Mr. Irving Bodine
Irving Bodine is a proud Southampton NJ resident since 2013. He is a father of 4 beautiful children who have been his guiding light in running and ultimately being elected to the School Board. Irving and his wife Jamie Bodine began their journey 17 years ago as two martial artists who simply got a kick (pun intended) out of testing each other’s skills. They have been together for more than 18 years and happily married for 15 years.
Irving comes from a low income family who moved through several school districts. At times he even found himself homeless. His single mother still made it a point to instill a strong family foundation. He prides himself on his strong work ethic and morals, and credits his mother for her constant encouragement, keeping him on the right path. It’s because of her loving guidance that he continues to strive to be a better man in all that he does.
As a graduate of Burlington County Institute of Technology, he has spent much of his career as an auto technician and has earned the title of Master ASE Certified Technician. His family relocated to Tennessee on two occasions where after achieving Academic excellence through a fully ACA accredited academy, he worked as a corrections officer for the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office in Nashville TN. Tennessee never felt quite like home, their kids truly missed the amazing teachers here in Southampton, so they are here to stay. Today he is the mechanical supervisor for Willingboro MUA.
As a member of the Southampton School Board, It is his goal to work towards greater transparency between the school and community and to continually find ways to help students become more academically proficient. Irving firmly believes that it is the duty of the BOE to ensure the residents of our district are represented in the actions taken by the board itself. He also believes it is vital that not only the community members be heard, but that school staff members should also have a safe place to voice concerns and share ideas. He believes strongly that Southampton has some of the best staff around and that their ability to be successful depends greatly on the decisions of the administration and BOE.
When Irving is not at work or fulfilling his duties as a board member, he enjoys spending his time with his children and wife. He leads an unpretentious life, where his family appreciates the simpler things, like family walks, having a catch or practicing martial arts skills as a family. Irving is also a trustee for a newly formed nonprofit, “Maylee’s Mission”, which was inspired by his daughter's Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis and his family’s journey in fundraising for a diabetic alert dog. The goal of Maylee’s Mission nonprofit is to assist children and families impacted by type one diabetes in affording medical supplies, insulin, diabetic alerts dogs and more, while also raising awareness.
In closing, as an average middle class family man, Irving works hard at all he does and is happy to be able to volunteer his time serving a district that has done such great and amazing things, for not just his children, but for the community as a whole.