Biographical descriptions of each candidate for Township Committee appear below:
#b#Krishna Jagannathan#/b#: I grew up in Montgomery Township, NJ (Somerset County) and attended Rutgers University. After graduating with my B.S. in Ecology/Natural Resources, I worked in environmental engineering and environmental health & safety. I moved to Plainsboro not only for its commuting convenience, but for its natural beauty, excellent schools, superior property value, and friendly neighborhoods. (Since then, property values have declined and taxes have increased.) I recently left my job as an EMS Educator to take a position with the NJ Department of Labor working in Occupational Safety, promoting safe work practices and ensuring the wellbeing of public employees across New Jersey.
Last February I was elected to office in the Plainsboro Township Fire District No. 1 where I havehelped to maintain a zero tax increase this year. My skills and participation were essential to the negotiation of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with the dayshift firefighters, and instrumental to the development and hiring of our new dayshift supervisor/lieutenant. Over the last few months I have proven myself as an effective steward of taxpayer dollars.
I hope to hear from the people of Plainsboro and continue to serve as their voice to government in a new role as a member of Township Committee. Interested citizens can leave a comment on the online version of this article, or reach me directly at Krishna@krishnaforplainsboro.com. Thank you.
#b#Neil Lewis, Deputy Mayor, Township Committee#/b#: As a candidate for re-election to the township committee, I am proud to live and work in Plainsboro. I look forward to the privilege of continuing my service to the residents of Plainsboro, and keeping it an outstanding community in which to live, work and raise a family.
Community Service: Plainsboro Township Committee, 1995-present; Deputy Mayor, 1998-present; Liaison for Public Safety (Police, Fire, Rescue) 1995- present; Environmental Advisory Committee (Past Chairman and current Liaison) 1989-present; Development Review Committee (1991-present); committees focused on Open Space, Parks and Recreation, Human Relations; school facilities review committees including chairman of referendum committee leading to approval for High School North; past volunteer/coach for student sports teams, and volunteer board member/volunteer for non-profit groups.
While in Office in Plainsboro: Plainsboro Recreation and Cultural Center, Plainsboro Preserve and Environmental Center, Plainsboro Library, the Plainsboro Village Center, Plainsboro Veterans and 9-11 Memorials, significant new parks and recreational projects; redevelopment approval for the new UMCPP medical complex.
Personal Information: Plainsboro resident since 1983; married to Nancy Strauss Lewis; children Anne and Adam are both graduates of the WW-P schools; Senior manager and director for Plainsboro-based Jacobus Pharmaceutical Company, focused on products and research for rare and orphan diseases; formerly director/officer for drug development for XenoBiotic Laboratories; the Muscular Dystrophy Association; former tenured professor of medicinal chemistry, Ohio State University.
Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry; Bachelor of Science in chemistry; post doctoral training in metabolism and drug development. Author/co-author of more than 80 papers, publications and patents.
#b#M. Doyle Lyons#/b#: I grew up in suburban Chicago and a small town in Wisconsin. I received a B.B.A. in Finance, and an M.S. in Finance, at the University of Wisconsin (Madison, WI), where I was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, an academic honor society. I spent 23 years at Merrill Lynch, in many areas of finance: investment banking, mergers and acquisitions, treasury, equity research, and strategic planning. I became an equity analyst at Merrill’s Plainsboro facility in 1994, and moved from New York to Princeton and then Plainsboro.
After working as an equity analyst in New York for two other companies, I returned to Plainsboro in 2008 to join a hedge fund. I now serve as treasurer for my sister’s company. I am very active with volunteer work for several organizations.
#b#Nuran Nabi, PhD, Plainsboro Township Committeeman#/b#. I have been a resident of Plainsboro for over 18 years, and serving as a member of Township Committee since 2007. Currently I am liaison for the Township’s Department of Recreation and Community Services and Township’s Human Relations Council. I also serve as a member of the Plainsboro Free Public Library Foundation. I have previously served on the Township’s Planning Board and Human Relations Council.
I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Dhaka University, Bangladesh; Post Graduate Diploma from Osaka University, Japan; Ph.D. in Cell Biology from Kyushu University, Japan; and Post Doctoral research from New York University, USA.
My family has been living in the USA since 1980. I worked for Colgate-Palmolive in the leadership position for 22 years, and I am the co-inventor of Colgate Total toothpaste technology. In addition, I have about 100 patents and publications to my credit. I retired in 2006 from Colgate-Palmolive before deciding to seek public office.
We moved to Plainsboro Township in 1994 for living a quality life and excellent school system. Though we could afford private education for our sons, we believe in the public school system and sent our two sons to the WW-P school system.
I first got involved in the township’s recreation and human assistance programs, where I worked on developing programs for the senior citizens and special needs children as well as cultural activities. My work included organizing activities to collect food cans and food supplies, enhancing senior activities.
In my more than 15 years of involvement in the township, I have learned a lot about the people. They are open minded, and they respect each other very much in this culturally diverse community.
I am proud of the Township Committee’s record of being financially responsible. We try to put the interests of citizens first, and try to improve the quality of life of residents. We have built a new library and the Village Center, and now a new hospital has come to town. We just have opened the new Recreation and Cultural Center. Now Plainsboro is recognized as one of the best places to live and promote business. I am married to Zeenat Nabi, PhD since 1974 and we are blessed with two sons, Mushfik and Adnan.
