Meet The Oakland Press
Since you are reading this, you are one of the lucky ones that knows that Oakland has a monthly newsletter! I still meet people who have lived in town for many years that have no idea that an Oakland Newsletter even exists! So, for this month, we decided to give you a look at who we are and why we write for the newsletter.
Hi, my name is Kerri Sirinides and I am the Oakland Newsletter Chair. My husband and I have lived in Oakland for 15 years. We have 3 boys (one in middle school, and 2 in high school). I can’t believe that we have a new driver in the house! And YES, I DO have a few more gray hairs!! We also have an 8yr old rescue dog named Diesel and 2 birds.
At my “day job” I am a Regional Director for a Home Infusion Pharmacy. I love it even though sometimes it can be hectic and overwhelming! Fun fact about me is that I graduated college with an Elementary Education degree and a BA in History. Even though I no longer teach in a classroom setting for a living, I still love to teach anyway I can. I have volunteered in many capacities over the years from class mom to cub scout leader to Sunday School teacher at my church. I currently volunteer as a member of Oakland’s Access for All, the Oakland Mother’s Club and Oakland Republican Club.
I never thought in a million years that I would be writing for a town newsletter! This is definitely not in my comfort zone, but when the need presented itself, I couldn’t say no. I guess you can say, I was “Voluntold”
Hi, my name is Eileen Perri. Our family has lived in Oakland for the past nine years. My husband and I have a daughter, son-in-law, grandson and one on the way who live in Washington State. Our son lives in Brooklyn, my hometown, and is enjoying the revitalization of my old neighborhood!
As both of our children were adults when we moved to Oakland, it was a lifeline for me to meet wonderful people as a member of the Mother’s Club, FLOW Follies and the Senior Center.
I joined the newsletter to get to know better the people and history of this beautiful town of Oakland. Everyone has a story, and we are excited to share these with our community. Please reach out to us to be a part of this newsletter, either by sharing your story, or joining our newsletter.
Hi, my name is Melissa Kiel and I am Vice Chair of the Newsletter. I have lived in Oakland for four years and my two daughters have been in the school system for eight years. Ever since my children started going to public schools, I have volunteered in the community in some capacity.
In my life I have served as a girl scout leader, class mom, yearbook committee co-chair, PTO activities, the Oakland newsletter and now BOE candidacy. In my professional life, I have been practicing as a licensed occupational therapist for seventeen years and even provided therapy to many Oakland residents within their own home.
My life has encompassed service to others through my personal, professional, and volunteer life. Volunteering helps me to develop meaningful relationships with members of my community and enhances my sense of belonging and purpose. The Oakland newsletter is inherently fulfilling to me because I believe it helps to deepen our readers understanding of different subject matters while highlighting interesting individuals in our community and also serves to connect others who shares similar interests and experiences.
We also have 3 junior volunteers and a few other volunteers that help when needed. We try to search for interesting stories about local people and events. There is nothing better than finding out that your neighbor is a war veteran or that someone you know from town has an interesting story that they have shared with us. We have so many amazing people that live in Oakland that we would love to showcase all of them! If you know of any interesting people or stories, please email us at oaklandnnjnewsletter@gmail.com.