The South Orange-Maplewood School Board on Thursday, December 18, said goodbye to three members: Nubia DuVall Wilson, Regina Eckert and Bill Gifford.
All three were lauded for their hard work, integrity and devotion to the students, with Eckert and DuVall Wilson giving emotional speeches, each praising the other’s support and dedication to students, and former Board Member Johanna Wright and newly elected New Jersey Assemblyman Chigozie Anyema highlighting Gifford’s history of prioritizing the students and acting an advocate for Vo-Tech education, closing the achievement gap and environmental sustainability initiatives.
Anyema and Giffords have been best friends since their school days in the District and they ran as CHS representatives on the school board because “as students, they saw how decision were made and who paid the price when adults were protected over children.”
“You’ve been in this struggle for a long time because you are persistent and, for that, you’re a hero. And I think about that as this chapter closes, another one is beginning, and I’m excited to see what comes next for you and I’m mostly to writing it together, brother.”
DuVall Wilson described Eckert as a “steadfast advocate for our teachers and their morale,” strengthening the District’s approach to teacher and staff retention, and the “biggest advocate” for student hardship transfers, ensuring that the policy was updated “to enable families placed by our integration initiative to have their real-world challenges addressed.”
She also praised Eckert’s “critical thinking, eagle eyes and problem solving skills” when it came to the budget process each year. “She spoke out often, requesting that our budget cuts and RIFS in 2024 were not going to negatively impact student classroom experiences. She held the district accountable to being transparent on our deficits and financial challenges.”
When it was her turn to highlight DuVall Wilson’s work, Eckert focused on DuVall Wilson’s leadership as Board president. “You stepped into the role of Board President at a moment when this community needed reassurance — that this Board could function, collaborate and communicate with integrity,” she said. “…Your leadership changed how we work together. You raised the bar for communication, strengthened trust, and helped this Board show up as a team — even when the work was hard.”
She also praised DuVall Wilson’s advocacy around mental health and survivors of abuse. “By sharing your lived experience with courage and honesty, you reminded us that our decisions aren’t abstract — they shape real lives. That perspective brought humanity into this work in a way that truly mattered. I learned a lot watching how you led in those moments — especially when things were uncomfortable or emotionally hard.”
Here are the farewell remarks by each board member:
Newly elected New Jersey Assemblyman Chigozie Anyema and outgoing Board of Education member Bill Giffords. (Photo by Mary Barr Mann)
Bill Gifford:
It’s hard to sum up one’s tenure on the SOMSD Board of Education. At times, especially during our meetings, serving can feel like an eternity. Yet, it also feels like yesterday that Nubia, Regina and myself were elected and sworn in, just as new board members will be next month. I wish them luck and pray for their success. A sincere amount of passion and time goes into being on the board, from campaign season to getting behind the horseshoe and doing the actual work. You quickly learn change doesn’t happen fast and it takes time and coalition building to accomplish real progress. With the plethora of problems the district faces every day, it’s a struggle at times to recognize the achievements we’ve made, but there are a few I would like to call out.
One of my biggest initiatives coming onto the board 3 years ago was to provide students alternative pathways, so that we are not just focusing on college but trades as well. Luckily for us, one of our community’s residents is Mike Schloff, the founder of Maplewoodshop who runs a hands-on woodworking education company that partners with schools and youth organizations to teach practical woodworking skills. Working with Mike I’m happy to say that the district has slowly brought back woodshop with the help of Maplewoodshop. At first starting as a pilot in the middle schools, under Supt Bing’s direction we just increased usage of Maplewoodshop, moving it to CHS as a pathway for construction/carpentry.
Another issue I’m proud to say we’ve made progress on is the effort to install solar on our schools as a way to save money on energy costs and provide students exposure to renewable technologies. When I first joined FFT 3 years ago and brought up solar I was quickly shut down and told we are in the middle of executing the Long-Range Facility Plan, No Way, No How. Today, no longer on the sidelines, our BA is actively exploring a Solar Energy Savings Improvement Plan (ESIP) and will identify candidate facilities for future installation.
That said, the main reason why I ran for the board as a high school student and again as a parent in the district was to push efforts to close the racial achievement gap. On this issue, I take little pride as it seems we are stuck in the same place we were more than 20 years ago. I applaud Supt Bing for taking a more collaborative approach to working with the Black Parents Workshop, as the monitor Judge Wallace seems pleased with our latest efforts.
Nevertheless, according to our latest NJ School Performance Report White students are graduating at a rate of 96% within their cohort, while Black students are currently at 79%.
According to NJSLA Algebra II end-of-course assessment 75% of our white students met or exceeded expectations compared to 36% of our Black students. In language arts white students had a proficiency rate of 85% and our Black students had 50%. As for discipline, in the 23-24 school of the 24 out of school suspensions, 20 were black students. That’s not to say, the folks that are currently here, aren’t doing everything possible to reverse this trend. As board members we see the dedication this administration pours into solving these problems. I hope going forward the board and administration are bold enough to assess things as they are and make the necessary changes where needed, no matter how loud the public outcry may be.
All that to say, I leave this board incredibly hopeful. Last week, I visited the 5th Model Gary Convention in the CHS Library where students commemorated the groundbreaking 1972 National Black Convention held in Gary, Indiana. This event centers student voices and allows them to grapple with the many challenges faced by black and brown communities. In the time I spent there, I saw our students imagining a more equitable world and strategizing ways to arrive there. This work, supported by the likes of MAPSO freedom school and MAC Scholars, are as important as the work we do in this building. So for myself it is clear, there is no lack of potential from our students. It’s up to us, the adults, to figure out the best way to support them.
Thank you.
Regina Eckert
Regina Eckert:
Tonight is bittersweet. It marks the end of my three-year term on the South Orange–Maplewood Board of Education — the second most challenging and rewarding role I’ve ever held… coming in just behind being a parent.
This work challenged me and pushed me to grow in ways I didn’t always expect. I didn’t always get everything right — but I always showed up, asked questions, and led with care. I learned not to shy away from moments when things didn’t go as planned, or when I made a mistake, but to acknowledge it and stay committed to doing better. That’s a lesson I learned early in my career and one I carried with me into this role. And through it all, I was reminded again and again why this work matters so deeply.
As I come to the close of my three-year term, there are a few “thank yous” I want to share.
First, to my family — Alex, Lucas, and Damien — you made the biggest sacrifice. This role didn’t just ask something of me; it asked something of you. Thank you for your patience, your flexibility, and for supporting me through long meetings, late nights, and the many moments when Board work took precedence over dinner, bedtime, or being on the sidelines at your games.
To my fellow Board colleagues, past and present: we didn’t always agree — and that’s part of the job — but I’m especially grateful to those who were willing to collaborate, engage in civil discourse, listen to different perspectives, and then move forward together. Some decisions were easy; many were not. I trust that future Boards will continue to lead with respect, curiosity, and a shared commitment to students.
I also want to acknowledge our teachers and support staff — the backbone of this district. Any progress we make only happens because of the work you do every day in classrooms, hallways, and schools across SOMSD. Your dedication to our students is what moves this district forward.
To Superintendent Bing and the Central Office staff — it’s been a pleasure getting to know you and working alongside many of you over the years. There is still important work ahead, and I believe that with stronger systems, clearer communication, and data-driven approaches, the district can continue moving in a positive direction for all our students.
To my friends, neighbors, and community members — thank you for trusting me. I knew when I stepped into this role that the work wouldn’t always be easy or popular, and that I might vote in ways some of you didn’t agree with. But you trusted that I was doing the work — asking hard questions, weighing the information, and making decisions with students at the center. That trust meant everything to me.
And finally, to our students — you are the reason we are all here. From the student performances that open our Board meetings, to the artwork lining the hallway outside these doors, to the many times students stepped up to advocate for themselves at public speaks — whether it was to save a journalism class, call for better safety at CHS, present a traffic-calming proposal (that went on to win a competition), or push for safer, more accessible playing fields. Add to that the musicals, the art shows, and everything in between. These are the moments that reminded me, again and again, why I sat here for the past three years.
I’m incredibly proud of the work we took on together — strengthening teaching and learning in the early years through new elementary ELA and math curricula; supporting the Intentional Integration Initiative by reinstating transportation and making pragmatic, empathetic adjustments to the transfer policy; strengthening student-focused policies; and doing the hard, necessary work to put our district on stronger footing for the future.
As I step away, my hope is simple: that this Board continues to focus on what matters most — our students. Our students are extraordinary. They are watching. And they deserve our very best — every single day.
I’m grateful for the chance to have been part of this work and this community, and I’ll carry it with me long after tonight.
Thank you, and happy holidays to all.
Nubia DuVall Wilson
Nubia DuVall Wilson:
Thank you to all who are here tonight to send Regina, Bill and me off as we end our 3-year term on the Board of Ed. I also want to thank and acknowledge my family, my husband Chris and my daughter Ella who is in 7th grade and son Luke who is in 5th. Luke gave me a huge hug when I told him tonight was my last Board of Ed meeting. He then reminded me that I spent half of his years in elementary school on the Board—that feels like an eternity to a child. Me too, Luke, me too!
Before I continue, I want to acknowledge my father, a civil rights activist, musician and visual artist, Thomas Taiwo DuVall, who passed on March 31, almost a month before finalizing the teachers contract. Although he died at 91 with dementia, his memories were strong when I was a child. I grew up listening to my father’s stories about living in D.C. during segregation, experiencing racism, joining the movement with Malcolm X in Harlem, and on and on. I learned so much from him about activism, the power of my voice, and standing up for what is right. I’d like to believe he is proud of my accomplishments as a BOE member.
I first want to acknowledge the executive committee members: 1st VP Will Meyer and 2nd VP Regina Eckert. I aspired to preside over a board that was calm, functioned well, reflected the strengths of each member and pushed our district forward in a number of ways that positively impacted our students. To you both, thank you for working with me to make those goals realized.
Bimal, Deirdre and Jeff, I am sad that I will not be here for your 2nd and 3rd years, but I know you will do well. Each of you have a number of strengths, from data analysis and critical thinking to in-district parenting experiences that make you huge assets to our Board service and district’s goals. I cannot wait to watch you from the other side of this horseshoe continue to make a difference.
Liz and Shayna, it has been a pleasure working with you these past two years. Thank you for leading your committees with such dedication and focus. As the most senior people left on this Board, along with Will, your experiences as chairs and additional NJSBA training received this year will continue to be an asset.
Will, thank you for your ongoing support and work ethic as my 1st VP–you really were a great team member in this journey. Our collaborative partnership and daily conversations allowed us to be a strong team. I kinda feel bad that you never had a chance to run a meeting this year since I was never absent! I have a feeling that opportunity is coming soon. Although we had differing opinions at times, we were always able to have a professional dialogue that enabled us to find paths forward that continued to drive positive outcomes. I’m so proud of that.
And to my two running mates who formed EWG in 2022: Regina, Bill, thank you for accepting me into your worlds, so that we could go on this journey together.
Bill, I remember when we first chatted on the phone about aligning for the election. You had been determined to serve on the Board since high school and I was so inspired by that. I am proud of all your board service work, being Policy chair at a time when we were greatly behind in our policies, advocating for Vo-tech education that results in Maplewoodshop doing a program in district and this year leading our FFT committee, which is no easy task. I am so happy that you tried a third time and made it on the Board at a time when your leadership was greatly needed.
Regina, I shared many of your successes in my previous speech, but I do want to call out that your friendship and support this entire term has meant so much to me. I could not have done this without you. Thank you for believing in me when I decided to ask for “Board support” to be President this year. Your savvy, high attention to detail and sensibility will be hard to replace.
And then there’s our not-so-new anymore Superintendent, Mr. Bing. I remember the weekends the Board spent interviewing multiple applicants in 2024. When I heard you speak and present to us, I knew you were the one… I don’t know how you manage this role, 9 different bosses with 3 changing annually–it sounds insane! You are exactly what this district needed when you arrived and continue to show that daily through the best and most challenging days when leading this unique school district. Thank you for your steadfast dedication to our community. I will miss collaborating with you.
A big thank you to our hard working senior leadership team and central office staff. Mr. Adedoyan, Mrs. Bodnar, Mrs. Correra, Dr. Waibel, Ms. Gesumaria, Dr. Gilbert, Mr. Moodie, Mr. Draper, Mrs Cuadrado and Mrs Cassandra, Mr. Bonds, Mr. Morgan…Our board and superintendent would not be successful without your wisdom, support, creativity, problem solving and passion to help us drive positive outcomes for our students and staff. And thank you to our amazing teachers and school administrators who help educate our bright students. And thank you to our BOE student rep over the years and the most current Penuel and Scarlett
I am more comfortable sharing the successes of others than myself, but I will briefly share that I am very proud of my work on the hazardous routes evaluation and policy; reinstating courtesy transportation to support our integration initiative; passing policy 4281 Inappropriate Staff Conduct, which requires reporting on alleged misconduct if a student might have been subject to child abuse or neglect by school staff or leaders; advocating for a new phonics-based ELA reading program, which launched iReady Magnetic Reading; and pushing forward on the Ritzer Field development to support our athletes.
As I exit the BOE, a reminder to the current and future Boards, keep collaborating together to make a difference! Lastly, I am proud of what we all accomplished together and I wish the Board much success in 2026 and beyond. Thank you all, again.
