BERKELEY – The six council candidates were asked to share details in their personal and professional lives that would show that they are the best person for the job.
There are three, four-year council terms on the ballot in November.
All six candidates were asked what their current occupation is (or former occupation, if that is more appropriate). They were also asked what experience they have in serving the community as either an elected official or in a civic group. Their answers are listed below in alphabetical order, lightly edited for such things as punctuation and flow.
Douglas Bowens, Republican, has worked for the Hartford Insurance as a Senior Sales Representative for the past five years.
“I have been a Berkeley Township Board of Education member for the past five years and the chairman of the Buildings and Grounds Committee,” he said.
Douglas Bowens
“I am a member of the Bayville School PTA, was a Boy Scout with Troop 76 and am an Eagle Scout,” he said.
Keith Buscio, Republican, is a current member of the Township Council. He works as a bank executive.
He has been a Councilman-At-Large from 2016 to the present. Prior to that he was on the Central Regional Board of Education from 2005 to 2015.
Keith Buscio
He has been involved in the Community Medical Center Foundation, Ocean County College Foundation, and the Berkeley Shores Homeowners Civic Association.
Mary K. Curtis, a Democrat, is currently retired “but have always strived to serve my community and the people around me. As such, I have a degree in paralegal studies and have worked in human resources, accounting, and law.”
“For years, I have and continue to serve as a committee person for District 13 in Berkeley Township’s Silver Ridge Park West. I have an inherent desire to make positive changes in Berkeley Township as a member of the Town Council,” she said.
Mary K. Curtis
“I have had a long-time involvement in civic organizations as a stay-at-home mom,” she said. “I am a proud member of the NAACP and the National Organization of Women (NOW).”
Frank D. DeMaio, IV, a Democrat, is an assistant manager at Dollar General in Bayville.
“There is an opening as a committee person in my district in Berkeley Township that I am looking to be appointed to. This is my first time running for public office and I would like to be a voice for the Generation Z community,” he said.
Frank D. DeMaio, IV
“I became an Eagle Scout for the Boy Scouts of America in 2018 and became a member of the National Eagle Scout Association. Our candidate for mayor, Kia Phua, recently restarted Cub Scout Pack 27 in Bayville and I volunteered to be a Den Leader to assist with the Pack’s startup. I am also a member of the National Organization of Women (NOW), Ocean County Chapter.”
Councilman Thomas Grosse, a Republican, retired from the Toms River Police Department as a Special Victims Detective after 27 years of service.
He has served as a Councilman-At-Large for 12 years. Prior to that, he served on the Berkeley Township Board of Education for two years.
Thomas Grosse
“I have at one time or presently been a member of the Toms River Elks, Italian American Club, Berkeley PTA, and Central Regional PTA” as well as professional law enforcement organizations, he said.
Thomas J. White, Jr., a Democrat, is a retired United States Postal Carrier.
“I am a current elected committee member serving District 12 in Holiday City Berkeley and also a previous candidate for town council in Berkeley Township,” he said.
Thomas J. White, Jr.
“I am a proud union man serving as a member of the National Association for Letter Carriers. Additionally, I am an active member of my local NAACP and member of the Berkeley Township Democratic Club always striving to make our community better,” he said.
The post Meet Your Berkeley Council Candidates appeared first on Jersey Shore Online.
