VOTE COLUMN 1 BY MAIL, EARLY, OR ON NOVEMBER 7.
VOTE COLUMN 1 BY MAIL, EARLY, OR ON NOVEMBER 7.
Michael Cohan has been a resident of the Township of Union since 1976 with his wife Melinda.
For 30 years, Michael first taught at Union High School in Vocational and Skilled Trades and then at Kawameeh Middle School in Social Studies and Industrial Arts. He then served as the school district’s Coordinator of Staff Development and Mentoring. After retiring from the school district in 2006, Michael was the Director of Professional Development and Instructional Issues at the New Jersey Education Association for 15 years.
He is a recognized leader at the local, state, and national levels in public education advocacy, professional learning, and policy development. Michael chaired the Collaborative Professional Learning Partnership, the Commissioner’s Teaching & Learning Task Force, and the NJ Professional Teaching Standards Board. He also served on various committees at the National Education Association (NEA) including the Professional Standards and Practice Committee, Resolutions Committee, and Member Benefits Investors Service Corporation. Michael also served as a State Director on NEA’s Board of Directors.
Michael has a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Walden University and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Arts Education from Trenton State College (now the College of New Jersey).
Elsie Conteh-Mackey moved to the Township of Union in 2012 in search of a diverse community and quality education for her children. She is a working mother of three young men - James Jr, Julian who has autism, and Jayce. All of her children are a product of the Township of Union Public Schools. Raising a child with autism ignited a passion in spreading public awareness on autism.
Elsie is passionate about community unity. She created the Union Children and Families with Disabilities Community Network Facebook forum as a resource for parents raising children with disabilities, co-founded and chaired Union’s Special Education Parent Advisory Group (SEPAG), and partnered with the Union Police Department to develop a Special Needs ID Card Program – equipping first responders with pertinent information so they can better interact and help individuals with disabilities.
Elsie has over 24 years of healthcare administration, finance, operations, and personnel experience. She is currently the Regional Director of Patient Services & Operations at a reputable healthcare nonprofit organization. Before that, Elsie worked in various positions at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
She is a member of Kessler Foundation’s Consumer Advisory Board, the American College of Healthcare Executives, and the Concerned Citizens of Vauxhall & Vicinity Civic Association.
Elsie has a Master of Public Affairs and Administration and Bachelor of Arts in Urban Affairs from the Metropolitan College of New York.
Ronnie McDowell has been a lifelong resident of the Township of Union and Vauxhall. He and his wife Tonya have four children, with their two sons Kasie and Micah who are students at Union High School.
Now a retired, stay-at-home dad, Ronnie had a 34-year career in pharmaceuticals and public education. Ronnie was an Analytical and Quality Control Chemist with Johnson & Johnson, Knoll Pharmaceutical Company, Novartis, and Pfizer. He holds two patents with the US Patent and Trademark Office. After a long career in pharmaceuticals, Ronnie then worked as a Middle School Math Teacher at the Jersey City Board of Education.
With a passion for education, Ronnie served two terms on the Union Board of Education. He served as Board President in 2017 and 2021. One major accomplishment under his presidency was the introduction and rollout of Chromebooks for all high school students. In addition to the Board of Education, Ronnie stays active in the community as a Deacon of the First Baptist Church of Vauxhall and member of the Union Senior Citizens Advisory Committee.
Ronnie has a Master of Business Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a Master of Arts in Special Education and Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Kean University.
If you are already signed up to vote by mail, you start receiving your Mail-In Ballot after September 23, 2023.
If you want to vote by mail for this election and future elections, click here to fill an application to vote by mail.
Vote early at the Union Township Senior Center, 652 Rahway Ave, Union, NJ:
Other Early Voting locations are:
If you are a registered voter in Union and plan to vote at the polls, you must vote at your assigned polling location on Election Day.
The location of your polling place is listed on the sample ballot you received in the mail.
If you are unable to verify your polling location, you should contact the Union County Board of Elections at 908-527-4123, or click here.
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