Jeremy DeFilippis knows a thing or two about the Southern Regional School District. Not only did he graduate from Southern, but in recent years he’s been involved in helping to develop young entrepreneurs around the campus.
On Oct. 14, DeFilippis took another step in becoming much more familiar with the district when he took the oath to serve as one of its school board members.
“I figured it would be a good thing for me to experience,” said DeFilippis, who joined the board for its monthly meeting last week, abstaining on most agenda items for the moment. “I’ve always done a lot within the community. I was president of the Southern Ocean Chamber of Commerce for a little bit. I was treasurer of the Hunger Foundation and part of the Beach Haven Chamber and the Chowder Cook-Off. I like being part of new things, to offer some help. This seems like a well-run board, and I wanted to do the service of showing up and trying it out for a year.”
DeFilippis is taking the seat left by former Long Beach Island representative Terry Deakyne, who resigned from the board in August.
“Terry called in August, in advance of the meeting that month, to tell me he had to step away for a personal matter,” said Superintendent Craig Henry. “I tried to convince him to hang on a little longer, but he said that he needed to step down right away, that a personal situation needed his undivided attention. So with that, we began the process of filling the seat during the closed session of the August meeting.”
DeFilippis isn’t a stranger to most of the board members; several know him well.
“Beth Markoski, Paul Metzger and Michael Taylor know him, and my understanding is they’re all pretty close,” Henry said. “Jeremy should fit right in with the personalities on the board. He’s a businessman and obviously a very successful one, so he’ll be able to look at things from an analytical, business viewpoint and not necessarily an education viewpoint. To have somebody with his knowledge and insight is an asset.”
DeFilippis will remain on the school board for a year. If he chooses to stay for an additional year – Deakyne’s term was slated to expire in 2028 – he would have to be elected to it next November.
“Now that I’m on the board, I feel even more connected to the district,” he said. “Right now, I’m going to absorb a lot, suck up the process and see what happens. I believe I have my finger on the pulse of what’s going on in Stafford and Long Beach Island, so I might have some ideas to include regarding fundraising or outreach. But who knows? Maybe I’ll make some brilliant comments somewhere along the line, so stay tuned.”
DeFilippis certainly will help be an extra set of critical eyes during the budget process.
“Budgeting is a huge part of what I do with Jetty, week in and week out, and I know that’s a big part of the process here,” he said. “I’m looking forward to being involved.”
Henry, who at one time in his career taught DeFilippis, expects he will bring a fresh approach to some things among the board.
“I still have vivid recollections of him running into the gym as a student with his hockey gear to play floor hockey,” Henry said. “To see what he’s become, who he is now, and that he’s coming back to serve on the board is really awesome.”
