Another team has announced it is running for mayor and council in November: Hemant Marathe, Linda Geevers, and Peter Mendonez Jr.
Hemant Marathe has lived in West Windsor since 1994, when his wife Punit, who works for Bristol-Myers Squibb, was relocated from Syracuse. “It was our second move — the first time BMS moved us from Seattle to Syracuse. I have followed my wife all across the country,” he says.
“But once we moved to West Windsor, we knew we wanted to stay here. We liked the schools, and we liked the sense of community. We moved to a new development, and our house wasn’t even built yet, but there were lots of kids already playing in the neighborhood. It felt just like India, where we are from: the kids are outside playing and stay outside until dinner. We knew this was the right place for us to raise our family.”
Marathe has four daughters, all of whom have attended WW-P schools. His oldest, Priya, is starting medical school at Emory University, the middle daughter, Payal, just finished her freshman year at Yale University, and his youngest daughters — twins Shreya and Shruti — are sophomores at High School North.
“My mother, Padmaja, lives with us as well. We all love West Windsor.”
“They are all supportive of my decision to run for mayor, except the twins, who want me to stay on the school board. My wife has always supported me. We have known each other since we were in kindergarten, and yet she married me anyway!”
Marathe has long been a self-employed businessman and has generally worked from home. “For the first 15 years, I owned a software consultancy business, and since 2006, I have owned a wholesale business that distributes Indian groceries to Indian stores in New Jersey, Boston, and Virginia,” he says. “I am one of the first totally stay-at-home dads. That’s why I was able to get so involved in the community, my daughters’ activities, and the school board.”
Marathe has served on the WW-P School Board for 12 years and has served as its president for nine years. “I started by volunteering on the district’s technology committee. Then I ran for the board, and the first time I lost. At that time my oldest daughter was not yet in school. But I received over 1,000 votes, so I decided to run again.”
“When my kids were younger, I volunteered with soccer. I am a member of the Lions Club and the Toastmaster’s Club. I am on the board of the Indian Foundation of Metropolitan Princeton, and am a member of Marathi Vishwa New Jersey,” he says.
“I really enjoyed working on the school board for the past 12 years,” said Marathe. “I feel I have helped make a difference — we have recruited many top-quality people in the administration, and I feel that I am leaving the district in very good hands. There is a new team in place that will take a fresh look and take it to the next level. I still have six months to work with them, to help with the transition. But I don’t view being on the school board as a career. It is time to give someone else a chance, to give the board a fresh perspective.”
So why is Marathe running for mayor? “I could resign from the board and just do nothing, but I feel I still have something to contribute. It is the perfect opportunity for me to contribute to the greater community. As mayor, I would face a lot of the same challenges as I did as president — growth and development, budgeting in a tough economic climate. There are many challenges going forward.”
“I am not running against Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh or anyone in the administration. I have nothing against Shing — we are good friends. But he has been mayor for 12 years, and I think that a fresh look for the township wouldn’t hurt either. I want to give the residents a choice. I don’t view the position of mayor as a career either. If I am elected, I will stay for as long as I am useful and then I will step aside.”
Marathe says his strength is “building consensus. When I first joined the school board, every vote was 5-4 or 6-3. After I became president, I was able to work with the other board members so that nearly every vote became unanimous. We never became acrimonious, but we didn’t always agree, either. I just was able to build consensus on nearly every issue, so that we could all agree.
“I would bring the same skills to the township. As the mayor, I would work hard to bring everybody together. The mayor leads the town, even though the position has no active role on Town Council. But the mayor runs the township and can bring people together to forge consensus. I don’t want everyone to agree with me all the time either — if two people agree 100 percent of the time, then one of them isn’t thinking. But we need to have a more productive dialog.
“I have no magic bullet. But I think a change in the township leadership will help bring consensus and help the township move towards the direction it should be going in.”
“I can work with anyone, and can disagree with civility and then come together again on the next issue. A perfect example is my relationship with Linda Geevers. When we were on the school board together, we didn’t always agree. But we always got along. People have criticized Linda as someone who changes her mind. But to me that is a good thing. It means she is willing to listen, is not dogmatic but considers all sides of an issue and changes her mind if it is warranted.”
“And of course I have an excellent relationship with the school district, which I think is a big asset for mayor.
“Nonetheless, I am going to be looking for long-term solutions, not just politically expedient ones. I will not seek a zero-increase budget in a particular year if it is not in the best interests of the township. I will do what is best for the town and the residents, not what is best for my political career.”
Linda Geevers is the ticket’s incumbent: she has served on council since 2005, and before that she was a member of the board of education from 1999 to 2005. “I have accumulated tremendous experience throughout the years,” Geevers said. “I was the school board vice president for three years and chair of several committees, including the former administration and facilities committee.”
“And since joining council I have served as the president, the vice president, and as a full member of the Planning Board for 18 months. I have also been the liaison to every township committee.”
Says Geevers: “I am very excited about serving the residents and our community. Although I am very proud of what has been accomplished since I joined the council, there are still some issues that will be challenges for West Windsor, such as properly managing growth and development, and I want to be part of the decision-making process. Informed residents are one of our town’s greatest resources, and we need to maintain an inclusive and collaborative public process.”
Geevers, who holds a degree in communication arts from Cornell University, has lived in West Windsor since 1995. “When my oldest daughter was in kindergarten, I joined her school’s PTA. She is now a senior at Rider University. My middles daughter, Jesse, is a senior at High School North, and my youngest daughter, Ashley, is a sophomore there. I coached girls’ recreational basketball for 10 years, and was also involved when my daughters played fall and spring soccer and softball.”
When asked why she is not running for mayor, Geevers says “I am supporting Hemant — he will be an excellent mayor. I have known him for years, since we worked together on the board of education. Having a mayor who served on the board will greatly benefit the community. I can’t think of a better stepping stone for mayor or a council member position than being on the board. But in the future, who knows?”
Geevers believes that Marathe “will offer a more structured environment, which I believe is important. Mayor Hsueh has been in the municipal building for 20 years. It is time for a change. A lot of people encouraged us to run. The next four years will be challenging for West Windsor, with issues of development, growth, and budget pressures. It is a clear choice for the future of our community — we are the best team.”
Peter Mendonez Jr., may have recently moved to West Windsor, in June, 2012, but he just signed a long-term mortgage, so he is here for the foreseeable future. A resident of Penn’s Neck, he was impacted first-hand by the DOT Route 1 jughandle pilot program. His driveway was a major turn-around point. “The jughandle issue is one of the major reasons why I decided to run for council,” he says.
Mendonez, who is engaged to Jennifer Peterson, moved to West Windsor because of the school district. “Jennifer and I are planning to get married in December, 2014, and we hope to start a family. So we wanted to be proactive and move to a town with a good school district. This is the first house I have owned.”
To Mendonez West Windsor’s preserved open space makes it “actually look like ‘the garden state’, with all of the parks, farms, and recreational facilities. And I was impressed by the town’s Silver LEED energy efficiency certification. Penn’s Neck is very nice, although busy. We have a good mix of people — some who have lived there for 30-plus years and some who are new residents with young families.”
Mendonez’s parents are both from the Philippines. “My parents actually met here in the United States,” he says. “My father, who was a mechanical engineer, now owns and operates a preventative sleep-therapy clinic, for those with conditions such as sleep apnea or heart disease. My mother also works at the clinic as well as at a hotel in Somerset. My family is my inspiration — they are very grateful for all that they have been given here, and believe in having a purpose-driven life. They are very religious and taught my siblings and me to have strong values.”
Mendonez grew up in Piscataway and holds a bachelor’s degree from NJIT in electrical engineering. While still in school, he was hired as a full-time engineer by PSE&G. His area of expertise is sustainable energy, and he is currently employed by Viridity Energy, a start-up software company. He manages teams that find solutions for big energy companies, especially in the areas of solar energy and battery storage issues. He also worked as a public sector consultant for the National Institute of Standards and Technology as an energy consultant on a national sustainability plan, and for IBM as a senior transformation consultant.
“Our infrastructure is old. We need longer-term infrastructure solutions. I am from a younger generation and view things from that perspective. I have a great deal of experience with solar energy and solar farms, have worked on projects that are 10 times larger but smarter and more effective than the solar farm [at Mercer County Community College]. I am also trained as a lighting engineer, and have knowledge on how to reduce street light glare and other light pollution,” he says.
“I have coached basketball and soccer for many years, and have played both sports. I am also involved with the Knights of Columbus.”
“My approach is to be energetic, efficient, and to get things done. I know that Hemant and Linda share this approach. As a newcomer, I have no baggage, and I will work well with others. I believe in a more collaborative approach — I am a good listener, and respect everyone’s opinion. However, I will stick with my convictions when making decisions.”
