From left are Juan Fernandez, A. Zachary Yamba, Leila Sadeghi, Daniel Korya and Bibi Taylor.
NEWARK, NJ — An educator from West Orange and a business executive from the Short Hills section of Millburn have been appointed to the board of trustees at Essex County College, according to a recent press release.
New trustees Leila Sadeghi of West Orange is executive director for the Guarini Institute for Government and Leadership at Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City and Thomas C. McDermott Jr. is vice president of sales and marketing for the Midland Steel Corp. in the Bronx.
Both were named to three-year terms as state appointees by Gov. Chris Christie. As per state statute, community college boards include two state appointees.
Sadeghi previously served as chairwoman of the department of educational leadership at Kean University. She has also been an assistant professor with the Center for Executive Leadership in Government at Rutgers University.
She earned her doctorate in urban educational policy from Rutgers University-Newark. She also received a master’s degree in educational administration from St. Peter’s University and her undergraduate degree is from California State University-Dominguez Hills.
“I’m excited and ready to start working on the board for to benefit our students,” Sadeghi said in the release.
McDermott served for more than a decade on the Millburn Township Committee, six of those years as mayor. He is an honorary member of the Paper Mill Playhouse board of trustees.
McDermott is a graduate of Lynchburg College in Virginia, earning his degree in political science and history. He has also studied finance at both Yale University and the University of New Haven, both in Connecticut.
“I’m pleased that I have this opportunity and I’m looking toward helping move the college forward,” McDermott said in the release.
“I am very pleased with the appointments of Dr. Sadeghi and Mr. McDermott to our board of trustees,” Essex County College board of trustees Chairwoman Bibi Taylor said in the release. “I know they will be valuable assets to Essex.”
Photos Courtesy of Wayne Yourstone
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