October 30, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 9 Upper Saddle River Three candidates vying for two seats on board Upper Saddle River voters will have a choice of three school board candidates on Nov. 5, when two seats will be available. Incumbent Dante Ferrarie, Elizabeth Pittman, and Dr. David Verducci are seeking approval at the polls. Ferrarie won election to the board in 2007 and was re- elected to a new term in 2010. He is currently serving as the board’s president. Ferrarie graduated from the University of Delaware in 1988 with a BA in finance. He has been working on Wall Street for 25 years and currently runs the equity division for a private securities firm. “My wife Christine and I moved into Upper Saddle River in 1994 and began a family shortly afterward,” he said. “Our three children all attended Reynolds, Bogert, and Cavalini and had a wonderful experience. Our young- est two children are now attending Northern Highlands and our oldest is a freshman at the University of Delaware. “I have been on the BOE for the past six-and-a-half years (two terms) learning quite a bit about curriculum, financial budgets, technology, contract negotiations, staffing, state- mandated testing, after school programs, transportation, school safety, specialized schooling, fundraising (the PTO, the USREF), communication, and shared services. “I’m focused on serving a third term to utilize the expe- rience and knowledge I have gained as a BOE member.” Pittman said she moved to Upper Saddle River with her husband Neil 12 years ago due to the outstanding school system. Her daughter Amanda is currently a student at the Bogert School. “As a candidate for the BOE, I am committed to keeping our schools among the best in the county, ensuring the stu- dents have every possible educational opportunity afforded to them,” she added. “We must continue to introduce inno- vative educational programs while being fiscally respon- sible, make sure we stay at the forefront of all educational changes by providing our staff the development opportu- nities needed to be leaders in their field, and lastly, work to maintain an active dialogue with parents keeping open lines of communication and welcoming input. “I have spent my professional career working in the retail industry. Successfully working in a team, manag- ing budgets, and running a business provide the necessary experience to serve on a board. Personally, I am involved with many local community organizations.” Pittman holds an undergraduate degree from the Univer- sity of Massachusetts at Amherst and has been employed as a corporate sales executive for 15 years. She has been active with the Parent Teacher Organization and the Junior Wom- an’s Club. She is an 11-year member of the JCO, which she served as a trustee for seven years. She has also served two (continued on page 10) Presentation receives GreenFaith Certification At the 11:30 Mass on Oct. 20, the Church of the Presentation in Upper Saddle River became the first Catholic religious institu- tion in the United States to become certified as a GreenFaith Sanctuary. Presentation is also the largest religious institution of any denomination to receive this distinction. GreenFaith is an interfaith coalition for the environment. Left: Processional banner with John Muir’s quote, ‘When we tug at a single thing in nature, we find it attached to the rest of the world.’ Right: Some of the parishioners who worked on the certification with Fr. Bob Stagg, pastor (right, front), Fr. Ed Ciuba, spiritual leader of the group (back row left in green and white) and Douglas Murphy (to the right of Fr. Ed) GreenFaith Board member.