Strategic Leader
Analytical Thinking. Planning Ahead. Building Consensus.
Umar Akbar
Write-in Candidate for FRSD Board of Education
Raritan Township Seat
Note: 3 open seats, only 2 candidates on the ballot — your write-in fills the third.
Last day to vote: November 3, 2026
Realizing our goals together.
My Motivation
Why I'm Running
Community service has always been an important part of my life. Growing up, I watched my parents give back to their small-town PA community, and that example stayed with me.
Now, as a parent of two children in FRSD, I want to lead by example and demonstrate to my own children the importance of contributing to the community we call home.
I've been fortunate to serve in different capacities over the years. With my children getting older, this feels like the right time to take that commitment further by serving the schools and families that have been such an important part of our lives.
Meet Umar
A Little About Me
Family: Proud parent of twins attending FRSD.
Education: PhD in Chemical Engineering (Cornell University, undergraduate; UC Berkeley, PhD).
Current Role: Oncology Marketing Leader at Merck (6 years).
Prior Entrepreneurship: Co-Founder & CEO of Navinata Health, delivered oncology education to physicians & patients (6 years).
Consulting: Advised global pharmaceutical organizations on complex business challenges (ZS Associates, 6 years).
Community Service: Youth basketball & soccer coach, peer crisis counselor, nonprofit financial stewardship, Big Brother volunteer
Experience
Why Me?
I believe my combination of strategic leadership, entrepreneurial experience, and community service gives me a unique perspective and a practical approach to serving on the FRSD Board of Education.
Strategic Leader
As an oncology marketing strategy leader at a global pharmaceutical company, I help develop long-term strategies, anticipate challenges, and bring teams with different perspectives together around shared goals.
My PhD in Chemical Engineering and experience in consulting have strengthened my ability to analyze complex problems, evaluate multiple solutions, and make thoughtful, evidence-based decisions.
What I bring to FRSD: Strategic thinking, collaborative leadership, and the ability to build consensus while keeping long-term goals in focus.
Entrepreneur
Creative Thinking. A Unique Approach. Doing More with Less.
Entrepreneur
Other than raising my twins, building a company from scratch remains one of my proudest achievements. While the startup ultimately didn't succeed (thanks, COVID!), the experience taught me invaluable lessons about adapting to challenges, thinking outside the box, making the most of limited resources, and bringing people together around a shared vision.
Running a startup also meant navigating uncertainty, balancing competing priorities, and constantly having to develop innovative solutions while staying within tight budgets.
What I bring to FRSD: An entrepreneurial mindset, fresh perspectives, and the ability to unite people around common goals while finding innovative, practical, and cost-conscious solutions.
Community Volunteer
Giving Back. Building Relationships. Serving Families.
Community Volunteer
Community service has been an important part of my life, from volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters and serving as a trained peer crisis counselor as an undergraduate to coaching youth basketball and soccer over the past several years.
Over the years, I've also volunteered with local organizations supporting families, seniors, and those facing food insecurity, including the Flemington Area Food Pantry. More recently, I've helped strengthen local civic participation and community engagement.
These experiences have reinforced the importance of listening with empathy, understanding different perspectives, and bringing people together to make a positive difference.
What I bring to FRSD: A commitment to listening, building trust, connecting with families, and ensuring that different voices are heard and valued.
Key Priorities
My Priorities for FRSD
Continued Academic Excellence
Helping Every Student Grow and Succeed.
Continued Academic Excellence
Every student deserves the opportunity to reach their full academic potential. Similarly, every teacher deserves the tools and support to help their students succeed. At the October FRSD Board meeting, I was encouraged to see measurable academic growth goals consistently established across the district.
I'd like to partner with teachers and district leadership to evaluate existing reading and math support programs, identify opportunities for improvement, and help ensure that both students and teachers have the resources they need to help more students meet or exceed their individual MAP growth goals.
What I hope to bring to FRSD: A commitment to identifying at least one practical, cost-effective, and evidence-based improvement and measuring its impact on student growth. I'd also like to explore how existing and/or new technology can streamline routine administrative tasks, giving teachers more time to focus on instruction and lesson planning.
Fiscal Responsibility and Transparency
Making Every Dollar Count Through Transparency and Innovation.
Fiscal Responsibility and Transparency
I believe responsible financial management means more than simply controlling costs. It means making thoughtful investments in our schools, being transparent about how taxpayer dollars are spent, and continually looking for smarter ways to achieve results.
Having built and operated a startup, I understand firsthand how limited resources can inspire creative thinking and innovative solutions. I'd like to bring that same resourceful mindset to FRSD, while building on the district's existing financial practices.
I believe we should continue to explore opportunities to maximize available state and federal funding, communicate financial decisions in ways that are clear and accessible to families and taxpayers, and evaluate whether our investments are delivering meaningful value for students.
What I hope to bring to FRSD: A commitment to evaluating existing financial reporting and identifying at least one practical improvement that makes district spending, major investments, and their progress and results easier for taxpayers to understand.
Student Belonging and Well-Being
Every Student Matters. Every Family Belongs.
Student Belonging and Well-Being
Every child deserves to feel safe, supported, included, and valued at school—and every family should feel welcomed into the FRSD community.
Building on the district's existing efforts, I'd like to strengthen engagement with families from all backgrounds, particularly those whose voices may not always be heard, including families of students with special needs or disabilities.
I'd like to partner with district leadership and our Special Education Parent Advisory Group (SEPAG) to identify barriers to students with special needs or disabilities fully participating in and enjoying everyday school experiences alongside their peers, and explore at least one practical, cost-effective improvement.
Meaningful engagement requires more than listening—it requires action. I would advocate for at least two community forums annually to review Annual Feedback Survey findings, discuss students' experiences of belonging and well-being—including where they may feel excluded or unsupported—and jointly explore improvements with families and district leadership.
What I hope to bring to FRSD: Broader community engagement, meaningful dialogue, and practical, cost-effective improvements that help every student and family feel welcomed, supported, and included.
My Approach to Bringing About Positive Change (LIFT)
Listen thoughtfullyIdentify improvement opportunitiesFind practical solutionsTrack progress
On or Before November 3, 2026
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