Executive Board
The League's Executive Board serves as the policy setting body in the work of the representing the state's 565 Municipal governments. Sharing their time, their efforts, and their knowledge, they continually strive to improve Municipal government throughout the Garden State.
Officers
Janice Kovach, President
Mayor, Clinton Town
Click to read bio
William J. Chegwidden, 1st Vice President
Mayor, Wharton
Click to read bio
Raymond Heck, 2nd Vice President
Mayor, Millstone Borough
Click to read bio
Executive Board Members
Ras Baraka
Mayor, Newark
Tom Bianco
Mayor, Clayton
Gayle Brill Mittler
Mayor, Highland Park
Bill Curtis
Mayor, Bay Head
Sean Elwell
Mayor, Elsinboro
Anthony Fanucci
Mayor, Vineland
Steven Fulop
Mayor, Jersey City
John C. Glidden, Jr.
Mayor, Closter
Jeffrey Martin
Gary Passanante
Mayor, Somerdale
John Pallone
Mayor, Long Branch
James J. Perry Sr.
Committeman, Hardwick; Immediate Past President
Guy Piserchia
Mayor, Long Hill
Christine Quinn
Deputy Mayor, Sparta Township
Marty Small Sr.
Mayor, Atlantic City
Sara Todisco
Mayor, Garwood
Paul Tomasko
Mayor, Alpine
Janet Tucci
Mayor, West Long Branch
Michael Venezia
Mayor, Bloomfield
Craig H. Wilkie
Mayor, Florence
Officers Biographies
Click on the tabs below to view full biographies for the League's current Executive Officers.
Executive Officers' Biographies
Click on the blue and yellow tabs above to view full biographies for each of the League's current Executive Officers.
Janice Kovach
President (Mayor, Clinton Town)
The League’s President, Mayor Janice Kovach has served as Mayor of Clinton Town since 2012.
Career & Service
Prior to joining state government, she was a Councilwoman in the Town of Clinton, serving as the Planning Board Liaison, Chair of the COAH committee, and the Historic Preservation Commission. She resigned her Town Council seat when she assumed the Director’s job of the New Jersey Division on Women, serving from August 2006 until September 2010. As the former Director, Ms. Kovach was a member of:
- Domestic Violence Fatality and Near Fatality Review Board
- Gender Parity Council and the NJ Commission on Women Veterans
- Governor’s Advisory Council Against Sexual Assault
- Governor’s Advisory Council on Domestic Violence
- New Jersey Commission on the Status of Women
As a resident of Clinton, Kovach served as a Trustee of the Red Mill Museum Village and President and Trustee of the CPS Partners in Education Foundation, Inc. In October 2004, she was appointed to the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council and served until May 2010. She is a Leadership NJ Fellow-class of 2009. She was appointed to the Hunterdon County Polytech School Board in March 2011 and served until October 2013. She was a member of the United Way Women’s Leadership Council and as an executive board member and chair of the education and training committee of the NJ Women’s Political Caucus.
Mayor Kovach is also a Commissioner for the NJ Motion Picture and Television Commission, which provides production tools, financial incentives, and information about productions in the state of New Jersey.
Passion Ventures
In addition to her role as Mayor, she has taken the passion for her work at the Division and parlayed it into a non-government role, speaking at events about her personal experiences and the role that women can and should play in business, government and politics. In addition, Janice along with her business partner established the River Town Film Festival in 2017. Janice has worked as a consultant for several companies. Previously she was a Director with Prudential, managing a 24/7 call center and a Marketing Project Management Group. She has also held management positions with Fleet and NatWest Banks.
Education
She has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Thomas Edison State College.
William Chegwidden
League 1st Vice President (Mayor, Wharton)
The League’s First Vice President, Mayor William Mayor Chegwidden, has served on the NJLM Executive Board since 2013.
Service
As Mayor of Wharton since 2001, he has dealt with every aspect of Municipal government, including the Office of Emergency Management, Local Emergency Planning Committee, and Public Safety Director. Prior to that, Mayor Chegwidden was a Councilman for the Borough from 1995 to 2000, during which time he was Council President in 1997 and 1998. He also served as a Morris County Freeholder from 2007 to 2013.
In his work with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, Mayor Chegwidden has participated as a seminar panelist and moderator as well as a frequent author for NJ Municipalities magazine. He is also a member of the Conference of Mayors and the Morris County League of Municipalities.
Career & Education
A teacher at Morris Hills Regional District, Mayor Chegwidden specializes in social studies, economics, and history while helping with extracurricular activities such as Junior Statesmen of America and coaching football, track, and wrestling. He earned an MA and BA from East Stroudsburg University in East Stroudsburg, PA, and an AA degree from the County College of Morris.
Executive Officers Biographies
Click on the blue and yellow tabs above to view full biographies for each of the League's current Executive Officers.
Raymond Heck
League 2nd Vice President (Mayor, Millstone Borough)
A four-term Mayor of Millstone Borough, Raymond Heck has dealt with many aspects of Municipal government.
Service & Career
Previously, Mayor Heck was a Councilman for the Borough. In addition, he is a Commissioner for the New Jersey State Fire Safety Commission and a Trustee for both the New Jersey Police Fire Retirement System and the Middlesex Joint Insurance Fund.
His public service has also included filling roles of the Emergency Management Coordinator for Millstone Borough, a Police Officer for the State of New Jersey, a Firefighter/EMT-Franklin Fire District No. 1, and an instructor for the Morris County Public Safety Training Academy.
Heck is also a registered municipal clerk, a certified municipal registrar, a fire official, and a certified 911 dispatcher. In his work with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, Mayor Heck has participated as a seminar panelist and moderator.
Education
He earned a CPM at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Administration of Justice degree from Thomas Edison University, and an M-MPA from Rutgers University.
Executive Officers Biographies
Click on the blue and yellow tabs above to view full biographies for each of the League's current Executive Officers.
William Pikolycky
League Third Vice President (Mayor, Woodbine)
Mayor William Pikolycky was first elected Mayor of Woodbine in 1990.
Career & Service
Mayor Pikolycky began his public service in 1979 when he was elected to the Woodbine Council. He is Chair of the Pinelands Municipal Council and a member of the Pinelands Commission. He is on the Board of Trustees for Sustainable Jersey. He is an Executive Board member of the New Jersey League of Municipalities.
Mayor Pikolycky has been a member of the New Jersey Water Association since 1991. He has also been involved with the MidAtlantic Pilots Association and the AOPA. He is a member of the New Jersey Farm Bureau. He served as President of the New Jersey Conference of Mayors in 2005, and now serves as a Director. He is also Past President of the Cape May County League of Municipalities. He served on the Board of Directors for the Sam Azeez Museum of Woodbine Heritage and is now on the Advisory Board of the Anne Azeez Instructional Site of Stockton University, which is also located in Woodbine. Mayor Pikolycky is on the Board of Trustees of the Woodbine Developmental Center.
Honors
Mayor Pikolycky has been inducted by the New Jersey State League of Municipalities into the Elected Officials Hall of Fame and the Mayors Hall of Fame for his 20-plus years in elected office. The honor is reserved for local municipal governing body members and mayors who have served for a minimum of 20 years in an elected municipal office