After public pleas for Val Mendez, board appoints Christopher Smith to fill vacancy
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Summary
Following public testimony urging appointment of Valentina Mendez and five candidate interviews, the board appointed Christopher J. Smith to the vacant seat by a 5–3 roll call vote; the meeting included sustained public calls for stronger civility and safety protocols related to prior harassment allegations.
The Marlboro Township Board of Education on Feb. 3 appointed Christopher J. Smith to fill a board vacancy after interviewing five candidates and hearing extended public comment. The vote was 5–3 in favor of Smith.
The appointment followed a public comment period in which many residents urged the board to appoint Valentina (Val) Mendez, who received roughly 6,500 votes in the most recent election and has prior board service and policy experience. Public commenters said appointing the next most‑supported candidate would honor voters’ preferences; supporters called Mendez "experienced" and emphasized her policy work and transparency efforts.
The board then interviewed five candidates in public: Roman Gavrilov, Christopher (Chris) Smith, Adam Pollock, Valentina Mendez, and Samantha Schnur. Each candidate answered three standardized questions on constituent interventions, handling disagreement, and how they would prioritize time during a 10‑month appointment. Chris Smith, a local bank officer and Marlboro resident, emphasized his financial background and said he sought to "create a brighter future" for students. Mendez, a former board member and vice president, reminded the board of her prior service and asked members to set aside personal disagreements when choosing an appointee.
After interviews and an executive‑session deliberation, nominations were opened. Christopher Smith and Valentina Mendez were nominated and seconded. On roll call for the appointment resolution, five board members voted yes (Carrero, Gandhi, Hyatt, Miskowitz, Cohen) and three voted no (Jankowski, Lewonski, Palomo); the president announced Smith had the required majority, and the board read and approved a resolution appointing Smith to serve through the reorganization meeting in January 2027. Smith was sworn in and took his seat the same evening.
The meeting’s public comments also included repeated calls for the board to adopt enforceable civility and safety protocols after residents and some board members described past incidents of harassment and threatening messages directed at sitting members. Val Mendez said past reports of harassment and intimidation "were not theoretical" and asked for clear escalation protocols, written procedures for board safety, and transparency in executive‑session minutes that document reasons for candidate selections. Board members said civility and safety remain priorities and that the civility resolution and training options will be discussed at upcoming meetings.
What’s next: The board will share the civility resolution and training options with the newly seated member and return to policy discussions and budget votes at future meetings.