for your consideration as write-in candidate for the Roselle Park Board of Education

a link to the past, an anchor in the present, an eye to the future

JEOFREY VITA

hat isnt a typo up above. That is actually how you spell my name. Its got a silent O and a single F and yes, its not an orthodox spelling by any stretch.

When I was younger, I asked my evil genius of a mother why she spelled my name this way. She explained that one day, someone might try to forge my signature after only hearing my name and they would spell it incorrectly; thus shielding me from identity fraud. Of course, that was only part of the story. My name is an amalgam, of sorts, of my grandfathers names, Jose (Joe) and Alfredo (Fred), with a little spelling twist thrown in. So my name is very much a link to my past, an anchor in my present and a protective eye towards my future. Those qualities are what I hope the Board of Education continues to be for the students of Roselle Park. That is why I am asking for your consideration to serve on the Board as a write-in candidate for the upcoming elections. My wife, Misty, my one year old daughter, Grace and I moved to Roselle Park in 2006. Part of the appeal of this town was the strong elementary school system. Nearly seven years later, Grace is a 2nd grader at Sherman School and she has two younger sisters, Logan, 4 and Lily, 2 who will hopefully follow her into that same system. Like all of you, my hope is that my kids continue to flourish and grow within a system that supports and encourages their development. Im asking for an opportunity to help shape and guide that process so that we continue the proud tradition of the Board from the past, maintain its status as an anchor for the students of the present, and keep an eye to the future of Roselle Park as it flourishes and grows right alongside them. For the past six years, I have been the Art Director for the Marketing and Advertising division of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. I oversee the graphic design of print, video and online media to support the production of print textbooks, digital e-texts, online homework assessment tools and custom learning solutions for the Global Education division. Our primary market is the higher education segment in the US with some high school and elementary markets abroad. I am keenly aware of the state of education today and am actively following the ways that education continues to change and adapt to every new generation of students.

Prior to Wiley, I was an Art Director for the Licensing and Movies division of Marvel Comics. I provided graphic design and illustrations for toy packaging, movie merchandise, style guides and monthly comic books and other publications. Ive also worked as the Art Director and Merchandise Manager for the Newark Bears minor league baseball team as well as several professional and collegiate sports magazines as Production Coordinator and Special Projects Illustrator. I also volunteer for a non-profit organization that collects elementary school books for distribution to impoverished communities in the Philippines. And as part of a Wiley volunteer program, I read books to a Special Needs class at a local school. Im a firm believer in giving back to the community in any way that I can. In all of these positions, the key to success was the ability to work with my team of professionals. In some cases, that meant leading the team through some obstacles. In other cases, it meant following someone elses lead and lending support wherever it was needed. In ALL cases, it meant rolling up my sleeves and doing what needed to be done to get where we needed to go. It wont be any different if you give me the chance to serve on the Board. Im not concerned with the business of Politics. Im more concerned with putting our collective heads together, getting our hands muddy and making sure that things get done. As a husband, I owe that level of commitment to my wife. As a father, I owe it to my children. As a Board member, I think I would owe that to the students of Roselle Park. If youll give me the chance, Ill do everything I can to earn it. All I ask is that you spell my name right. ;)

Sincerely,

Jeofrey Jeof Vita

ELECTION DAY IS NOV. 6, 2012! PLEASE LOOK FOR THE BOX BELOW.
Because I am not currently on the ballot, I am running as a write-in candidate. That means I am asking you to physically write my name (and yes, spelling does count) in the spot indicated by the red arrows, and then selecting the number 4 to make that choice official. Thank you in advance for giving me the opportunity to contribute to our town, our schools and our community.

JEOFREY VITA

Sincerely,

JEOFREY VITA