Active community leaders Jennifer Maury Harris, Leila Amirhamzeh, and Eugina “Gina” Gilmore are running for the Hackensack Board of Education. Their goals include bringing much needed change to the school board by increasing community outreach and engagement, as well as responsibly utilizing taxpayer funds by prioritizing spending on students over inflated administrative costs.

Hackensack’s continued redevelopment efforts require forward-thinking solutions for the district. Maury Harris, Amirhamzeh, and Gilmore will ensure our schools are not left behind. They are running as part of the Hackensack Unites team, a broad coalition of local residents and leaders.

Maury Harris is running for re-election after serving as a school board Trustee since 2021. She is a Middle School World Languages teacher in the Mahwah Public School district. Formerly, she was a paraeducator working with students with special needs. She is a lifelong resident of Hackensack, proud graduate of the district, and the parent of two sons who have been educated in our public schools.

Amirhamzeh previously served as a Trustee on the school board between 2017-2020. She has lived in Hackensack for over twenty-five years, has a law degree, and is a volunteer ESL teacher for Hackensack Public School parents. She is a nonprofit leader at New Jersey Citizen Action, with policy experience centered on fair and affordable housing.

Gilmore is a dedicated community leader, parent, and co-founder of Kyle’s Strong Heart Foundation, a nonprofit organization she founded with her son to promote the importance of CPR and heart health awareness among students and their families. She is a Hackensack alumna, the parent of a son who graduated from our schools, and an IT professional with financial management experience at Unilever.

All three are dedicated volunteers across our community. Maury Harris is the Chair of the district’s Community Relations Committee, Amirhamzeh is a longtime volunteer with the High School’s Parent Outreach Program, and Gilmore has provided informational sessions on heart health awareness to Hackensack’s Middle and High School students.

“I am seeking re-election to strengthen the relationship between our schools and our community,” said Jennifer Maury Harris. “Collaboration is key, and currently, the Board leadership actively discourages input before major decisions are made that impact our kids and staff. Withholding shareable information isn’t just bad governance, it erodes confidence in our schools.”

The Hackensack Unites team is eager to speak with fellow residents about their ideas to improve our schools for all children. They’ll be walking door-to-door, meeting with neighbors, and having conversations at every opportunity possible focused on our students.

“When I’m elected, I look forward to building positive relationships with the community and staff, and always keeping their best interests at the forefront,” stated Gina Gilmore. “Hackensack is a close-knit community where we look out for our neighbors. We care about our kids. We can’t lose that community feel that makes Hackensack special.”

“Our students, their families, and our educators deserve the resources they need to thrive and succeed. We need to better invest in programs and staff that directly benefit our students,” added Leila Amirhamzeh. “Our schools are the heart of our city, and together, we will ensure that our fiscal priorities are student-centered, so our kids and educators have the tools they need to maximize their potential.”

Election Day is November 5. To connect with them, email HackensackUnites@gmail.com