Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

The dream to have the first Filipino-American elected official in Jersey City is alive.

Rolando Lavarro placed second to incumbent councilman Michael Sottolano for Ward A and neither candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote, which means that the two will be going to a runoff election on Tuesday, June 9.

"Thank you for all your votes, hard work, your contributions, your sacrifices, your words of kindness, your patience, your understanding, and all other things you did that I or anyone else may or may not know," Lavarro wrote earlier this week.

A Graduate of Jersey City State and the prestigious NYU Leonard Stern School of Business, Lavarro began his career working for the World Education Services. He is currently the Assistant Director for the Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs at New Jersey City University. His work at NJCU was recently highlighted by the Jersey Journal for securing $7.2M in grants for science and math.

He is looking forward to the next three weeks.

"Certainly, the task and journey was and still is challenging, but we are all eager and even more determined to reach our ultimate goal and destination," he said.

Lavarro also acknowledged the "historic achievement" that his team and the community have achieved and accomplished.

"This current councilman couldn’t convince the voters that he is the right person for the job. But we convinced voters that they have hope, a choice, an opportunity to make a difference, and an opportunity to elect a councilman that truly cares about them and will fight for them in City Hall. We spoke with and listened to people, one voter at a time. My very worn out shoes tell the tale of how hard we walked the streets and neighborhoods," Lavarro shared.

The son of immigrant doctors from the Philippines, Lavarro was at the forefront of helping immigrants and foreign students in Jersey City make the transition to the United States by providing evaluations of foreign academic credentials for nearly a decade.

In 1999, he co-founded Sumisibol, a non-profit organization promoting Filipino American culture via social and educational programs to teenagers and their families. He served as the Executive Director for the Philippine American Friendship Committee-Community Development Center (PAFCOM-CDC), as President of the Filipino Cultural Association at Jersey City State College. He also amassed thousands of signatures to help pass the Filipino World War II Veterans Equity bill.

Lavarro is calling on the community once again for support.

"There is more work to do with very little time. We need your votes, support, contributions, volunteer time. Let’s continue this journey together until Tuesday, June 9. Our road to victory is

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( Published on May 22, 2009 in Asian Journal New York p. A1 )