Support for Kamal Khanna for mayor and Kristin Epstein and Yinchao “YZ” Zhang for council
I am writing to support Yingchao “YZ” Zhang’s candidacy for the WW town council. I have known YZ for over 8 years – having met him when our children were in Boy Scouts together. I have found him to be a pleasant, prudent and kind person who has always volunteered to help out. I have no doubt that he will serve our constituents in an intelligent, consensus-driven manner that befits our community. I invite our friends and neighbors to extend support to his candidacy.
— Ajay Kaisth, West Windsor
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I hereby endorse Dr. Yingchao Zhang (aka, Dr. YZ) as the candidate for the West Windsor Township Council. I was introduced to Dr. YZ by a mutual friend when he ran for West Windsor school board election four years ago. Since then, I have had the opportunity to observe Dr. YZ demonstrating his ability, passion, and leadership skills as a member of the BOE at WWP school district and as the President of the Central New Jersey Chinese American Association.
Dr. YZ and his wife Fong, a public- school Physics teacher, have lived at West Windsor for seventeen years. They raised three wonderful children and two of them are attending colleges. Their youngest son, Julian, currently plays for the High School North Boys’ Varsity Soccer team. As the first generation of immigrants, many people like me choose to watch, listen, and only speak up occasionally in our community. Dr. YZ is one step ahead of us — he is willing to serve, lead, and be a role model for our children.
Trained as a physicist and currently working as an IT entrepreneur, Dr. YZ understands the relationship between science and technology, and the gap between theory and practice. He is fair- minded, intelligent, hard- working, and respectful to all. Most importantly, Dr. YZ made conscientious data driven decisions for the best interest of our children and our community, instead of acting like a champion for a small group or a tribe. I have seen him ignore negativity while calmly explaining the rationale of the decisions made by the BOE, when the decisions did not make everyone happy. He also straddles between Chinese and English social media groups to bridge cultural and political divide. As our nation still suffers from a divided and bitter election, it is important to elect a stable and modest candidate like Dr. YZ to unite people with diverse backgrounds in our beautiful and vibrant town, so that we can continue to attract well-educated working families.
“Working Together for West Windsor” is not just a slogan for Dr. YZ’s team, it is a value that Dr. YZ truly believes and has dutifully dedicated to through his services and involvement with various non- profit organizations and charitable causes. Dr. YZ is committed to American democracy and the tradition of West Windsor as a socially liberal, fiscally conservative, and environmentally friendly New Jersey town.
We need Dr. YZ and Dr. YZ needs you. Please join me in voting for Dr. YZ for the West Windsor
Township Council on November 7.
— Lynn Tang, West Windsor
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I am writing in support of Yingchao Zhang, “YZ”, who I have known for fourteen years. He is a dedicated father to his three sons, a devoted husband and an active citizen in the community. He has worked closely with the Cub Scouts and continued his support when his sons moved up to the Boy Scouts. He was the board chair for the Huaxia Chinese School for two different terms in 2005-2006 and 2012-2013. He has served on the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional Board of Directors since 2015 where his voice has been instrumental in sharing perspective for parents and administrators in WW-P.
When his sons were attending Maurice Hawk Elementary school, YZ was active in the school system and remains active. I recall he demonstrated one of his many talents when he performed as a drummer and singer for a fundraiser to help earthquake victims. His community involvement includes serving on the West Windsor Arts Council Advisory Board for two years, being Past President and board member for the Central Jersey Chinese American Association, and serving on the West Windsor Democratic Committee.
YZ combines his analytical and constructive approaches with compassion to achieve fair and equitable outcomes for all concerned. I know he will represent us on the West Windsor Town Council well:
Promoting inclusive, responsive, and transparent government
Controlling taxes with sound management and planning
Opposing Howard Hughes re-zoning
Preserving open space through smart land use
Encouraging small businesses and green jobs
Enhancing roadways, sidewalks and bikeway safety
I encourage you to consider voting for Dr. “YZ” Zhang for Township Council, and his running mates, Kamal Khanna for Mayor, Kristin Epstein for Council, on Tuesday, November 7th!
— Karen Delk, West Windsor
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As residents of West Windsor with an election for Township mayor and council taking place in a few days, it’s time to consider the political philosophy of the candidates. Some have wrapped themselves in the cloak of “non-partisanship” to hide their beliefs.
However, three of those running supported Donald Trump for President. In a town with many immigrants, Trump’s virulent anti-immigrant positions must be considered. He proposes to reduce immigration by 50%, to no longer allow American citizens to sponsor relatives living overseas. For those with aged parents whom they may wish to come to our country so they can be cared for, this is beyond a disgrace, it’s
inhumane. Trump also proposes to end the income tax deduction for real estate taxes, as well as State and local income taxes. This would have a major impact upon West Windsor homeowners. National politics and political parties programs do influence what happens locally.
Viginia Manzari was an ardent Trump supporter early on. Hemant Marathe and Linda Geevers will tell you that they chose “the lesser of evils.” No they didn’t, they put party ahead of principle and supported a candidate for President who targets communities like West Windsor with his agenda.
We have an alternative. Kamal Khanna, Kristin Epstein and YZ Zhang will fight for our community. We can count on them to defend residents from developers who only wish to put profit ahead of quality of life. They will speak out against those that would use their position to support conservative political beliefs not consistent with the best interests of West Windsor and its residents, they will act responsibly when considering all the issues that come before them while serving our town.
It is my hope that voters will support the team that will work togther for West Windsor.
— Anthony DeCarlo, West windsor
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I am writing this letter of support for Kamal Khanna, Kristin Epstein, and Dr. Yingchao “YZ” Zhang in the upcoming West Windsor Township municipal election. I worked with Kamal Khanna during his term on council from 2009 to 2013 when I was director of community development. Mr. Khanna was quick to learn municipal, county, and state procedures and regulations and was council president for two consecutive terms. He has a master’s degree in engineering and management from the University of Florida and was quick to understand the technical issues facing the township and apply his education and work experience to the conversation on solutions and directions the township should take.
He has a vision for West Windsor which includes increased commercial ratables with small businesses and green jobs; controlled lower taxes; continued open space preservation; and improved, enhanced infrastructure. He will make a very good mayor. He will listen to the professionals, residents, and his council colleagues on issues as he has in the past; develop consensus; and make decisions.
He has assembled a team that shares this ability with Kristin Epstein, having environmental engineering degrees from Princeton University and Johns Hopkins University, and YZ Zhang having a Ph.D. in physics from SUNY at Stonybrook. But more than this, all three have very successful careers showing that their degrees have been put to beneficial use. Ms. Epstein served on the West Windsor Environmental Commission and remains a trustee of the Friends of West Windsor Open Space. Dr. Zhang is currently a member of the West Windsor–Plainsboro School District Board. I am pleased that they have volunteered to run for election and provide more of their time and expertise to West Windsor Township and its residents at a time when we have very serious challenges and opportunities facing us.
— Patricia Ward Prutzman, West Windsor
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I am writing to express my support for the Working Together 4 WW Team in the upcoming Township elections in West Windsor. The mayoral candidate, Kamal Khanna was Town Council member and the President for two consecutive years. During that time he was also a member of the Planning Board and the Affordable Housing Committee. During his Presidency he showed his true talent of running the Council affairs smoothly by listening to all sides and dealing with all issue in a non-partisan manner.
This is a trait often missing in Council deliberations. Kamal Khanna, has been a West Windsor resident since 1978. He holds a master’s degree in engineering and management from the University of Florida and worked as an efficiency engineer and business analyst for a Fortune 500 company for 10 years. A few years later, he founded his own business, an international clothing company located in New York City. Currently he serves as a commissioner on the Mercer County Improvement Authority.
His running mates for the Council seats are Kristin Epstein and YZ Zhang. Kristin has served on the township environmental commission, Friends of West Windsor Open Space, and volunteered with the Girl Scouts. She also served for five years as president of the Princeton Area Alumni Association. A former Division 1 college soccer player at Princeton University, Epstein has also coached youth soccer in West Windsor and Cranbury. She received a degree in civil engineering from Princeton University in 1997 and a master’s in environmental engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 2000.
YZ Zhang, is a member of the school board since 2015, has been a West Windsor resident for more than 16 years. He holds a PhD in high energy physics and works as chief architect at Software company. He has served as a board member and president of the Central Jersey Chinese American Association since 2006. He has twice been board chairman of the HuaXia Chinese School and has volunteered with the West Windsor Arts Council and local youth sports.
As is obvious from their bios, the trio on the Working Together 4WW team has great leadership qualifications and the experience in public service that speaks for itself. Their team’s focus is on controlling housing development; minimizing taxes, preserving open space and quality of life; encouraging small businesses in the township; commitment to promote inclusive, responsive, and transparent government; and improving traffic, roadways, sidewalks, and bikeways throughout West Windsor.
Keeping in mind the above facts, I urge my fellow West Windsor citizens to vote for “Working Together 4 West Windsor” team on November 7.
— Hassan R. Syed, West Windsor
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When my family moved to West Windsor in 2016, a lawn mowing “company” promised to cut down two big trees in our backyard. They never showed up after getting our money. I broadcasted a message on a local social media WeChat group for help. Dr. Yingchao Zhang was the first person responded back and expressed his full willingness to help us. Learning that we reported the case to the local police, who could not do much about the situation given the constraints, Yingchao conducted an Internet search on the
company’s owner, and then went to the address where the owner was supposed to live in Trenton. Upon his visit, he found that the person no longer lived in that address.
While we could not proceed further, our family appreciated Dr. Zhang’s courageous effort above and beyond close friends can typically offer. I have repeatedly invited him for dinner at our home to express our gratitude, but he politely refused. In fact, I still have not met with Yingchao in person, but I’m very happy to see his big lawn signs around town, with him and his running-mates smiling at us. I truly believe his enthusiasm of helping and serving people around him is coming from his heart. How can we not support such a wonderful individual when he is willing to step up to serve the entire West Windsor community? Our family whole heartedly support him, and we trust him in finding likely-minded teammates in “Working Together for West Windsor”.
— Tina Dong, West Windsor
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The Working Together for West Windsor ticket of Kamal Khanna, Kristin Epstein and “YZ” Zhang has a very clear unequivocal position on the Howard Hughes project. They are opposed to Howard Hughes’ efforts to re-zoning the property from its current, office and light manufacturing designation.
Team Marathe is trying to give the impressing that their saying “no” to new homes on the Howard Hughes tract is somehow more anti-Howard Hughes than opposing re-zoning of the property. That is not true.
Team Marathe is making the case that their “25 years of experience on Council Planning Board & Zoning Board vs. 5 for our opponents” makes them more qualified to serve the town. That is disingenuous. Why did they choice to discount the Khanna ticket’s many years of experience on the WW Affordable Housing Committee, WW Environmental Commission and the Mercer County Improvement Authority?
To continue the principles and competency that characterized the tenure of Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh, we’ll be proudly voting on November 7th for the Working Together for West Windsor ticket, the ticket he endorsed.
— Phyllis and Irwin Stoolmacher, West Windsor
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As our West Windsor Mayor Mr. Hsueh retires this year, we are facing a tough decision. There are three teams competing for the Mayor and Councils positions and they are offering lots of great initiatives. I feel very fortunate living in a township with so many passionate and devoted people, who are eager to give their service to our community. It is also overwhelming because each competing team and/or individual claims to have best solutions to solve the problems in our township. With so many candidates, the question becomes-who to vote for?
I have been asking myself this same question. Below are some of the issues of great importance to me-and I suggest assessing each candidates suitability based on their ability to address these issues:
1. Have all election competitors undertake a comprehensive analysis of what the previous elected officials team got right and perhaps wrong? What to them makes West Windsor the desirable place to live and raise a family such as our clean environment and excellent schools? What issues should the next elected team continue to focus on?
2. Where is improvement needed? What specific measures/steps need to be taken to make these improvements a reality?
3. Existing candidates for Councils, were you able to accomplish your election promises? If not why, and what will you do to insure success in the next term? What can you do to overcome all existing obstacles?
4. What is your plan to economically stimulate hi-tech growth in our area?
5. Given all of the natural disasters we are seeing around the USA, what attention are you preemptively giving to insure we are preared and safe for the next hurricane, flood etc? Are our First Responders funded sufficiently, do we have a shelter plan, are our fire fighters enabled? Is our power supply safe-in other words, what is our crisis management plan?
Other issues to evaluate candidates by include: the Howard Hugh project, growing traffic jams, tax burdens, school overcrowding, and methods of attracting more tax dollars to our town rather than losing them to neighboring townships. Practicality of candidates priorities-is it necessary to build a lake as Mrs. Epstein (running for Council) claims? Or is there greater need to build solar/micro grids as Mrs. Wang (running for Mayor) claims? Such questions should be answered before any proposals are presented. Practical, well-balanced leaders with realistic achievable visions are what we need.
YZ Zhang is a Council candidate who has a strong, clear vision for these issues mentioned above. I have known him for many years now. He is a well-balanced candidate, but do not take my word for it, research him yourself and you will see why he is the candidate worth supporting. Thank you!
— Julia Miceler, West Windsor
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I am writing to express my support of Kristin Epstein who is running for Township Council.
I first met Kristin Epstein 9 years ago when my daughter joined her Girl Scout troop. Other co-leaders came and went, but Kristin remains the pillar in the troop. Kristin not only demonstrates commitment, she brings with her intelligence, organizational ability, follow through and originality. This is evident when Kristin empowered the girls in her troop to take on more of a leadership role as they grew older, allowing them to set meeting agendas and to run the meetings (with oversight).
She is the type of person who would rather spend twice the amount of time mentoring, coaching and prodding in the background in order to provide a more enriching experience and give her girls an opportunity to grow and practice for the real world. Kristin volunteers not for what she can get out of it, but for what she can give back.
Not only has Kristin dedicated her time to public service and improving the lives of children in our community, she is involved in many other aspects beyond the community. Seeing her in action over these 9 years, I can attest that she works tirelessly, works well with others, has vision and can carry out these visions. Kristin is fair-minded, has compassion and has the can-do attitude to overcome challenges or obstacles. She is a good listener and an inspirational mentor, which is why the girls in her troop are fond of and admire her. Kristin’s biography demonstrates she is well qualified for the position. But the quality that I feel makes her standout is not only her desire to do her best, but to do what is best for the community as a whole.
I encourage you to join me in voting for Kristin Epstein on November 7th.
— Bik Yee Wong, West Windsor
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I am honored to serve as a character reference for Kristin Epstein in her bid for a seat on West Windsor’s Township Council.
I know Kristin through her work as Executive Director in the past five years of the nonprofit YingHua International School, where I have served as Chair of the Board. Through Kristin, I have also gotten to know and respect YZ Zhang and Kamal Khanna, who are running with Kristin for Council and Mayor, respectively.
Effectively the chief executive officer for much of that time, Kristin led the school to double in size, secure and move into a new facility, and gain accreditation by both the Middle States Association and the globally prestigious International Baccalaureate Organization.
However, her fierce commitment to improving the educational experience for our students can best be understood and appreciated in context.
Kristin was originally hired as a part-time marketing director. But so much more in the school’s operations needed leadership that her portfolio of responsibilities kept growing and growing. It expanded to areas, such as school administration and nonprofit finance, in which she had no expertise.
Kristin was undeterred. She “majored in unafraid” and tackled everything that cried to get done. Despite her more-than-full-time responsibilities, Kristin remained on payroll a part-timer and learned as much as she could to overcome gaps in expertise.
Although the YingHua International School is technically a private institution, Kristin’s commitment to youngsters’ education was like that of the best public servants. Moreover, while working as its Executive Director, Kristin also served as an active member of West Windsor’s Environmental Commission.
Now she is running for West Windsor’s Township Council. Her pathway to seeking elected office has been consistent and based on serving others with selflessness, authenticity, determination, and hard work. Kristin, in other words, is already a true public servant.
— Bob Eng, West Windsor Resident
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As a resident of West Windsor community, I have witnessed the Township’s remarkable transformation as a vibrant, diverse community with a commitment to entrepreneurial drive and academic excellence. It is no surprise that rankings in 2009 and 2017 have named West Windsor as the most family-friendly neighborhood to raise kids and the best place to buy a home.
Our future depends on a strong leader who has experience in building alliances, who can develop solutions for new challenges, and who has courage to stand up against developers and vested interests who impede progress. In November, we have an opportunity to determine the trajectory of West Windsor’s future through the election of a new Mayor.
Kamal Khanna, with a proven stellar record of service to the community and strong leadership during his tenure as Council President, is the clear choice for the next Mayor.
Kamal’s decades of experience in public service and management efficiency has prepared him well to tackle complex challenges and to execute organizational strategy. His track record of serving the West Windsor Planning Board, the Affordable Housing Board, and the Environmental Commission demonstrates his skills in working with all stakeholders to efficiently provide services at minimal costs.
In contrast, his opponent’s tenure on the Council has been stained by rancor and factional fights, with a notable absence of consistent leadership. His obstructionist approach has cost West Windsor lost funding and delayed critical infrastructure projects that would enhance public safety.
Kamal will not oppose projects that will help residents simply because they are supported by political opponents. He will work collaboratively with all communities in the best interests of all residents.
Kamal has a long record of compassionately helping vulnerable members of our community. He worked in collaboration with other government agencies to restore essential services after a major storm had completely disrupted our train station infrastructure, flooded a long stretch of Alexander Road, and engulfed the Senior Center in prolonged darkness. Due to his steadfast commitment to operational excellence, Kamal is respected at all levels of the county and state governments and has earned a reputation as a consensus builder and skilled negotiator. These skills are the leadership we need to ensure the Howard Hughes development plan is significantly modified to ensure that our schools are not overcrowded, traffic is not overwhelmed, and tax commercial ratables are increased.
I strongly endorse Kamal Khanna for Mayor, and Kristin Epstein and Yingchao “YZ” Zhang For Council.
— Sujit Singh, West Windsor
