Mr. Ford Goes to Trenton

Last Friday, Jerry Ford, Transportation Co-Coordinator for the Bridgewater-Raritan School District, tidied up remaining business in his modest office on Commons Way, and prepared for new responsibilities in Trenton. He is now Director, Office of Student Transportation, for the New Jersey Department of Education. It’s a prestigious job, and probably the apex in this state for Mr. Ford’s profession.

Normally, this would be just another person leaving for another, better job. But, Jerry is not just another person. He loved his job in Bridgewater-Raritan. When recently interviewed, he said that the Trenton position “is the only job I would leave here for.” He hopes to bring to the state level “the concepts and ideas” that he spent 11 years developing and improving in Central Jersey.

You might think that his new assignment means big bucks for him, but the difference in pay is only a few hundred dollars, and he gets less formal time off. (Jerry has acquired a reputation for putting in gargantuan work days.)

In acknowledging the value of his support team on Commons Way, he indicated that, “I’ve been lucky to be here” and “blessed to be with good people.” Speaking some more about the people he worked with in this district, he said that the “camaraderie is very good,” that he had a “dedicated team,” and that the “principals have been reasonable.”

Those are not comments to be lightly brushed off as just the pleasant words of a guy wanting to leave behind a good final impression. Jerry’s reputation in the Bridgewater-Raritan School District, as well as among his peers in the profession, was cemented a long time ago.


Note: The writer’s spouse worked for 26 years in the office of the B-R Transportation Dept. and retired a few years ago.