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I
would like to take this opportunity to thank the New
Jersey Conference of Mayors membership for selecting
me to serve as your 2007 President. It has been a
privilege and an experience I will never forget. I
also want to thank the Executive Board for supporting
a number of proposals I made to better serve the
Mayors of this State.
It
has been a gratifying sixteen years with this
organization, first as a board member, then as an
officer in 2002, and president in 2007. Membership in
NJCM has helped me during my terms in office to be a
better person and a better mayor. As the Mayor of
Manville Borough for those sixteen years, it was a
time in my life I would not trade for anything. Just
think of the feeling we get when we are able to help
one of our constituents in a time of need. It is one
of the most rewarding feelings you can ever
experience. The “thank you” you get from those
individuals more than makes up for the frustrating
aspects of the job and the times you feel you just
want to give up. Unfortunately, I lost my bid for
reelection in November and had to leave my position
with the NJCM. I will always feel a part of this
great organization and hope to serve it in some
capacity in the future.
I
would like to wish interim President Malcolm Fraser
all the luck in the world. Malcolm is a dedicated and
concerned Mayor, and his community is going to miss
him when he leaves office in May.
We
are not the only two officers leaving the Conference
of Mayors this year.
The
Conference is also losing another 16 year veteran, the
backbone of this organization, Don Fauerbach, our
Executive Director and fellow officer. Most mayors
haven’t known that Don has been an officer for NJCM
for his full sixteen years of service, as our
executive director serves as an officer.
I
can remember my first New Jersey Conference of Mayors
in Atlantic City. It was held at
Ballys Park Place
in a room in the rear of the fifth floor. There were
very few Mayors and only a handful of exhibitors. It
is amazing how Don and his team, especially his
faithful partner, friend and sidekick LeRoy Veale, who
worked with Don at NJCM for 14 years until his passing
in 2006, have built this organization from the ground
up.
We
also need to thank Don’s wife Toni, and his mom and
dad, Rudy and Margaret, for sharing Donald with us and
their riverside homes for 15 annual seafood summits. I
always called Donald the ever-ready bunny - never
stopping or slowing down and always looking out for
our organization. Just look how far we have come
since those early years, and we all have Don to thank
for the way he has lead the Conference.
Personally, I want to thank Don for his leadership,
and especially his vision, but I also want to thank
him for his amazing friendship. When you make friends
with Donald it is for life! I wish him all the luck in
the world at his new position with the
Motorsports
Park
in Millville, his hometown since birth. He will be
greatly missed at NJCM. |
