Julie Ketover, Jacob Rosner, Maureen Rutter and Julienne Verdi Announce Their Candidacy

Ketover, Rosner, Rutter and Verdi are running for Voorhees Board of Education under the "Keeping Schools Smart" slate.

(Voorhees, NJ) Wednesday, July 27, 2022. Voorhees Residents, Julie Ketover, Jacob Rosner, Maureen Rutter and Julienne Verdi announced their candidacy for Voorhees Board of Education today. The four candidates intend to run under the joint slogan “Keeping Schools Smart” to signify their commitment to ensuring the Voorhees Public Schools system remains one of the best in the state of New Jersey.

“We have a lot to be proud of in Voorhees. Our schools are some of the best in our area which is a testament to our hardworking teachers, faculty, students, and families but of course there is always room for improvement. We’re running because we believe our children are better served by calm, strong voices than those who choose fear mongering and division, “ said candidate Jacob Rosner.

The Keeping Schools Smart slate is running on a multifaceted platform:

• Developing targeted programming to close academic gaps over the past few years;

• Restoring academic excellence;

• Improving performance and comprehension in math;

• Having live-instruction for every child in Kindergarten thru 8th Grade in world language education;

• Creating greater STEM focus;

• Increasing access to early-childhood education seats in the town’s inclusive Pre-K program and reforming the current program.

• Developing better transition support for students from middle to high school;

• Introducing skills-training (such as study and time management skills) that supports students to be better prepared for the rigors of high school and higher education;

• Developing common sense security reforms to address existing holes in current school security;

• Championing diversity, equity, and inclusion across the district in areas such as technology access, technology use, sex education, and the teaching of history; and

• Auditing and enhancing holistic well-being and social-emotional learning programming.

“As a parent I was surprised and disappointed that my child is not receiving world language education at the elementary school level. Many of our neighboring towns do have world language programs at this level, which puts Voorhees students at a real disadvantage,” said Julienne Verdi..” Recognizing we are living in an increasingly global economy and that studies for decades have shown the value of second language education in the early elementary school years for improving cognitive abilities, reading skills, memory function and problem solving, this is something Voorhees must prioritize. We need actual teachers in our schools providing world language education to all of our students,” Julienne added.

“The transition from middle school to Eastern Regional High School is challenging, and more can be done to better prepare students for this change,” added Julie Ketover. “Our schools are wonderful but have declined in the past few years. We need a comprehensive audit of the learning gaps and the flexibility to develop targeted and creative programming to get all kids in the district back on track. And of course we want our schools to be supportive and inclusive environments for all children to feel safe and to be fully seen.”

“The Keeping Schools Smart Team looks forward to speaking with voters about our platform and priorities between now and Election Day. We hope to not only share our views but also hear from Voorhees families about the issues that impact their children so we can best advocate for all families needs once elected,” said Maureen Rutter on behalf of the slate.

Meet the Team:

Julie Ketover, JD, PCC, is an executive, leadership and life coach, as well as a facilitator, writer and speaker, with nearly two decades of experience in the legal industry. Before turning to coaching, Julie held a number of positions in the field of law, including as a practicing attorney, senior business operations professional and talent developer at law firms. She brings her depth of experience in the legal industry to her coaching and training of law firm partners and associates, C suite and other senior law firm executives, and in-house counsel and General Counsels of public and private companies. Julie has also worked with companies in other industry sectors, including media, technology, financial services and healthcare and has coached C suite, senior executives and entrepreneurs in those companies. Julie brings to bear keen understanding, relatability, and humor that facilitate trust and effective collaboration. In her practice, Julie works with high performing, goal-oriented professionals in demanding environments. Her clients learn to challenge and trust themselves, to up-level their leadership, to more effectively manage their teams and to achieve their goals with purpose and commitment.Julie lives with her husband and two daughters in South Jersey. Being committed to service and community, Julie currently serves as a Board Member for the International Coach Federation of Philadelphia and as a Vice President on the Board of the Jewish Community Relations Council of South Jersey. She was selected to fill the vacancy left by Ms. Van Aken and will be sworn in at the next BOE meeting in August. She is running for election this fall for the unexpired term in order to retain this seat. Along with Julienne Verdi, Maureen Rutter, and Jake Rosen, she runs under the Keeping Schools Smart designationJulie has lived in Voorhees for nearly two decades and has two daughters- an Eastern senior and a VMS 7th grader. Both of them have 504 plans, and she has been a zealous advocate for her girls throughout their educational journeys. She is the daughter of a decades-long public-school teacher in the New York City school system, as well as a product of a K through 12 public school education. Julie is a firm believer in the core tenets of public education; she believes a strong, inclusive public education system is one of the key pillars of a functioning democracy and that the very essence of this system is being challenged and threatened throughout the country. In addition to her knowledge and understanding of the complexities of the public school system, she brings key contributions that position her to be a good fit for the Board of Education: Persuasive advocacy; clear communication (oral and written); effective collaboration and partnership; courageous leadership and influence; and authentic relationship and trust-building. Her experience in these areas will support the Board to strengthen its reputation and to continue to do excellent work in a challenging environment. Julie graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude from Yale University, where she majored in psychology. Following college, Julie received her law degree at NYU School of Law.

Jacob Rosner is a management consultant, attorney, husband, and father of two young children who will be beneficiaries of the Voorhees School system. He was inspired to run for Board of Education to be part of the solution to ensure kids, including his own, get the best education possible. Jacob has over a decade of experience working with large enterprises and navigating complex organizational issues in industries such as telecommunications, healthcare, and cybersecurity. He has a proven track record of building client relationships, independently managing projects, and utilizing technology/automation to drive efficiency in business operations and addressing and resolving business and legal issues. Jacob is able to navigate the fine line between legal risks and business/organizational needs to effectively solve complex problems, skills which will enable him to be a thoughtful and effective board member. Having grown up in South Jersey, he benefited from the excellent school system and wants to support its continued excellence. He chose to raise a family in Voorhees for this reason. Jacob is a strong supporter of the public education system and believes it serves as the foundation underpinning a strong democracy, which is currently under attack. He is interested in focusing on real problems impacting our schools, such as improving the math gap and working to provide a seamless transition from each school level (elementary to middle to High school). He wants to ensure the school system has the support and resources to provide our children with STEM education, social and emotional health support/learning, access to best-in-class technology and tools. Ultimately, Jacob believes in using informed evidence to guide decision making. Jacob graduated cum laude from Ithaca College, where he majored in Politics. After college, Jacob obtained a law degree from Drexel University.

Maureen Rutter is a Learning Disability Teacher Consultant in a public education K-8 district. She has previously taught pre-school, elementary, middle, and high school in both private and public districts. Maureen is currently an adjunct professor at Rutgers Graduate School of Education assisting student teachers in learning best practices for assessing every type of learner in their classroom. She has been involved in education systems for nearly two decades. Having first hand knowledge of the needs inside a classroom has led Maureen to pursue a position on the Board of Education. She has two elementary age students in Voorhees and is passionate about the education they receive along with all of their peers. Maureen and her husband both grew up in south Jersey and chose to move to Voorhees for the school system. She is committed to equity, inclusion, and the well-being of all children in this district. Maureen received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology & Psychology from Rutgers University. She further obtained a Master of Science in Teaching degree from Rowan University, as well as, graduate level certifications in Special Education and LDT/C. She looks forward to bringing her experience to the Voorhees Board of Education.

Julienne Verdi is a nonprofit consultant and attorney in private practice admitted in both New York and New Jersey. As a nonprofit consultant, Julienne is experienced in helping not-for-profit organizations manage their day-to-day operations, develop and implement long-term strategic plans, as well as support organizations’ advocacy, government relations and grassroots organizing efforts. In her law practice Julienne provides transactional legal services to small businesses, nonprofits and individuals. Originally from New York City and the mother of four young children, Julienne moved to Voorhees with her husband in large part due to the strong reputation of the Voorhees public school system. Julienne is a product of New York City public schools and is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School where she was an associate managing editor of the Brooklyn Journal of International Law, Chair of Brooklyn Law Students for Reproductive Justice, and recipient of the Platinum Public Service Award and Evelyn Reid Memorial Prize. Julienne received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Special Honors from CUNY Hunter College, where she graduated magna cum laude and was a member of the Thomas Hunter Honors Program. Prior to starting her own law practice and nonprofit consulting firms, Julienne served as the Director of Government Relations at Planned Parenthood of New York City, a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Francine A. Schott in New Jersey Superior Court and completed a post-graduate legal fellowship at Safe Horizon’s Immigration Law Project where she provided immigration services to victims of crime. Julienne is running for a seat on the Voorhees Board of Education because she believes a strong, evidence-based, comprehensive and inclusive public school education should be a fundamental right of every child and looks forward to bringing her experience, education and passion for advocacy to the Voorhees Board of Education.