Ocean Township Trio Seeks Three Board of Education Spots

Candidates Support Turning in Mail-In Ballot Early

OCEAN  – September 16, 2020 — Three Ocean Township (Monmouth County) residents are running together on a unified ticket for the November 3 school board elections.

Alix Hayes, Dan Penix and Shawanda Beale are running for OT Board of Ed.

Shawanda Beale, Alix Hayes and Dan Penix registered their ticket – Putting Students First – to be on the ballot for the Township of Ocean School District election, which has three seats up for grabs this year.

All three candidates have children currently in Ocean Schools: Beale has a daughter at Wayside Elementary and a son at Township of Ocean Intermediate School (TOIS), Hayes has a daughter at Ocean Township Elementary School (OTES) and a son at TOIS, and Penix has a daughter at TOIS (and a daughter who graduated from OTHS).

Each of the candidates has extensive community involvement and a passion for education.

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BEALE:

· University of Virginia, B.A.; Virginia Commonwealth University, M.Ed.

· 20 years’ experience in Education (Assistant Director, Supervisor of Guidance, High School Counselor and Language Arts Teacher)

· Member, Ocean Township Zoning Board

· Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Jack and Jill of America, Inc., and the NJ Commission on National and Community Service

· “I’m running for BOE because I have a genuine interest in contributing to the school community and collaborating with stakeholders to accomplish common goals. I believe in putting students first.”

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HAYES:

· Tulane University, B.A.; University of Miami, M.A.

· Works in Corporate Communications, former television reporter

· Immediate Past-President of the OTES PTA

· OT Recreation volunteer soccer coach

· Mentor to underprivileged teens through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Asbury Park

· “I’m committed to helping increase student test scores, ensuring equity in education

among all student groups and particularly among historically under-served and under-performing subgroups, dedicating additional resources for teachers and increasing the transparency, communication and accountability of Township of Ocean BOE.”

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PENIX:

· Rider University, B.A., Keller Graduate School of Management, MHRM

· Property Manager and Project Manager

· Executive Director, Sigma Community Outreach and Upliftment Platform

· Ocean United Soccer Association (coach and trainer)

· President, Villas at Poplar Brook Board of Trustees

· Member, Ocean Township Environmental Commission

· “I have a clear vision to continue to move this school district forward. I want to be a part of a team that is willing to respectfully collaborate and implement policies that will benefit all students and put the focus on them. I plan to use my expertise and experience to assist in creating a fiscally sound budget that increases the financial health of the district.”

On the ballot, Beale, Hayes and Penix will be spots #2, #3 and #4. The three running mates recommend voters send back their mail-in ballots well before the election deadline; however, ballots can also be dropped off at individual, assigned polling locations as well as select drop-off sites throughout Monmouth County. All mail-in ballots must be postmarked on or before General Election Day, November 3, and received by the County Board of Elections by 8 p.m. on November 10.

The BOE election will take place on Tuesday, November 3, and will coincide with the General Election for local, state and federal offices. Due to the challenges posed by COVID-19 and to limit lines at in-person polling locations, Governor Phil Murphy mandated last week the election will primarily take place by Vote-By-Mail. This means all registered voters in New Jersey will receive mail-in ballots and limited polling locations will be open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on election day (for voting on paper provisional ballots only), with accessible voting devices for disabled voters only.

Unlike in previous elections, sample ballots will not be mailed to voters for the 2020 General Election per Executive Order by the Governor. The County Clerk will instead send a postcard to voters indicating their polling location for the 2020 General Election. Sample ballots, lists of ballot drop-off locations, available polling locations and other Election Day information will be posted to the Monmouth County Clerk’s website as they become available.