Pleased to meet you

Pension Benefits Report 

I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and provide a brief autobiography.

I have been a member of the Township of Ocean Police Department since being hired in December 2001. I attended the 197th Basic Course for Police Officers at the NJSP Academy in Sea Girt and began my career as a Class II special officer for the Seaside Heights Police Department. I worked as an interim police officer for the Borough of Lakehurst before becoming a police officer for the Borough of Deal.

My career has been spent in the patrol division, where I had various assignments, most notably to the Underwater Search and Rescue Team. I served as my department’s drug recognition expert.

While navigating through my career, I attended Ocean County College, Seton Hall University and concluded my collegiate career by earning a master’s degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Currently, I am pursuing my certification as a clinical drug and alcohol counselor.

I was elected State Delegate of Allenhurst–Ocean Township Local 57 in June 2005, and I have served ever since. In 2013, I was named to the State PBA executive board and currently serve as second vice president. I have served as co-chair of the Monmouth County Conference and have been appointed to various committees at the State PBA. Currently, I serve as the chair of the judiciary committee, as well as a member of the scholarship committee, bylaws committee and good and welfare committee. I was named the NJSPBA pension coordinator and peer response coordinator and started on a full-time basis at the NJSPBA office in that capacity on March 1.

I will be conducting Police and Firemen’s Retirement System pension seminars throughout the state, inclusive of Tier 1, 2 and 3 members. I am available to meet with individual members seeking information on retirement and to help them file their application or to answer any questions regarding the PFRS system by phone or email. Feel free to contact me to schedule a seminar in your area.

The Peer Response Team was founded to assist our members and their agencies with mental health and critical incidents, as well as to combat the challenges that affect our profession daily. I am available 24/7 to lend support and resources to help you individually or your agency to navigate through all tough times, crises, critical incidents or anything else that you may encounter.

Today it is crucial that our membership understands “It’s OK not to be OK.” The stigma that came with asking for help has been countered by increased mental health services, awareness and peer support. In this issue, our Peer Response Team is the subject of our cover story, and the program will be explained in detail in each issue.

My phone is always on, and I look forward to continuing to assist our members in any way that I can.