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Candidates’ Bios – New Direction for Perth Amboy

New Direction For Perth Amboy Add.pagesFernando A. González 1H

Fernando A. González is former Perth Amboy City Councilman who served from 2008 – 2012. He was the only City Council Member to Oppose Tax Increase of 2011.

He is a Past Chairman of the Perth Amboy Housing Authority, of which he has been a member since 1996. He was previously elected to 3 terms (serving for 9 years) on the Board of Education (1977- 1986). He is also a member of the Puerto Rican Association for Human Development (PRAHD) Bd of Dir.

González and his wife, Obdulia, a retired educator who was elected to the school board in April 2009, are the parents of two adult children: Marisol, a special education teacher who works with infants and toddlers in Puerto Rico, and Daniel, an attorney practicing law in Perth Amboy.

González earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the City College of New York, where he served as an instructor from 1972 to 1978, and he earned a Masters Degree at Kean University (Formerly Newark State).

González is a real estate agent with Century 21 Main Street Realty in Woodbridge, and he has previously been manager of the Weichert Office in Edison and broker/owner of DanMar Realty and Atlantic Realty in Perth Amboy.

González is considered one of the pioneers in Perth Amboy’s civil rights movement, owing to his activism in the early 1970’s to integrate the Latino community into Perth Amboy’s body politic.

New Direction For Perth Amboy Add.pagesAna Maria Mascenik 2H

Ana Mascenik: Born in Havana, Cuba and raised in Perth Amboy, NJ. Ana Mascenik is a long-time Perth Amboy resident and homeowner who is heavily invested in the success of the City and its citizens. Prior to her retirement she was an educator in Perth Amboy. Over her 34 year career as a teacher and Principal she had a proven track record concerning student success, parent investment and positive character development. She holds dual Masters Degrees in Elementary Education with Bilingual Specialization and Educational Administration from Kean University, as well as a Bachelor’s of Science from Rutgers University.

Mrs. Mascenik has been honored for her excellence as an educator with awards from the Perth Amboy Merchant Association, the Perth Amboy Girl Scouts, and the State of New Jersey. These include the NJ Principal of the Year and the Governors Teacher Recognition Award. In order to help the Perth Amboy School District and their children, Mrs. Mascenik used her knowledge and expertise to develop and launch several different grant programs including the Partners in Learning Grant. All of this focus has led to her recognition as the leader of a school recognized as a NJ Benchmark School for three consecutive years.

Mrs. Mascenik continues to give back to her community. She volunteers with the Perth Amboy Girl Scouts, has been involved with A Taste of Perth Amboy, and is an active parishioner at the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In the past few years, Mrs. Mascenik has taken some time to travel and spend time with her husband and family. Most recently, Mrs. Mascenik was involved in Barbara Bouno’s bid for governor and attended the democratic national convention as a delegate for Barak Obama. She has two daughters, one son and four grandchildren. It is her concern for her family’s future and the future of all families in Perth Amboy, which now motivates her to seek a seat on the City Council.

A strong believer that the City of Perth Amboy has the potential to be the gem of Middlesex County, Ana Mascenik recognizes that is not enough to point out what is wrong with the city. She believes that it is necessary to get personally involved in order to move our city forward.

New Direction For Perth Amboy Add.pagesJelmin Caba 3H

Jelmin Caba is a community leader running for Perth Amboy City Council in 2014, bringing a new and fresh perspective to our local government.

He considers himself proud and blessed to have lived in our historical City of Perth Amboy since 1977. After many years of being an active member of this community, Caba believes God put it in his heart to finally run for public office.

Caba was born in La Vega Province of the Dominican Republic in 1973.  After emigrating from the Dominican Republic, His parents, Jorge and Gladys Caba, instilled upon him the importance of hard work and the feeling that no matter how successful you are you have a responsibility to help others.  His parents led by example in achieving the American dream they so solidly embraced. They became American citizens and worked multiple jobs to support their family.

Caba has deep, strong roots in Perth Amboy, and is a member of the Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish. He is an alumni of Holy Trinity Catholic School and proudly graduated from Perth Amboy High School.  He attended and graduated from Middlesex County College with high honors in Marketing and Advertising, and moved onto School of Visual Arts in NYC.

Upon graduating, Caba worked for GT Interactive and Cardinal Health, then went on to open several businesses. He owned Fine Line Hair Studio in Rahway, NJ and a restaurant in Perth Amboy, Healthy Choice Grill.

Striving to empower those around him, Caba has a long history of community activism and volunteerism. It includes but is not limited to serving on the Perth Amboy Recreation Advisory Committee, the Perth Amboy Municipal Alliance, is a member of the Kearny Cottage and has volunteered as an instructor for several Perth Amboy recreation programs. He has also served his community as president of the Latin-American Softball League for 10 years.

As a community leader that has experience in different fields and is currently working for the Perth Amboy Board of Education, he will bring a change and renewed energy to the Perth Amboy City Council.

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