Ginny Bigley, a 19-year Lawrence resident (and a life-long New Jerseyan), has been actively involved in our community ever since she and her family moved here in 1990.

Elected to the Lawrence Township Board of Education in 2004 (and re-elected in 2007), Ginny wants to continue her commitment to the Lawrence community as a member of the Township Council.

When first elected to the School Board, Ginny was the founding chairman of the Board’s Committee for Community Relations, a position she has held continuously since. As chair of this committee, Ginny has been highly visible throughout the community, whether chairing community-wide education forums, attending Back to School Nights, or serving hot dogs at football games.

A strong believer for more open and transparent government, Ginny has done much to improve the flow of information between taxpayers and Board members. Among the initiatives she spearheaded are the Board’s quarterly newsletter, which is delivered to every household in Lawrence to update them on activities in our schools, and the expansion of the school district’s website. She also instituted the audio web broadcast of Board meetings.

An effective and innovative advocate in public safety, Ginny co-authored the first anti-gang policy in our school district and in Mercer County and has worked closely with various law enforcement agencies to provide awareness programs for our students on topics such as internet safety, gang awareness, the affects that false alarms and bomb threats have on a community. As a result of her efforts, the bomb scare problem, which plagued the schools several years ago, has been successfully eliminated.

Ginny currently services as the Board’s liaison to Town Council, as well as on the Board’s Negotiations Committee. A fiscal conservative, she has worked hard to restrain the growth in school spending. She is especially proud of this year’s budget, which was reduced from last year’s (and which was passed by voters by a more than two-to-one margin).

Ginny’s long record of community service has made a real difference in the lives of countless children, teachers and parents in our community. Her experience as a school board member, her long record of volunteerism, and her commonsense approach to government will make her an outstanding addition to the Township Council.