I am writing to endorse Yingchao “YZ” Zhang to become a member of the WW-P Board of Education. He first demonstrated his community building ability to me as a liaison for Chinese communities and the West Windsor Arts Council, where I’ve been a board member. Yingchao helped organize the Arts Council’s first firehouse arts center fundraiser in 2003, the “Peace Through Painting” gallery sale of his father’s artworks.
Dr. YZ exudes positive energy and problem solving intelligence for community, as one would expect of a man so grounded in his own education as a PhD physicist. I am grateful for his involvement.
Paul Cerna
Dr. YZ is intelligent and well-rounded with a balanced mind in both education quality and budget in our school district.
I got to know Dr. YZ in early 2008 when I volunteered to work in the stage team for the Chinese New Year Celebration Gala he produced for Huaxia Chinese School at Plainsboro (HXPCS). I was very impressed by his passion and leadership. Later I learned that Dr. YZ has been very active in contributing to the local community. He has served one term of chairman of the school board of HXPCS from 2005 to 2006, and he has spear-headed the gala to build it as an effective platform for local Chinese community to reach out to larger local community.
Since my tenure as principal of HXPCS in 2010 and 2011, I have been working more closely with Dr. YZ and have started to respect him more for his open-mind and his practical and consensus-building style in resolving issues and conflicts.
In the fall of 2012 the two sides of the HXPCS school board, with different view on how the school should operate, had a devastating conflict. Dr. YZ quickly stepped in, leading the way to resolving the conflict. He spent hours and hours of his time to communicate with both sides and help them to understand each other, and in the end he helped resolve the conflict in a legal and civilized way and save the school from the edge of closure. He was then served another term as chairman of the school board.
With three boys at High School North, Dr. YZ is certainly among those who care most deeply about the quality of education in our school district. On the other hand, Dr. YZ is fully aware of the tax burden on local residents. Being a senior manager who carries profit and loss in his company, he has also been constantly under pressure to do more with less. I trust Dr. YZ will leverage his professional expertise to help deliver the highest education quality with budget under close watch.
Dr. YZ is a decent man and is passionate about community service and has a proven track record of doing so. If he is elected the school board, we all will benefit from his high energy, his balanced way of thinking, his collaborative working approach, and his expertise in budget management.
David Hu
Princeton Chase
Ex-Principal of Huaxia Chinese School at Plainsboro
YZ is a leader in this community and as an involved parent of three sons, he is a strong advocate for our children. YZ’s leadership is known in various community and civic groups including as a vice president of the PTSA at High School North, HXPCS board chair, as president of the Chinese American Association, soccer dad, and member of the West Windsor Arts Council. He continues to bring his A-game to all that he is involved in and it is why I endorse him.
As a busy parent, he was an active contributor in initiating and leading the parent-led discussion of the biology pilot program. He was pragmatic and made sure all voices were heard, and he will bring pragmatism, diplomacy, and knowledge to the school board meetings. As an award-winning scientist and a successful engineer and business professional, YZ will bring a fresh perspective to the school board.
I have known YZ for 10 years. We met when our sons were in Pack 66 Cub Scouts and band. He cares for all children and advocates for them both academically and in their extracurricular activities. He is a passionate musician who shares his music with students and adults in various community performances. He understands the importance of educating the whole child.
Karen Delk
West Windsor
As a seasoned management/investment consultant and long- term resident in the WW-P school district, I am writing in support of Yingchao “YZ” Zhang. I am volunteering in support of his campaign because of the following:
1. His vision for taking our school district from “Good to Great” by implementing cost effective IT solutions that will enhance our children’s educational experience and replace outdated manual auditing processes needed to monitor and track budget planning and spending. “YZ” has the knowledge and capacity to bring in the skill sets needed to the board.
2. His consistently even-handed approach that considers both sides of any given issue with the goal of arriving at win-win solutions.
3. A soccer dad of three sons and Super Volunteer in MH library and ongoing engagement with seniors at the West Windsor Senior Center are a few examples of his active dedication to serving our community and school district through past years of volunteer work.
4. It’s time for us to consider bringing in a fresh look at all the issues impacting our community including but not limited to those related to our school district. With his science-oriented training and his sensitivity to the needs of the entire community, Yingchao “YZ” Zhang brings that perspective.
Julia Miceler
North Mill Road, West Windsor
We have gotten to know Yingchao Zhang this past year through community events, and we believe the WW-P school district would greatly benefit from his leadership. Besides being a concerned and involved parent and community member, he is a great listener and a natural leader. He was proactive in leading a group of concerned parents when the High School North biology pilot program was not up to par, and he currently serves as the vice president of the High School North PTA and on the Arts Council advisory board. He is a leader in many capacities and understands how vital it is for all parties of a school system to work together to gain the best results.
He is a successful businessman and an award-winning scientist, but he is an equally passionate musician and supporter of the arts and has performed his one-man band at various WW-P schools.
Estella Ruggiero and Don Gilpin
Former language arts teachers
at High School South
I worked with Yingchao Zhang in last academic year for WW-P schools. Experimental biology program was not working out for kids and parents were not sure of what is best way to handle the situation. YZ stepped in to provide leadership to the parents’ group and organized parents over E-mail as well as in person meetings in getting the concerns channeled to the school authorities. He was instrumental in representing the concerns and working with parents as well as school in finding the way to right the situation without major long term impact on the grades.
Knowing YZ didn’t have his own child affected by the program made his efforts that much more commendable.
Tarun Mandhania
Woodbury Court, West Windsor
