John, recently appointed chief-of-staff to Mayor-Elect Ravi Bhalla, was born and raised in New Jersey, in the town of Old Bridge, about thirty minutes south of Hoboken. There, he served on the local Board of Education and was elected by the membership of the Board to serve as president. During this time John attended Rutgers, New Brunswick where he earned a bachelors degree. Unfortunately, John’s mother had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, he had to work to support himself and his mom. For that reason, he did not go straight to law school as I had always planned. Rather, John worked in restaurants to pay bills and to save enough to one day go to law school. John also worked with a non-profit where he helped to implement a high school civics curriculum designed to empower students by teaching them about local government and how to make an impact.
Fortunately, John’s mother’s condition stabilized thanks to new treatment options, he was able to apply to law school. John was fortunate to earn a Dean’s scholarship, an academic based tuition scholarship, and attend Rutgers Law School – Newark.
John is proud to say that he is now an attorney representing public schools throughout the state. John’s work with schools has shown him where a city council and a board of education do not cooperate, no one wins. If elected to the Hoboken City Council, John will actively work to partner with our school district to the advantage of students and taxpayers. Cooperation between the board and council can, for example, result in cost savings through shared services agreements.
John’s experience helping his mom has made him particularly sensitive to the struggles people with disabilities encounter. That is why John volunteers his time with the wonderful charity Easterseals New Jersey where he serves on the Board of Directors. Easterseals is one of New Jersey’s oldest and largest charities dedicated to individuals with disabilities. John believes the City of Hoboken should be accessible to all people, regardless of disability.
John is engaged to be marred in February to his fiance Tara. She and John plan on raising a family in Hoboken and this is where they have planted their roots. Hoboken is John’s home and that is why he is willing to fight for it.