2 selected to serve on Camden’s advisory school board

From Camden and Cherry Hill to Trenton and the Jersey Shore, what about life in New Jersey do you want WHYY News to cover? Let us know.

The Camden City School District’s advisory board has selected Derrick Gallashaw and Gabriel Camacho to serve on the board through January 2026.

Gallashaw is the senior director of Mighty Writers in Camden, a nonprofit that holds writing workshops for kids. He said a school board should work on policies and programs that go towards helping students thrive.

Camacho is the director of code enforcement for the city of Camden. He served for more than two decades as a police officer in Camden for both the old city-run force and the current agency managed by the county. He moved to Harissonburg, Virginia between his time in Camden, where he recently served as the top cop.

Camacho said being a board member is crucial in representing the community and advocating for students in the city.

Once background checks are completed, they will assume the remaining terms of former Board President Wasim Muhammad and Nyemah Gillespie, both of whom stepped down in September.

Muhammad was pressured to resign by residents and state officials following the district settling a civil suit that stemmed from allegations that Muhammad fostered a sexually hostile learning environment when he was a middle school teacher in the mid-1990s.

Nyemah Gillespie, a longtime board member, cited Muhammad’s actions as part of her reasoning for departing the board.

No names were released before the meeting. When WHYY News received the list, 10 names were on the list. One person was later disqualified. The board ultimately interviewed nine people for the two vacant seats.

Among those interviewees were Sean Brown, who served on the old Camden school board prior to the state takeover, and Samir Nichols, president of the Camden City Young Democrats.

Each individual participated in a 15-minute interview, during which they were all asked the same questions: why do you want to serve, what skills would you bring to the board, describe your non-profit experience, among other things.

Some of the candidates wrote their answers down and read them back to the board.

The board made its decision after a 45-minute executive session.