Passaic County honors Mukesh Pandya during AAPI Heritage Month; names Bernadette Orseda teacher of the year, Charles Caraballo school board member of the year

The Passaic County Board of County Commissioners on a June meeting recognized Mukesh Pandya for decades of community service and presented proclamations to Bernadette Orseda, named Passaic County Teacher of the Year, and Charles Caraballo, named the New Jersey School Board Association Board Member of the Year.

The proclamations acknowledged Pandya’s life and public service: born in Gujarat, India, in 1953; degrees in statistics and public administration; immigration to the United States; and a 35-year career with the Passaic County Board of Social Services from 1985 until his 2020 retirement. The county said Pandya “has been a vital bridge between his community and American institutions,” including voter-registration and civic-education work aimed at the county’s South Asian community.

Commissioner Bartlett read the proclamation into the record and invited a friend of the honoree to speak before Pandya accepted the recognition. Commissioner Bruce James praised the role of social services staff, saying they ensure residents “get what they need to get when they need to get it.”

Mukesh Pandya addressed the commissioners and attendees: “This acknowledgment means so much to me, not just personally, but for what it represents for the Asian Pacific American communities in Passaic County,” he said, and thanked specific local officials and colleagues by name.

The board also presented a proclamation to Bernadette Orseda of Manchester Regional High School, noting her work since 2008 teaching Spanish and organizing programs including a multicultural fair, a Make a Difference Club, and students-overcoming-substance-abuse initiatives. Orseda told the commissioners she was “honored and overwhelmed,” and described her pathway through community college to William Paterson University and into teaching.

Charles Caraballo of Bloomingdale was recognized for long service on his local board of education and for countywide work, including leadership of the “Unsung Heroes” program that recognizes students for contributions that might otherwise go unnoticed. Caraballo thanked educators and recounted how a school counselor helped him pursue college, saying the recognition “brings everything full circle.”

The commissioners in attendance joined honorees, family members and local officials for photographs and brief remarks. Passaic County Surrogate Zoila Casanova and County Clerk Danielle Ireland Imhoff provided additional certificates for Pandya; representatives of the county’s congressional delegation were noted as having provided recognition as well.

The recognitions were presented during the commissioners’ regular meeting under the agenda item for proclamations and honors. The items were ceremonial and did not require board votes.