About Rachael

Service isn't what I do. It's who I am.

Originally from Brooklyn, NY, I spent my early years in Margate, NJ, just outside of Atlantic City. I attended Rutgers University for my undergraduate studies and later earned my graduate degree from the Rutgers School of Social Work, specializing in Violence Against Women and Children. Since 2004, I have been a proud resident of Raritan Township, where I have dedicated my career as a Licensed Social Worker to serving Hunterdon County non-profits.

For the past 15 years, my family has been deeply involved in the Flemington-Raritan School District (FRSD) and later Hunterdon Central Regional High School (HCRHS). As a committed advocate, I have been a consistent and outspoken presence at Board of Education meetings, an active PTO member, and a dedicated volunteer for various booster clubs. My oldest child has gone through both FRSD and HCRHS, while my younger child is still in FRSD. Through that involvement, I've seen firsthand how funding pressures affect our schools and the families who depend on them. I know how important it is to have decision-makers who understand what's actually at stake in those classrooms.

Outside of my professional and volunteer work, my husband and I have built a small homestead where we raise chickens and honey bees, tend to fruit trees, and maintain a large garden. We met at Rutgers as undergraduates and have been together for 26 years, married for 23. Like so many families here, we feel the pull between loving this community and navigating the very real pressures of affordability. Our passion for homegrown food, from cooking together and canning to baking all of our bread from a sourdough starter, started as a love of the land, but it also reflects something practical: finding ways to make a good life work here.

Having transitioned from city life — where cement playgrounds, subways, and city water were the norm — to the open spaces of Hunterdon County, I've embraced a lifestyle of wood-burning stoves, well water, pickup trucks, and even shooting ranges. This blend of experiences has shaped my perspective and deepened my commitment to this place. I want Raritan Township to remain a community where families can put down roots and stay — not just survive the cost of living here, but truly thrive.