Corzine withdraws nomination of Willingboro woman to Camden school board

Less than an hour before what could have been a rancorous Camden school board meeting last night, Gov. Corzine announced that he was withdrawing his appointment of a Willingboro resident to the board.

Spokesman Robert Corrales said the governor was taking back his appointment of Judith Hillman, a Lockheed Martin employee, because of "a misunderstanding of the residency requirements."

In the past, the Governor's Office, which appoints three of the board's nine members, was required to appoint at least two city residents, and the third could be employed in the city but live elsewhere. But under current law, Corrales said, all three appointments must be Camden residents. Hillman's resume says she works in Camden.

Her appointment had been announced Monday, and it became clear yesterday that Corzine's choice was met with resistance and resentment.

Community and school board members reacted angrily, saying they could not believe that Corzine couldn't find one suitable person in Camden.

"I'm totally disgusted. It's an embarrassment. It's an insult of the worst kind. . . . He went all the way to Burlington County," Lola Moore, an education advocate and former school board candidate, said before learning of the withdrawal.

"It's almost like the state is a foreign government imposing a puppet government," said Dwaine Williams, a former school board member whose children attended Camden public schools.

"I don't see where the Willingboro School District is any better. I think the community there could use some of its solid citizens," Williams said.

Board member Jose Delgado questioned Hillman's accepting the job: "Either she's clueless as to how this will play or she doesn't care."

Hillman could not be reached for comment. She would have replaced Nyeema Watson, a gubernatorial appointee who resigned from the board last fall. Her term expires in April.

Hillman did have supporters. Chuck Mannella, director of alumni relations for Rutgers University-Camden, said Hillman was a longtime active member of the alumni board who has been involved in the Camden community. "I can't say enough about her," he said.

In other business, members of the state School Development Authority were at last night's meeting to talk about their plans for redeveloping Camden High School, including preserving its tower. Gina Bleck, an authority official, promised that no design would be made without community involvement.