Meet Fang

Fang Gong is a Livingston Board of Education member, public education advocate, community volunteer, and parent of two children in Livingston Public Schools. Her daughter is entering sixth grade at Mount Pleasant Middle School, and her son is entering third grade at Burnet Hill Elementary School. Fang and her husband have lived in Livingston since 2010. As both a Board member and an LPS parent, she understands public education through the responsibilities of governance and the everyday experiences of students and families. She believes strong schools are sustained not by any one person, but through partnership among students, families, educators, staff, administrators, Board members, and the broader community.

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Elected to the Board in 2023, Fang has spent her first term listening, learning, and building a deeper understanding of the district. Her Board committee service has included Curriculum, Equity, Policy, Long Range Facilities, and Strategic Planning. She has also served as a Parent-Teacher Council representative, liaison to multiple Livingston schools, and liaison to the Livingston Advisory Committee for Disabilities (LACD) and the Livingston Committee for Diversity and Inclusion (LCDI). Through this work, Fang has focused on responsible oversight, stronger school-family communication, greater transparency, and decisions centered on educational excellence and the well-being of every student. She believes effective Board service requires preparation, independent judgment, respect for differing perspectives, and the ability to work constructively as part of a team.

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During her first term, Fang has pursued ongoing professional development through the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA). She earned the New Board Member Boardsmanship Certification, represents the Livingston Public School District as a voting delegate to the NJSBA Delegate Assembly, and was appointed in May 2026 to serve on the NJSBA Nominating Committee Task Force.

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For Fang, continued learning is not about titles. It is part of the responsibility she accepted when voters elected her—to better understand governance, policy, ethics, public finance, and the long-term consequences of Board decisions. Her education-policy work has also extended beyond Livingston. As a Parent Fellow in the JerseyCAN Education Advocacy Fellowships program, Fang developed a proposal for responsible artificial-intelligence governance in New Jersey K–12 public schools, centered on Transparency, Equity and Ethics. The proposal later advanced into legislation introduced in both chambers of the New Jersey Legislature as Assembly Bill A5184 and Senate Bill S4469. Fang completed the fellowship with an Excellence Award. The experience reinforced her belief that meaningful progress comes through research, listening, collaboration, and the persistence to carry an idea from discussion toward action.
 

Born and raised in Tianjin, China, Fang came to the United States in 2005 to pursue graduate study. She earned a Master of Public Administration from Rutgers University, graduating with a 4.0 GPA and induction into Pi Alpha Alpha, the honor society for public affairs and administration. She also completed graduate-level training in project management through George Washington University. Her early public-service experience included internships with the United Nations and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Her professional background includes higher education administration, international programs, nonprofit research, communications, and project management, with experience at Rutgers University, Montclair State University’s School of Business, and the Global Education Center.

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Beyond the Board, Fang remains actively involved in Livingston civic life. Her involvement has included the League of Women Voters, Livingston Arts Council, Friends of the Livingston Public Library, Livingston Historical Society, interfaith programs, civic-engagement initiatives, and community-wide events. She also serves as Vice Chair of the Livingston Chinese Association, where she has helped develop community partnerships, civic-engagement programs, cultural events, and volunteer initiatives.

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Her education-policy and community service work has been recognized through the Essex County Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month honor, the Hazel Frank Gluck Award from the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, the JerseyCAN Excellence Award, and the United Chinese Americans Outstanding Community Service Award, a national recognition she received in 2026.

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Fang is seeking re-election because the work ahead will require experience, responsible governance, clear communication, and strong teamwork. As Livingston considers important decisions about financial sustainability, enrollment, educational excellence, support for educators and staff, and the future needs of its school buildings, she is committed to listening carefully, explaining issues honestly, working collaboratively, and helping build the public understanding and trust needed to move the district forward.

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Her 2026 re-election campaign is centered on three values: Accountability, Belonging, and Compassion.

Accountability means doing the homework, asking thoughtful questions, communicating clearly, following through, and taking responsibility for decisions and their consequences.
Belonging means every student should feel seen, valued, and respected—and families should feel heard, welcomed, and connected to their school community.
Compassion means remembering that behind every policy, budget number, and major decision are real people—listening carefully, trying to understand how they may be affected, and asking what can be done to help.

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Fang believes lasting progress is rarely the work of one person. It comes from people who stay engaged, accept responsibility, communicate openly, and work together toward a shared goal.