Kelli D’Addetta was raised in Secaucus and a 1990 graduate of Secaucus High School. Kelli currently runs her family business AMA Project Management. She and her husband, John, have three children Anthony (Ithaca College), Matthew (Seton Hall University), and Ava who is a current student at Secaucus High School. Kelli has spent the past 20 years volunteering in the community. She has served in various roles with Clarendon PTA, including President. She also served as Hudson County PTA Vice President. Kelli was a softball coach and religion teacher for several years as well. She has been a basketball coach for the recreation department since 2013. She was a trustee for the Secaucus Board of Education from 2012-2015. In her free moments Kelli enjoys spending time with her family and can usually be found at one of her children’s sporting events.
Lance Bartletta was born and raised in Secaucus and is a 1992 graduate of Secaucus High School. Lance completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Delaware and then completed his Masters of Business Administration, with a focus on Finance and Global Business at William Paterson University. Currently, Lance is a Senior Financial Analyst at Genentech and has been employed there since 1998. Lance and his wife Lisa have 2 children, Nicholas, currently a student at NJIT and Kaylie, currently at Secaucus High School. Lance is a member of multiple clubs and organizations, such as the Secaucus OEM and K&S Social Club. He also has been a coach in Secaucus for multiple sports including Little League baseball, softball and football. Lance is currently the Board of Education Vice President and is serving his 4th term on the board. Lance feels his strongest attribute is his ability to listen and he encourages all community members to get involved.
Mrs. Christina DeBari completed her Bachelors of Science in Biology and Cytology at the University of Connecticut and is both the Cytology Laboratory and Pathology Office supervisor at Holy Name Hospital. She has volunteered in Milo, Haiti to develop a Cytology Laboratory and works to maintain its function. Christina was born, raised and educated in Secaucus, has volunteered with the Parent Teacher Organization, various town organizations and coached soccer/basketball. She and her husband Chris have two children, Ian and Alexa. Christina has committed her time with the intention of making our students and our community better and shares that same passion with her involvement in the Board of Education. She joined the board in January 2023 and encourages communication and hopes to provide support to both parents and teachers in our community.
Mr. de Hombre graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in Biology and Economics. He currently works in the Pharmacy Department at Palisades Medical Center. Alex has resided in Secaucus for almost 20 years. He and his wife, Sylvia, have two sons, Nicholas and Nathaniel. Alex has always been involved in the community through various forms. Alex has coached baseball and basketball and is currently a Cub Scout Pack Leader for local cubs. He has always realized that a good education is an integral part of a child’s future success and decided to run for the Board of Education to help ensure that the children of Secaucus continue to get the best education possible. Alex would also like to be a conduit between the Board and any parents, staff, and students who have concerns or issues with any aspect that the Board oversees.
Dr. Leah M. Farinola
Dr. Farinola completed her doctorate of Education at Seton Hall University and is a Chief School Administrator of a special education school and adjunct professor in the Education Department at Caldwell University. As a school administrator, her expertise includes educational administration and leadership, policy and budget development, and human resources. Leah and her husband Mike are lifelong residents of Secaucus and love their deep connection to this wonderful town. They live at home with their Sheepadoodle, Daenerys (Dany). As a Class of 2000 graduate of Secaucus High School, Dr. Farinola had exemplary experiences with the dedicated educators of our public schools that ultimately led to her decision to pursue a career in education. As such, she wants to give back to her community and ensure that the SBOE continues to ensure the success of students, families, and educators, while engaging in meaningful, open, and honest conversations and transparent, data-based decision-making. Dr. Farinola ran for the SBOE in 2021 with Ms. Gonzalez and Ms. Kish.
Abigail Gonzalez
Ms. Gonzalez holds degrees in Human Development and Child Advocacy and Policy from Montclair State University. Additionally, she is a trained Special Education Advocate through COPAA, and is completing her Master’s degree in Social Work. Currently, Abby is a Special Population Coordinator for the Town of Secaucus where she provides inclusive municipal programs to Secaucus youth while connecting families to community, State and Federal resources. As a co-founder of the Secaucus Special Education Parents Advisory Committee (SEPAC), she worked to provide parents with the voices they need to address systemic issues in special education. Abby has served on the Executive Board of Clarendon’s PTA, and currently serves as a Board member of the Secaucus Youth Alliance. Abby has two sons who attend our public schools, and has been an active member of the Secaucus community for more than 15 years. Her goal is to understand what our community needs by creating a Board of Education that listens to and engages with the Secaucus community through increased accessibility, involvement, and outreach.
Mrs. Melissa Howard completed her Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting at Felician College (now Felician University) and Master Degree in Public Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Melissa is also Certified & Licensed as a Municipal and County Finance Officer, which is required for her job as the Treasurer of Bergen County and also possesses a New Jersey School Business Administrator license. Melissa was raised and educated in Secaucus since she was nine years old, has volunteered as a youth basketball coach, cheer mom, and class parent. She and her husband Willie have one child, Bryanna. Melissa is an advocate for education, and is committed to keeping an open dialogue with students, parents, educators and administration to ensure that our children are receiving a top tier education and receiving it in a safe and accepting environment for all.
Joseph Lewis is a lifelong resident of Secaucus. A 1994 graduate of Secaucus High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in Business Management from Johnson and Wales University in 1998. He attended Kean University where he earned a Master's degree in Educational Administration concentrating in School Business Administration in 2014. Joseph has been involved in all aspects of the town. Joseph has served multiple terms on the Secaucus Board of Education. He was a volunteer wrestling coach in town before being hired by Union City School District where he was been a teacher since 2001. He was assistant wrestling coach and ultimately head wrestling coach for 13 years. Joseph is also a member of the K&S Club since 2007 where he served as vice president and president.