Campaign Endorsements
Dennis Township Democratic Club, Cape May County Democratic Committee
Education
Formal degree is in Horticulture from Delaware Valley College (won't say the year). But I've continued to learn and study throughout my entire life.
Involvement in Community
I am a relative newcomer to Dennis Township having only lived here for about 20 years. For most of that time I have focused on my Home Improvement business, primarily for island homes. However, in the past 3 or 4 years I've become a regular attendee to the Township Committee Meetings as well as the Consolidated Land Use Board meetings.
Qualifications/Experience
Extensive career in multiple fields including Horticulture, Arboriculture, Landscape Management, Corporate Management, Information Systems Consulting and Home Improvement services.
Occupation
Currently self employed in Home Repair/Renovation Services
Local government, particularly the planning and zoning authorities (In Dennis Township this is the Consolidated Land Use Board or CLUB), need to reflect the interests of the citizens of Dennis Township. Unfortunately, citizen participation in these processes has dropped to the point where there is little to no input. We are in the midst of a new Industrial Revolution. Local governments have a responsibility to listen to the needs and concerns of their citizens and not make decisions in the dark.
Since 100% of Dennis Township (DT) residents and businesses rely on private wells this is a very important topic. Twin threats of infiltration of contaminants from above due to sandy soils low in clay and organic matter and salt water intrusion from rising sea levels present a unique challenge. All well owners are encouraged to perform regular testing of their wells. Personally we have installed an acid neutralizing system and use a reverse osmosis (RO) system for our drinking water, both relatively low cost.
The population of Cape May County is declining for a number of reasons but key among those is the lack of available housing for young families. I have a personal connection to Habitat For Humanity's local affiliate and I've been working to encourage the current township committee to partner with Habitat to find solutions to this problem. I, and many others, personally know families that have had to move out of the area due to the lack of available housing at any cost. Strengthening our villages and town centers into walkable and livable communities, instead of conduits for folks speeding to the beaches, is key to solving this problem.
Township Committee has been run by the same people for over a decade and, we belive, have become "stuck in their ways". We are looking to have new voices and fresh perspectives on Dennis Township Committee. Our (I am also speaking for my co-candidate Renee Pettit) primary goal is to increase citizen participation in local government affairs and to open up the "black box" that now runs DT.
Campaign Endorsements
New Jersey Federation of Democratic Women (NJFDW)
Education
Bachelors degree in Political Science and History from Albright College in Reading PA
Involvement in Community
• Dennis Township Board of Education Member (2008—2018); Board President (2015—2017) • CMC Mental Health, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Advisory Board (Active 2015—2020, Inactive - Present) • Former Member and Vice-President of Dennis Township Education Foundation (2017—2021) • Former President and current member of Leadership Team for Dennis Township Democrat Club • Current Democratic Committeeperson for Dennis Township District 2
Qualifications/Experience
Beyond my community involvement and degree, I have worked for Atlantic County Government for 27 years giving me a lot of experience with how government works.
Occupation
Web Master for Atlantic County Government
Data centers are not appropriate for Dennis Township. If one would be proposed then it should, in addition to following local zoning ordinances, be required by statute to have a closed water system and 100% green energy generated on-site. These requirements would certainly increase the cost of building the center but would protect our community from the larger issues of water use and power generations. We need to hold corporations accountable for the problems they cause and be sure they are the ones footing the bill for mitigation and relief of the issues. Local residents should not face water shortages, increased power cost, or higher taxes, due to the development of any for-profit expansion in our Township, whether that is a data center, a new resort, or a business owned short-term rental.
Dennis Township residents need to be better educated about where our water comes from and the issues we face so they can protect themselves and their families. Township Committee should begin a educational campaign to be sure residents understand the risks and what they can do to protect their families. The Committee also needs to take a more active role in mitigating the effects of saltwater intrusion and well contamination. Mitigation could be done by purchasing recharge properties or using zoning to prevent the development of pollution sources. We also need to be sure that our local farming sites, like the sod farms, are not using harmful chemicals that then run off into the aquifer. The Township needs to be up-to- date on what these chemical are and be sure our ordinances are protecting our water. It will be too late to move to a municipal systems and desalination process, if we start having major sections of the Township losing the ability to have private wells.
Dennis Township has a long history of pushing the affordable housing issue out into neighboring communities but now we are faced with a housing crises where our children cannot afford homes in our region, many homes are being bought as second homes and finally homes are being purchased by short-term rental businesses. These issues need to be addressed by Township Committee. We need to work to have community appropriate affordable housing to preserve our family centered community. This could include housing developments with deed restrictions for first-time home owners where they would possibly rent for 5 years with the option to buy the home with a reduced or low down payment. My co-candidate John Carson also has strong ties to Habitat for Humanity which we would like to partner with to help bring more affordable housing to our community. Business growth is a wonderful thing, but the people working for these business need a place to live without facing an hour commute.
I have had a life long love of politics and community service. My father was involved with the Democratic Party and served on the School Board and Township Committee. I have also seen the current committee become more MAGA in the last 10 years bring politics into decision making in a way we have never seen before at the local level. I would like to see that change. We need local decisions to be based on facts and the voices of all residents heard and accounted for. Keeping taxes low is important to everyone so we need to look for ways to increase revenue that lifts the burden of higher cost from the tax payers. This will take a village, so John, my co-candidate, and I want to see more people be involved in our local government meetings and committees. We will invite input and welcome ideas instead of doing everything to limit the voices of the residents as the current committee has done. I will use my background in technology to improve communication and involvement.
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