The New Jersey Joint Council of County Special Services School Districts (Joint Council) now benefits from the experience and insight of Michael Vrancik as the government relations consultant. The Joint Council, which represents the state’s eight county special services school districts, welcomed Vrancik into the role over the summer.
Vrancik also currently serves as the legislative advocate for the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials (NJASBO). The relationships he has built with staff of both the executive and legislative branches, as well as education stakeholder groups, will help Vrancik work on behalf of Joint Council member districts to anticipate and respond to issues and polices that impact them and their students.
Prior to working with the Joint Council and NJASBO, Vrancik worked with the New Jersey School Board Association (NJSBA) for more than fourteen years, most recently as the director of governmental relations. As chief lobbyist for the group, he advocated for the interests of local school districts and worked to maximize opportunities for local board members to participate in the administrative rulemaking and legislative oversight processes in place to regulate the state’s public school system.
Vrancik also worked for NJSBA for several years in the early 1990s as the associate director of governmental relations but, left to serve as the legislative representative for the NJ Association of Counties, where he represented the interests of county freeholder boards, county executives and other county officials. From there, he transitioned to the Office of Management & Budget within the NJ Treasury Department, serving as a manager before moving on to be the chief operating officer for the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority.
“I’m excited to extend my reach and lend further support to our state’s exceptional educators by working with the Joint Council,” said Vrancik. “This is such a crucial time in education policy, and I’m looking forward to helping our county special services schools navigate new legislation mandates and have a say in decisions that impact all aspects of their operation and goal to help students with special needs reach their greatest potential.”
“We are so lucky to have Mike on our team,” said Dr. Howard Lerner, superintendent of Bergen County Special Services School District and chairman of the Joint Council. “With his connections and knowledge, he will become our eyes and ears to stay on top of policy, trends and emerging ideas and issues so we, as superintendents, can remain focused on educating students.
Vrancik replaces Judy Savage, who retired after 15 years with the Joint Council. He currently resides in Cinnaminson, Burlington County, with his wife of 45 years, Darlene.