Seven candidates running for three open Millburn Board of Education seats have been invited to a virtual forum Sunday, Oct. 18, at 7:30 p.m.

The Millburn-Short Hills Chinese Association is hosting the Zoom event, which is free but requires advance registration. The forum gives voters a chance to question candidates ahead of the Tuesday, Nov. 3, general election, as first reported by Patch. Residents who have not yet registered to vote have until Tuesday, Oct. 13, to meet the deadline.

Three seats on the board carry three-year terms. According to the Essex County Clerk's Office, seven candidates filed to run. New Jersey school board members are nonpartisan and serve without pay.

Two incumbents are seeking re-election. Board Vice President Priya Shivani has served three years, leading the Governance Committee and serving on the Program Committee. Cynthia Longley Richards, an educator and mental health professional with two sons in the district, is also running for a second term. During her first term, the district expanded access to Advanced Placement and dual enrollment coursework.

Three challengers are running as a slate: Christian Germa, Anna Ostrovsky and Prasoon Saurabh. Germa, 56, retired from project finance and now serves as part-time CFO of a biotechnology company. Ostrovsky, 52, is a former Goldman Sachs managing director and Short Hills resident. Saurabh, 45, leads analytics for HSBC's U.S. business and has two children in Millburn schools.

"My wife and I have lived in Millburn for over 10 years," Saurabh said in his September Patch candidate profile. "Our two children, now in 4th and 8th grade, have come up through this district from the beginning …"

Gyan Mishra, 45, a data risk technology professional, rounds out the field. He has served on PTO boards at South Mountain Elementary School and Millburn Middle School and is running on a platform called "Parents Raising Outcomes," which calls for limiting screen time and banning generative AI in grades K–8.

Registration is free. A seventh candidate filed with the Essex County Clerk's Office, but that person's name was not available in public records reviewed for this article.

Key dates

  • Sunday, Oct. 18: BOE candidate forum, 7:30 p.m. via Zoom. Advance registration required.
  • Saturday, Oct. 24, through Sunday, Nov. 1: Early in-person voting. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, according to WHYY's voter guide. No appointment needed.
  • Tuesday, Nov. 3: Election Day.