public. He asked the other trustees to turn the table around so the board members would face the public instead of one another during meetings. “I told the board members that there was an issue with internalization and that is one issue I wanted to address,” Morgan said. Morgan added that by reconfiguring the board table from an open square where the board members face one another and their administrators to a V-shape where the members and administrators face the public, he hoped to facilitate an attitude (continued on page 18)