OCEAN CITY — The Ocean City Board of Education has three seats up for election Nov. 7 and seven candidates, a mix of incumbents and newcomers, seeking those positions.
Longtime incumbent Cecelia Gallelli-Keyes and Robin Shaffer, who was elected last November to fill a one-year unexpired term, are running for re-election.
Shaffer joined the board in January with newcomers Catherine Panico and Elizabeth Nicoletti, who ran together largely based on their opposition to new state Board of Education Health and Physical Education standards. They were endorsed by the conservative group Moms for Liberty.
Shaffer, an educational professional with wide-ranging experience, is on another slate this fall called “Conservative Family Values.” He is running with newcomers Kevin Schaffer, an educational consultant, and Steve Flogaus, a medical sales professional. Those three filed a joint petition.
The three other candidates seeking one of those three seats are real estate agent Michael Allegretto, a former board member and City Council member; real estate agent Corey Niemiec and Jocelyn Palaganas, former president of the district’s PTA.
The Sentinel provided all seven candidates with a questionnaire and an opportunity for input, then edited the submissions for length, clarity and readability. The following profiles are presented in alphabetical order:
Michael Allegretto
An Ocean City High School Class of 1989 graduate, Michael Allegretto earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the College of New Jersey in 1993
Allegretto worked as director of Community Services for the city from 2015-20 and now serves as aide to the mayor. In addition, he is a real estate agent who was office manager for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Fox & Roach Realtors from 2009-15. He also works for Hager Real Estate.
Allegretto was a member of the Board of Education from 1999 to 2006, serving as president in 2004-05. He then was on City Council from 2006-15, serving as president from 2010-13.
“As a lifelong resident of Ocean City, I understand the core family values the residents of Ocean City believe in. I have a proven track record as an elected official of listening to the taxpayers and then developing policies which best reflect the majority of our citizens,” Allegretto said.
A lifelong member of St. Damien Parish, he said his involvement with the city and school board has lent itself to understanding the electorate’s concerns and ambitions.
“I habitually speak and listen to constituents about their concerns and ideas about how we can improve Ocean City. I will use these opportunities to continue to identify the issues most important to parents, students, teachers and local citizens and work to improve the district,” Allegretto said.
He said his previous school board experience would allow him to hit the road running.
“I already have experience in how to implement new polices for the school district, how to develop a responsible budget for the taxpayers that will fund the best educational opportunities for our students, and the importance of bringing a school board together in order to focus on providing the best educational experiences for our students,” Allegretto said.
He said of elected, his top priority would be to provide educational excellence for our students.
“I feel this can be done by providing state-of-the-art educational resources to our teachers and students. I want to not only focus on challenging our top students to achieve greater heights, but also focus attention on inspiring our students who might not have a clear direction of what they might want to pursue,” he said.
Allegretto said he would like to give teachers the proper tools and motivation to inspire students in math or science class, the arts or other areas. “to provide a great foundation for the students in business classes or the trades to give them a great start to their careers out of high school.”
“We only have one opportunity to inspire greatness in our children during their time in the Ocean City School District. As a member of the school board, I will focus on these ideas in every decision I make to accomplish this,” he said.
To accomplish said goals, Allegretto said he would work with the school board to protect parental rights for all.
“I feel it’s most important to involve parents, staff and local constituents in the decision-making process when creating and implementing board policies,” Allegretto said. “I will work with the entire school board to ensure that education programs are decided locally, and not by outside authorities.”
He said he aims to unify the board.
“I feel the current school board is too fractured to be effective. I believe my previous experience on elected boards will allow me to find common ground with the other board members in order to make decisions that will keep moving our district forward,” Allegretto said.
He believes voters should support him because of his commitment to bettering the city.
“I believe that a strong school district is the heart of any great year-round community. I will work hard to provide the best education to our students by providing the necessary budget support to ensure our teachers have all the teaching tools necessary for our students to succeed,” he said. “I believe in keeping parents, teachers and students involved as the school board implements policies and curriculum to keep our district moving forward.”
Steve Flogaus
A medical sales professional, Steve Flogaus is running on a ticket with incumbent Robin Shaffer and fellow newcomer Kevin Schaffer on a slate called “Conservative Family Values.” They trio filed a joint petition.
Flogaus earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware in 1984 and has spent the past 40 years working with orthopedic surgeons in the operating rooms of local hospitals.
“My duties as a medical professional were to listen and ascertain the trust of the orthopedic surgeons, then implement what I learned and practice that in the operating room,” Flogaus said. “It was my job to make sure things went smooth in the procedure. But it was only after I gained that trust outside the OR that I was even allowed to orchestrate what happened inside the operating room.”
He said the “fine-tuned process is similar to what’s happening inside our school system today. I plan to bring my experience from the medical arena and apply it to our educational system.”
Flogaus said he is running as somewhat of a tribute to his “best friend Tommy Oves, a beloved school board member for many years.”
“We often talked about issues he was dealing with. I consulted with him often. He recently died and I felt I owed it to him and he would have wanted me to speak for him if I could. I’m now in the position to do that and I plan to honor his legacy,” Flogaus said.
Claiming to have “canvassed the entire island of Ocean City,” Flogaus said his beliefs and attitudes reflect the voters’ views.
“I plan to be their representative in those school board meetings. It’s that simple,” he said.
Cecelia Gallelli-Keyes
Incumbent Cecelia Gallelli-Keyes is a seasoned community leader with extensive school board and business experience.
She has served on the board since January 2014 and is a member of its AASA Learning 2025 Portrait of a Graduate, is chair of the Wellness & Health Committee and serves on the Curriculum & Student Affairs and Equity & Equality committees.
Gallelli-Keyes has been a member of the Ocean City Education Foundation since 2011. She also served on the school board Council Committee and DEPAC Committee.
Gallelli-Keyes was president of the PTA and is still a member, was a member of the PTO, Intermediate School Wellness Committee, Strategic Planning Committee and School Choice Committee chair.
She also is involved with sports as vice president of the Junior Lacrosse board and a member of the Junior Raider Football and Cheer board. She was a Red Raider Football Association trustee and Hawks Football and Cheerleading vice president.
“I’ve been present throughout many transitions within the district and have a deep understanding of the culture and direction of the schools,” Gallelli-Keyes said. “Additionally, I am tenacious and unyielding in my dedication to the welfare of our students. I am not afraid to stand up for what is right for our students, parents and taxpayers and always keep their best interest at heart.”
A graduate of Temple University with majors in accounting and business law and a minor in hospitality management, she and her family owned and operated the Tahiti Inn & Apartments, on Ocean Avenue at 12th Street, from 1989 to January 2023, when they sold it.
“This experience allowed me to be fully immersed in the commerce of Ocean City and be a well-informed member of the community,” she said, noting she has owned other businesses as well. “I understand the value of a dollar and how to come up with innovative ideas to fund projects that our district cannot afford.”
After selling the Tahiti Inn, she went to work as a customer concierge for Boardwalk Honda.
Gallelli-Keyes’ two sons, Joseph and Luciano, graduated from the Ocean City School District, and she has another child at Ocean City Intermediate School.
If re-elected, Gallelli-Keyes said, she would “continue to give all of my free time to fight for the well-being of our students, their mental health and their safety. Additionally, I will fight for equality, rights for parents and open communication with our teacher/administrative unions.”
She said she also would try to keep politics and nepotism out of the schools to focus on children.
Gallelli-Keyes was one of five members of the school board who voted against the Comprehensive Health and Physical Education standards the board narrowly approved last September.
Critics focused on the sexual education components, contending the standards sexualized children and introduced them to gender ideology at too young of an age.
“I strongly believe that our youth under the age of 11 are too young to be learning the prescribed health/sex standards at their age level. I do believe the older students should, in a supervised way, learn the sex curriculum, but only with parental consent,” she said
Gallelli-Keyes said voters should support her because she is willing to fight for students.
“It has been shown throughout my leadership and tenure on the board that I am a fighter. I will not back down from a challenge and will always do what is best for all students of this district,” she said. “Voters should be able to see me as a candidate they can trust and depend on based on my years of experience and dedication to Ocean City Schools.”
Corey Niemiec
Real estate agent Corey Niemiec spent 10 years working for a corporate branding company in signage, graphics and marketing and now works for Goldcoast Sotheby’s International Realty.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from LaSalle University and a master’s degree from Holy Family University.
Niemiec said if elected, his top priorities would be protecting parental rights and providing students with state-of-the-art technology and outstanding educational resources. He also would involve parents, staff and local constituents in the decision-making process on educating for the future, and expand and promote school choice for all grades to “ensure a robust set of curriculum offerings and the highest quality of faculty.”
He said he is running to ensure a well-balanced education for every student.
“I am committed to working to unify the board in order to get things accomplished to provide an outstanding education for our children,” he said.
Niemiec believes voters should support him because he “will get things accomplished and provide a logical thinking process to decisions as they are placed in front of me.”
Jocelyn Palaganas
Jocelyn Palaganas, who recently retired after 10 years as president of the Ocean City Parent Teacher Association, is a regional inside sales manager for a point-of-sale computer company, Advanced Hospitality Systems in Voorhees, for almost 18 years.
She also is a boardwalk business owner.
The Holy Spirit High School graduate grew up in southern New Jersey and moved to Ocean City 14 years ago. She earned a business degree from Rutgers University.
Palaganas believes she improved the communication between the district and parents, advocating for the welfare of all our students, during her time on the PTA.
“With my management experience, I feel that I can lend a hand in moving our school system in a positive and more stable direction,” she said.
Palaganas said if elected, her top priorities would be bringing back a sense of unity on the district.
“Ocean City has a long history of community, and I will empower our parents and teachers to work toward a shared goal of preparing and encouraging our students to be successful,” she said.
Palaganas said as a parent of an Ocean City High School graduate and a current student, she is “committed to bringing our parents’ voices into the schools in a thoughtful and collaborative way. I would like to be part of making decisions for the betterment of our school community, which includes ensuring that our students have access to the latest technologies and resources at all grade levels.”
She said voters should support her because “for the last 10 years, Ocean City parents have voted me to lead our PTA, supporting parents’ role in the schools, and now I am asking you to support me in running for the Board of Education.”
Kevin Schaffer
Kevin Schaffer is an educational consultant focusing on employee benefits. The 49-year-old and his wife, Erica, have three children ranging in age from 9 to 12.
Schaffer is running on a ticket with incumbent Robin Shaffer and fellow newcomer Steve Flogaus on a slate called “Conservative Family Values.” They trio filed a joint petition.
After graduating with a double bachelor’s degree in economics and public relations, he worked as a fifth-grade teacher. He later became director of community education, during which time he pioneered the before- and after-school child care program as well as the adult education program.
In addition, he has 26 years teaching Taekwondo while operating three studios in three states.
“Throughout this tenure, I’ve trained hundreds of students. I employed a strong curriculum with a focus on athletic, scholastic and charitable achievements,” he said. “As a result, my students have found success inside and perhaps more importantly outside the dojang.”
His current career path shifted primarily to employee benefits and consulting.
“For the past 20 years, I have worked with employers across all industries to develop comprehensive solutions for controlling costs across the entire spectrum of operations,” he said. “Understanding the needs and well-being of employers and employees allows for innovative ideas that can be equally implemented within our own community.”
He said charity is at the core of his character and central to the message he transits to his children and young athletes. He founded Cara’s Love in memory of his sister, who died in February 2021 from COVID-19.
“Through our charitable organization and over the course of the past two years, we delivered six scholarships to students in Atlantic City and Galloway Township who are pursuing a career in education,” he said.
Schaffer said he is solution-driver with a track record of success and proven results.
“My qualities are embedded in my professional experience and facilitate my ability to welcome and understand the needs of the students, parents and teachers alike,” he said.
If elected, he said he aims “to solve problems and proactively evaluate how we can best deliver a superior educational experience for our students.”
“My vision would include easily accessible tools to help students, parents and teachers address their various needs within the classroom and home,” he said.
Schaffer advocates for mental health support and believes “core family values” are an integral part of the path to success.
“I would like to see a revitalization of joy in learning. I would further like to see a renewed emphasis on traditional fundamentals to best prepare students for their journey beyond their time in the OCSD,” he said.
He said he is running to be engaged in the district and community.
“I will prove to be a valuable resource to the community and I look forward to leading us on a successful path forward,” he said. “Voters should confidently know that I intend to work diligently in the best interest of our students to deliver tangible results.”
Robin Shaffer
Incumbent Robin Shaffer is running on a ticket with newcomers Kevin Schaffer and Steve Flogaus on a slate called “Conservative Family Values.” They trio filed a joint petition.
“Together, we intend to restore the public’s trust in the Ocean City school board and be a voice for the citizens of our great community,” Shaffer said.
Shaffer was elected in November 2022 to a one-year unexpired term and now is seeking re-election.
Shaffer has extensive experience in the field of education as a special education teacher, administrator, state special education advisory board president, vice principal and principal.
“For the past decade, I have chaired dozens of Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation visits around the world,” he said. “I have also taught master’s courses for the College of Education at Towson University and Notre Dame.”
Shaffer also spends time volunteering for local organizations. He is spokesman for Protect Our Coast New Jersey, a grassroots organization fighting offshore and coastal industrial development, as well as a dog walker and photographer for the Humane Society of Ocean City.
Shaffer, who earned a master’s degree in education from Hood College, said he has further experience in counternarcotics, security, intelligence, leadership and analytical roles — serving as director of the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Office at the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan, and a senior analyst for the Department of Defense.
The third-generation educator said he works hard to remain up to date on current issues and enjoys opportunities to talk with educators, families and other community stakeholders about best practices in the field of education.
“I have a diverse background in volunteering as well as work in the federal, state and local government sectors that informs my decision-making. I believe in classical education, and common-sense as well as conservative values,” he said.
Shaffer said he wants the school board to assert local decision-making over matters that are local in nature.
“We must stand up for our children and families in the face of government overreach by Trenton. It is incumbent upon board members to reflect the values of the communities in which they live,” he said.
Shaffer is the father of two sons who have attended Ocean City schools.
If re-elected, Shaffer said, his top priorities would be finding a new superintendent, following the premature departure of the previous head of the district.
“The next superintendent will be the fifth in five years for our district. With that in mind, our top priority must be to establish routines and mechanisms that ensure transparency and accountability with our families, teachers, staff and taxpayers,” he said.
He also wants to focus on filling educational gaps created during the COVID-19 pandemic, promoting collaboration between schools and families and “reflecting the conservative family values of our community through fundamental decency, common sense and respect for everyone.”
Shaffer said he wants to be a” catalyst for positive growth and change” on the board.
“I want to see that every student finds success — in accordance with their hopes and dreams — and that our tremendous families have every opportunity to experience the journey alongside their children,” Shaffer said. “Parents who send their treasures to us entrust us with an awesome responsibility to educate their children— not to co-parent.”
He said until last year’s election, when he was elected alongside fellow Moms for Liberty members Catherine Panico and Liz Nicoletti, the board “had become much more liberal and out of touch with our community. It was responsive to Trenton but not to our community. As state school officials continued to push radical ideology that infringed on parental responsibilities, our local board did not push back. And it was not responsive to community leaders who spoke before it — members of our faith community, parents and watchdog groups.”
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff