After a distinguished 35-year career, Obdulia "Obi" Gonzalez retired as a
counselor at Perth Amboy High School, where she was among the first Latino
educators after graduating from City College of New York and earning a Master's
Degree from Kean University (then known as Newark State College).
She later fulfilled all requirements for a doctorate, except the
dissertation, at Rutgers University, because Obi Gonzalez knew her example would
influence children in our high school.
Few city residents can boast academic credentials to compare with those of Obi
Gonzalez, whose dedication and commitment to the Perth Amboy public school
system is beyond question. More significantly, few of us have ever been such a
positive influence in the lives of so many young people.
Obi Gonzalez has also worked with a wide variety of professional and community
organizations including Aspira, New Jersey Education Association, Planned
Parenthood, Puerto Rican Association for Human Development, Civilian Review
Board, Jamesburg Correctional Facility, and Rutgers Upward Bound Advisor. She
has also been a community liaison for the New Jersey Bar Association Ethics
Committee.
Together for Quality Schools is Perth Amboy's most qualified team to lead
our schools forward.
A three time 'police officer of the year' who has taught more than 3,000
fifth grade students as a DARE officer, Ken Puccio has spent 19 years as a
juvenile detective working directly with Perth Amboy children.
Ken Puccio is proud that 17 of his DARE students chose careers in law
enforcement, including one who now works with the United States Secret Service.
As a recognized expert on street gangs and the juvenile justice system, Ken
Puccio has lectured at numerous universities and worked in conjunction with the
NYPD, FBI, New Jersey State Police and the state Attorney General's Office.
A member of the Middlesex County Youth Services Commission and president of the
Middlesex County Juvenile Officers Association, Ken Puccio is a US Army veteran
who raised two children of his own, in addition to serving as a Big Brother, a
volunteer firefighter for 10 years as well as coach and president of the Perth
Amboy Babe Ruth Baseball League.
With knowledge, skills and commitment that can make a definite difference in the
lives of Perth Amboy's youth, Ken Puccio's credentials for school board are
unequalled.
Together for Quality Schools is Perth Amboy's most qualified team to lead
our schools forward.
After migrating to the United States from the Dominican Republic when he was
13 and graduating Barringer High School as valedictorian, Samuel Williams
Lebreault Batista turned down a scholarship from Princeton University.
Instead he earned a masters degree at NJIT, where he participated as a member of
the Mechanical Engineers National Honor Society, and vice president of both the
Organización Latino Americana and the Society of Hispanic Professional
Engineers.
Lebreault helped develop technology used by NASA to power spacecraft with solar
energy as a researcher working with NJIT and Union Carbide.
He began his career working on petrochemical refineries and power plants, where
he used advanced engineering skills in heat transfer design, hydraulics and
other complex calculations. For the past 18 years, Lebreault has been a project
engineer at the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
As an active member of several community organizations he has promoted Latino
candidates, coached pee wee baseball players, and served as president of the
Sociedad de la Altagracia at Our Lady of Fatima Church.
Together for Quality Schools is Perth Amboy's most qualified team to lead
our schools forward.
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