Four to vie for secretary-treasurer in 2025
Current NJEA Vice President Steve Beatty has been elected by acclamation to serve as NJEA’s next president beginning Sept. 1, 2025. Current Secretary-Treasurer Petal Roberson was likewise elected to serve as vice president beginning the same time. Each will serve a two-year term and be eligible to run for re-election to a second term in 2027. Current NJEA President Sean Spiller will continue in his role through the end of his second presidential term on Aug. 31, 2025.
Four NJEA members, Denise King of Monmouth County, Tina Dare of Gloucester County, James Frazier of Union County and Henry Goodhue of Somerset County, will vie for the open position of secretary-treasurer.
Beatty and Robertson were declared elected by acclamation as no one filed petitions to run against them. Each of the four candidates for secretary-treasurer filed petitions that were certified by the NJEA Elections Committee. That election is scheduled to take place by mail from April 1-15, 2025, with all NJEA members eligible to vote.
Beatty, who first took office as secretary-treasurer in 2017 before he became vice president in 2021, thanked NJEA members for their trust in his leadership. “It has been an incredible honor to serve for more than seven years as secretary-treasurer and now vice president of NJEA. I’m proud of what we have accomplished as a union and of the work we are doing right now to secure our future and strengthen our profession. This coming year is a critical time for NJEA as we fight for pension justice and evaluation reform and, of course, as we work to elect one of our own as the next governor of New Jersey. I look forward to working with Petal and the next secretary-treasurer to help NJEA grow even stronger and more effective in advocating for our members, our students and America’s best public schools.”
Robertson, who will be the first Black woman to serve as vice president of NJEA, also expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to continue serving as an officer. “The past three years have shown me what NJEA members are capable of when we use our voices and step strongly into our power. I’m proud of the work that Sean, Steve and I have done over the last three years in partnership with members from across New Jersey to embrace inclusivity and elevate educators’ voices. Our diversity is our great strength. Next year we have the historic opportunity to elect our president Sean Spiller as the next governor of New Jersey. I’m excited for the future of our union, because I believe that when we work together, there is no limit to what we can achieve for our students, our schools and our fellow NJEA members.”
Spiller, who is currently running for governor of New Jersey, offered his congratulations to Beatty and Robertson. “I’m happy for Steve and Petal, but even more than that I’m happy to know that NJEA will be in great hands under their leadership. I look forward to working with them over the next 10 months to keep moving our union forward and to position NJEA for success in 2025 and beyond. I’m grateful to the NJEA members who trusted me to lead over the last 11+ years and I’m excited to work with all members in the coming year as I run to be New Jersey’s next governor so we can keep our schools the best in the nation and make our state the best place in America to live, work and raise a family.”