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Caren Bateman of Readington has been named the new Chair of the Raritan Valley Community College Board of Trustees. Ms. Bateman was elected to a one-year term during the Board’s re-organization meeting, held December 7.

During the meeting, Roger R. Locandro of Stockton was elected Vice Chair from Hunterdon County and Tracy DiFrancesco Zaikov of Watchung was chosen to continue serving as the Vice Chair from Somerset County. The terms for Vice Chairs are for one year.

A member of the RVCC Board of Trustees since January 2017, Ms. Bateman has served as a Vice Chair (Hunterdon County) of the Board since December 2017.

Caren Bateman is the owner of the Somerville-based Shoebox Computer Services, Inc., which specializes in QuickBooks accounting and bookkeeping services. In the early 1980s, she worked in the federal government in the Office of then Vice President George H. W. Bush. She also has been employed by Ortho Pharmaceutical in Raritan.

Ms. Bateman is a former Board member of the American Cancer Society and is a past President of Temple Beth-El in Hillsborough, where she also served on the Board of Trustees. She was a Girl Scout leader for 13 years in Hunterdon County. Ms. Bateman received a BA in Chemistry from the University of Vermont.

She assumes the RVCC leadership role from Robert P. Wise, who has served as Chair since November 2015. A member of the RVCC Board of Trustees since 2004, Mr. Wise served as a Vice Chair (Hunterdon County) of the Board from 2011-2015.

Under Mr. Wise’s leadership of the Board, RVCC has made a number of significant advancements. These include the 23,500 square-foot expansion of the Christine Todd Whitman Science Center in fall 2016, to accommodate the growing number of students interested in majoring in science-related fields; the construction of a state-of-the-art, 47,000 square foot Workforce Training Center, designed to better serve the community’s economic and employment needs, which opened in spring 2017; and the adoption of two new Strategic Plans.

The Board of Trustees is responsible for the overall planning and policymaking for the College.

Ranked by WalletHub.com, Intelligent.com and Niche.com as the #1 community college in New Jersey, Raritan Valley Community College has been serving as an academic and cultural center for Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for over 50 years. The College has been nationally recognized for its service to the community, environmental stewardship, and commitment to diversity. It is home to  a Planetarium, Science Education Institute, and an Honors College for high achieving students.

The College offers more than 90 associate degrees and certificates, as well as career training, small business assistance through the Small Business Development Center, and professional development courses. RVCC is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 9, 2021

Media contact: Donna Stolzer, 908-526-1200, ext. 8383

PR #54