2008 Survey of Women in Municipal Government

The League’s Women In Municipal Government Committee is pleased to announce its sixth annual survey which identifies women serving in the position of mayor of New Jersey’s municipalities.  This year, the survey was expanded to also identify women serving on municipal governing bodies as council members and committee members.

For 2008, the survey reports eighty-one (81) women mayors; the same as last year. This number represents 14.3% of the 566 mayors in the State. Of the 81 women mayors, twenty-nine (29)*

are newly elected for 2008.

Women are at the helm of municipalities in 19 of the 21 counties.  As in past years, municipalities in Monmouth, Bergen and Camden Counties have the highest concentration of women in mayoral position with respectively, thirteen (13), ten (10), and eight (8). 

As Women’s History Month approaches, the Women In Municipal Government Committee salutes all NJ women for their countless contributions to our great State.

2008 Women Mayors

* Deborah Buzby-Cope.......................Bass River Township...........................Burlington

Phyllis A. Magazzu.............................. Berlin Township................................... Camden
Jean C. Wetherill ………………..…...Beverly City ......................................... Burlington
Julie Schreck........................................Bradley Beach......................................Mommouth
Patricia Flannery................................. Bridgewater Township........................ Somerset

Susan Gartland ...................................Caldwell Borough ............................... Essex
Gwendolyn Faison ..............................Camden.............................................. Camden
Melissa Hoffman..................................Clayton Borough................................. Gloucester
Christine Schaumburg.........................Clinton................................................ Hunterdon
Sophie Heymann................................. Closter Borough.................................. Bergen
Carol Foster........................................  Corbin City......................................... Atlantic

*Carol Musso.....................................  Deerfield Township.............................. Cumberland
*Susan Lockwood.............................. Delaware Township............................. Hunterdon
*Renee Blizzard.................................. Downe  Township............................... Cumberland.

Janice Mironov.................................... East Windsor....................................... Mercer
Nancy Merse......................................  Edgewater Borough............................. Bergen
Judith Hall...........................................  Edgewater Park Township................... Burlington

Colleen Mahr......................................  Fanwood Borough............................... Union
Maura R. DeNicola............................. Franklin Lakes Borough....................... Bergen
Bonnie Butler....................................... Franklin Township............................... Warren
*Sandra Coltelli................................... Fredon Township................................ Sussex

Cindy Rau-Hatton...............................   Gloucester Township........................... Camden
*Elaine Emiliani.................................... Greenwich Township........................... Warren

Letitia Colombi.................................... Haddonfield Borough........................... Camden
*Rose Heck........................................   Hasbrouck Heights ............................. Bergen
Nancy Martin......................................   Helmetta Borough................................ Middlesex
Meryl Frank .......................................   Highland Park...................................... Middlesex
Karen McCoy Oliver...........................  Hillside Township................................ Union
Serena DiMaso................................... Holmdel Township............................... Monmouth
*Sylvia Petillo......................................  Hopatcong Borough............................ Sussex
Vanessa Sandom................................Hopewell Township............................. Mercer

*Kathi Fiamingo.................................. Kenilworth Borough............................ Union
*Margaret E. Augustine.......................Kingwood........................................... Hunterdon

*Mary Heveran................................... Leonia Borough................................... Bergen
Suzanne S. Castleman......................Little Silver Borough............................ Monmouth
Betty McBain...................................... Loch Arbour Village............................ Monmouth
Ellen Pompper....................................Lower Alloways Creek........................ Salem

*Mary –Anna Holden.......................... Madison Borough................................ Morris
Betty Ann Cowling-Carson................ Magnolia Borough............................... Camden
*Michele Roth..................................... Manalapan.......................................... Monmouth
*Ellen Nerbak..................................... Mansfield Twp.................................... Warren
*Lillian M. Zuza................................... Manville Borough................................ Somerset
Phyllis Florek...................................... Mendham Township............................ Morris
*Sandra H. Haimoff............................ Millburn Township............................... Essex
Nancy A. Greblja................................ Millstone Township.............................. Monmouth
Gloria Bradford................................... Milltown Borough................................ Middlesex
Susan Howard.................................... Monmouth Beach Borough.................. Monmouth
Cecilia Xie Birge.................................Montgomery Township........................ Somerset
*Deborah Nielson............................... Montville Township............................. Bergen

Patricia Koloski.................................. National Park Borough........................ Gloucester
Janice G. Allen....................................North Plainfield Borough...................... Somerset
Joanne Cocchiola...............................Nutley Township................................. Essex

Dianne Didio.......................................Oradell Borough.................................. Bergen
*Bonnie Riley...................................... Oxford Township................................ .Warren

*Wilda Diaz ...........................................Perth Amboy ........................................Middlesex

Sharon Robinson-Briggs....................Plainfield.............................................. .Union
*Kathleen M. Cole.............................. Pompton Lakes Borough..................... Passaic
Mildred T. Trotman............................. Princeton Borough............................... Mercer
Phyllis L. Marchand............................ Princeton Township............................. Mercer

Jo-Ann Liptak .................................... Raritan Borough.................................. Somerset
Margaret Falahee Watkins................River Edge Borough............................ Bergen
*Kathyann Snyder...............................Rockaway Borough............................. .Morris
Elsbeth Battel..................................... Roosevelt Borough.............................. Monmouth
Virginia Betteridge............................ Runnemede Borough........................... Camden

*Maria D. Fernandes.......................... Sea Bright............................................. Monmouth
Emilia M. Siciliano.............................. Shrewsbury Borough........................... Monmouth
*Rosina Romano................................. South Hackensack............................... Bergen
Jennifer Naughton............................... Spring Lake Borough........................... Monmouth
Diana Kuncken.................................... Stanhope Borough............................... Sussex
Suzanne M. Walters............................ Stone Harbor Borough........................ Cape May

*Kimberly Brown................................   Tabernacle Township........................... Burlington

*Theresa D. Kelly .................................Ventnor City...........................................Atlantic

Betty Simmons.................................... Victory Gardens.................................... Morris

Marianne Van Deursen....................... Washington Borough........................... Warren
Pamela Kaithern.................................. West Cape May Borough.................... Cape May
Anna Docimo......................................  West Deptford Township..................... Gloucester
Janet W. Tucci....................................  West Long Branch............................... Monmouth
* Bettina Bieri....................................... West Milford Township....................... Passaic
*Jacqueline Jennings.......................... Willingboro Township.......................... Burlington
Sue Ann Metzner................................. Winslow Township.............................. Camden

Updated - September 8, 2008