Seven candidates have filed this year to run for three seats on the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education. Village Green has invited each candidate to submit a profile. The following profile is from Bimal Kapadia. Read more Village Green election coverage here.
Bimal Kapadia
My wife Swati and I moved to South Orange in 2016. The creativity, vibrancy and diversity of the town made it easy for us to call SOMA home.
My children have been in the school district since 2020, starting in Kindergarten. My boys, Saiyan and Nikhil, are now 3rd and 4th graders. Their enthusiasm for school is infectious. And their teachers have been wonderful which is always a case for optimism. However, their foundational years coincide with massive, public challenges at the district level: a pandemic, delayed reopening, an aging infrastructure, litigation, teacher contracts, attrition, academics and arts in a stallout, a collision of equity and achievement philosophies, budget cuts, a scheduling fiasco and a visibly fractured BOE. The communication and relationship between the district and the parents has been fraught – the distance seemingly intentional. And parents, teachers and students are exhausted. That needs to change.
I’m running because I’m an optimist, and this district is full of potential. We have a new superintendent in Mr. Bing – a symbol of progress in leadership. Newly elected board members this year can provide the opportunity for new energy and support for our district, superintendent, teachers, parents and students. We’re at an inflection point.
I’m an entrepreneur with deep passion and experience in the media industry. I’m currently COO and Co-founder of Meadowlark Media – a creative studio focused on producing TV shows, podcasts, documentaries and films. My role requires me to lead teams with relentless optimism, to communicate, to execute, to find consensus and ensure accountability- all with a focus toward growth and impact. These are all skills that will serve me well on the BOE.
Most importantly, I will bring my entrepreneurial and creative spirit to the BOE. Which is only possible because of the access and investment my public school and the teachers provided for me throughout my education. Particularly the arts, which opened a new world for me and enabled me to pursue a career in media. It’s this spirit I would like to instill in our students as part of the education formula that can be unique to SOMSD.
I’m very excited to be running with Deirdre Brown and Jeff Bennett. We are a great alchemy of empathy, tenacity and enthusiasm. Collectively we have over 30 years in the community and have children that have attended pre K to 12th grade in SOMSD. With kids spanning the full range of grades in our district, our slate is able to evaluate policies and conduct Board governance from a parent’s perspective, which contributes greatly to our collective vision of growth and accountability in our schools.
I graduated from the College of William and Mary with a degree in Economics and minor in Art & Art History. My wife, Swati, and I have two children who attend South Mountain Elementary. In my spare time, you can find me at one of the many tennis courts in town or on the sideline at my kids’ SOMA FC soccer matches where I am also a volunteer for the program.
I know what SOMSD can be, it’s why we moved here years ago. I’m running for BOE because I can listen, communicate and represent what parents are thinking, feeling and saying, but not always heard.
To find out more about our campaign, please visit/follow us at:
https://www.brownbennettkapadia.com/
https://www.facebook.com/brownbennettkapadia
https://www.instagram.com/brownbennettkapadia
