Pietanza earns rare master board status

MILLTOWN - The borough's school board president was awarded with the distinction of Master Board Member (MBM) at the board's Nov. 21 meeting.

Barbara Pietanza, who has served as president for three of her six years on the Board of Education, completed 40 credit hours and a three-hour examination in order to qualify for MBM status.

"She is an excellent board member and an excellent board president, and it shows in her dedication to taking this course work. Her dedication to Milltown is obvious," said Carol Larson of the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA).

The course work for MBM status includes professional development in the areas of leadership, public relations, finance, school law and curriculum. It is the second of three levels of certification offered by the NJSBA. In 2003, Pietanza became a Certificated Board Member (CBM), which is the first tier certification.

"It's recognizing that she is taking her boardsmanship very seriously," Larson said. "This is an honor for her for having continued professional development."

Pietanza is one of only seven board members in New Jersey to have been recognized for MBM status this year, according to Larson. Board members who choose to become certified do so voluntarily, with the sole purpose of enhancing their skills for contribution to the board.

School board members are not paid for their services.

"I did it so I would have a strong foundation to provide effective and efficient leadership skills for the rest of the board and the school community," Pietanza said of her work to achieve the MBM status.

In addition to her volunteer work for the school board, Pietanza is employed full time with Midco Waste Systems in New Brunswick. She lives in Milltown with her husband Joe, and their two children. Anthony, 14, who is a freshman at Spotswood High School, and Gabrielle, 7, a second-grader at Parkview Elementary School.

- Jessica Smith