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Meet Juanita Lewis

Juanita has had several postal codes in her address (including one international), but 07701 has always been home. A Red Bank native, Juanita has made a conscious decision to make a difference where she has roots. Juanita believes strongly in the improvement of the Red Bank community and wants to be a voice for all.

Juanita became a member of the Red Bank Education and Development Initiative in 2001 and later became a member of the Board of Directors. The Initiative gathered a cross section of parents, community organizations, educators, businesses, local government employees and civic leaders who were committed to the success of all children in the Red Bank community. Through the hard work and efforts of the organization, many recommendations were developed and several were implemented to benefit the children of the community. Juanita currently is the acting President.

Juanita ran for the Red Bank Board of Education in 2003. Her campaign run included events sponsored at homes of supporters, canvassing door to door, attending churches and speaking at community sponsored events. The efforts of Juanita and her teamÕs supporters resulted in a 48% increase in voter turnout from the prior yearÕs school Board election; she received 613 of the almost 900 votes cast. JuanitaÕs platform included: accountability and change so that success could be achieved for all Red Bank children and to create a world-class education community. Juanita is currently in her second elected term on the Board of Education and is the Board Vice President. Juanita has successfully completed the Democracy for America (DFA) training and has the tools necessary for community grassroots organizing. She is an active participant with the Center for American Women and Politics at the Eagleton Institute at Rutgers University.

Juanita currently is the President of the Rutgers African American Alumni (RAAA), Inc., a 501 (c) (3) organization. She is member of Count the Children Movement which organizes the annual Red Bank Community Day that acknowledges home town heroes. Juanita is a member of the Community Advisory Board for the Red Bank Family Support Center.She has been a Board member for the Source Foundation at Red Bank Regional High School and Red Bank Pop Warner Football League. Her professional affiliations include the National Association of Black Accountants and National Black MBA Association.

Juanita has a BA and BS from Rutgers University and MBA from Seton Hall. Juanita started her career at Merrill Lynch and she has held several finance, accounting and project management positions. She is currently employed as the Business Manager for IEEE, a technical association, in Piscataway, NJ. Juanita brings years of business experience and accountability as well as consensus and team building which are critical for a councilmember.

           


Meet Edward J. Zipprich                      


Ed Zipprich has lived in Red Bank since 1997.  He was born and raised in Staten Island and had a long career in purchasing, facilities management and business operations in international law firms in New York City. Ed is the proud father of a teenage daughter.

Ed has worked on planning and preservation issues for much of his life. He continues to do so here in Red Bank as a member of the Borough Planning Board and as an active member of the Historic Preservation Commission. In an effort to improve local government, he has worked tirelessly on Monmouth County political campaigns to help elect more progressive people to government. He truly enjoys grassroots projects and being part of the community. In 2007 he successfully nominated the T. Thomas Fortune House to Preservation NJÕs 10 Most Endangered Historic Sites. He is currently working with others on the historic commission to document homes in Red Bank to help create the first residential historic district in town. This project is being presented to residents and then the Borough Council for approval. In 2008, Ed was appointed to the Vision/Master Plan Review Committee by the mayor to reexamine the plan and take the borough into the future. Zipprich is a member of the Red Bank Centennial Committee and Preservation Red Bank. He is currently helping the Red Bank Education Foundation reestablish itself. He serves as Treasurer and Membership Chair of the foundation.

Now in his third year, Ed serves as the Monmouth County Chair of Democracy for America/Progressive Democrats of America (DFA/PDA), the largest progressive grassroots organization in the nation.  In 2008 he has been elected to the DFA Executive Board of NJ for Democracy, and also elected as Vice President of Development for the NJ Stonewall Democrats. Ed Zipprich is a member of Garden State Equality, as well as the local group, The Bus for Change.