Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski was appointed to the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders in September 2004 to complete an unexpired term. She was elected to her first three-year term in November 2004 and was re-elected to a second term in November 2007. During her first term, she served on the Board's Policy and Administrative Code Committee, the Economic Development Committee, the Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund, and the Shared Services and Intergovernmental Relations Committee. She also chaired the Freeholder Committee for Union County's Courthouse Centennial in 2005 and the Union County 150th Anniversary Committee in 2007.

Ms. Kowalski has a Master’s degree in Journalism from New York University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and English from Hunter College, where she graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.

She is married and lives in Cranford. For ten years, Ms. Kowalski served as editor of World Press Review, a monthly magazine on foreign affairs once based in New York. In addition to supervising the editorial staff, she coordinated the contributions of more than 40 foreign correspondents.

As an editor and writer, Ms. Kowalski has worked for numerous publications, including New York Newsday, the Village Voice, Publishers Weekly, and the Stamford Advocate. She has written on a broad range of community issues in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. While freelancing, she was a shop steward for the National Writers Union, an affiliate of the United Auto Workers Union.

Ms. Kowalski grew up in Cranford and graduated with honors from the Cranford public school system. From 2001-2004 she was a trustee of the Cranford Public Library, serving first as the secretary and then as treasurer. As a member of the League of Women Voters, she has worked on voter registration and on a Union County project that placed native plants along the riverbank in Droescher's Mill Park in Cranford. A member of the Cranford River Maintenance Committee, she regularly assists at river cleanups. She also has participated in planting and other activities Cranford's Hanson Park Conservancy.

Freeholder Kowalski served as Chairwoman of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 2007. She was the Freeholder liaison to the Union County Cultural and Heritage Programs Advisory Board, the Advisory Board on Education, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, and the Commission on the Status of Women. She served as co-liaison on the Committee on the Status of Libraries, and has also served on the Fiscal Affairs Committee, the Union County Animal Shelter Committee, and the Youth Services Commission.

She is the second vice president for the Cranford Democratic Committee, a committee woman for Cranford's District 21, and outreach coordinator for the Cranford Democratic Club.

A resident of Fanwood, Freeholder Vice Chairman Alexander Mirabella brings experience in business and public service to the Board of Chosen Freeholders.

First elected in 1997, he is serving his fourth three-year term on the board. He was Chairman in 2001 and 2006, and served as Vice Chairman in 2000 and 2005.

As Chairman of the Board in 2001, he helped implement the Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund and saw some of the largest increases in Union County parkland in many generations. He also oversaw the expansion of the County’s Office of Veterans Affairs.

Freeholder Mirabella was also the chairman of the County’s 9-11 Memorial Committee which in

2003 dedicated a memorial in Echo Lake Park to the Union County residents killed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Also in 2003, he led the Board's efforts to provide benefits and compensation to County workers called to active military duty.

The Union County Library Directors honored Vice Chairman Mirabella in 2001 for his advocacy on behalf of libraries. He was instrumental in the development and implementation of the Union County Access 2002 Library Link Program which distributed grants to 19 municipal libraries to upgrade technological infrastructure.

As Chairman of the Freeholder Board in 2006, his "Community Connections" initiatives included the introduction of mobile Freeholder meetings in the community; the re-design of the County's website that included library online links; the preservation of 14 acres of open space in Clark; and the provision of more than 40 life-saving defibrillators to public buildings and centers. The County also began progress toward creation of an animal shelter, and put together a shared services committee to explore cost-savings for taxpayers.

During his tenure on the board he has served on the Veterans Affairs Committee, the Fire Services Advisory Board, the Industrial Pollution Control Authority and the Union County Vocational-Technical School Board of Education. In 2007 Freeholder Mirabella was awarded the prestigious Alan Augustine award from Union County's Prevention Links in recognition of his outstanding support of drug and alcohol prevention.

Vice Chairman Mirabella was first elected to the Roselle Park Borough Council in 1991 and served until 1996. He was Council President in 1994 and 1995. A graduate of Hobart College in Geneva, N.Y. with a Bachelor's Degree in Economics, he is an Assistant Vice President, employed by the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies.

Freeholder Mirabella and his wife, Phyllis, a former councilwoman in Roselle Park, have a son, Alexander, and a daughter, Micayla.

Freeholder Angel G. Estrada was first elected to the Freeholder Board in 1999. He served as Freeholder Chairman in 2004 and Vice Chairman the previous year. He was re-elected to a third term in 2005. Freeholder Estrada has more than 30 years of business and public service experience.

A long-time education advocate, Freeholder Estrada was elected to the Elizabeth Board of Education re-elected in the 1990s. He fought overcrowding in the city's classrooms by securing funds for expansion and renovations.

He brought college recruiters to Elizabeth’s schools to encourage students to pursue higher education. Long before his election to the school board, Freeholder Estrada was active in educational and community issues. He served for many years as a member of several Parent-Teacher Organizations, often serving as president.

As Freeholder Chairman, he helped preserve open space and worked to see more than 1,200 trees planted in our 21 municipalities. Freeholder Estrada worked with the private and non-profit sectors to jointly fund recreation programs for young people and help municipalities improve athletic fields. He worked with the United Way of Greater Union County to bring the "211" information line to the county.

As Freeholder, he continued his education advocacy, supporting the Freeholder Scholars initiative, which provides scholarships to Union County College for eligible residents. He helped implement the Access 2000 initiative, providing school districts with funds for computers, Internet access, and technology education for teachers.

As chairman of the Union County Open Space Trust Fund Committee in 2005, Freeholder Estrada worked to preserve five more acres of land, and oversaw the distribution of more than $1.4 million for children's recreation and the preservation of historic sites. He served as Chairman of the Union County Fiscal Committee during 2006. He currently serves as Chairman of the Economic Development Committee.

Having served as the County's first Latino Freeholder Chairman, Freeholder Estrada works closely with Latino community organizations to bring their voices and concerns to the Freeholder Board. He served on the Elizabeth Housing Authority for five years in the capacity of member, vice chairman and chairman and is a board member of the Selective Service System. During 2007 Freeholder Estrada was elected Vice President of the National Association of Hispanic County Officials (NAHCO).

A Manager of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission's office in Elizabeth, he previously worked in management, planning, budgeting and human resources for various organizations. Freeholder Estrada emigrated from Cuba to the United States 47 years ago and has made Elizabeth his home ever since. He earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in History and Spanish from Kean College (now Kean University) in Union. Freeholder Estrada and his wife, Teresa, have three children: Liliana, Jorge, Daniel and a grandson.

County Freeholder Committee on Homeland Security, which has received more than $3 million in federal and state dollars for security purposes, distributed important information to county residents, coordinated a countywide full-scale emergency response drill, and purchased the county’s first marine emergency patrol vessel, UC-Marine 1.

In 2005, Freeholder Proctor helped coordinate TOPOFF 3, a week-long international terrorism response drill, and he initiated a home improvement grants program for senior citizens. He also initiated the Trailside roving Environmental Education van that brings exhibits from Trailside Nature and Science Center to schools and community centers. In 2007, as a member of the 150th Union County Anniversary Ad Hoc Committee, he helped to plan a yearlong series of commemorative events.

In 2005 Freeholder Proctor was selected by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from over 200 federal, state, and local Homeland Security professionals to one of the 30 seats in the Masters Degree program at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterrey, California. He became the first, serving elected official in the nation to be accepted to this prestigious program.

Elected to four terms on the Rahway Board of Education, he served as Board President in 1984 and Vice President in 1930 and 1981.

Freeholder Proctor was appointed to the Freeholder Board in February 2002. He was elected to a full three year term in November 2002 and re-elected in 2005.

He served as Chairman of the Freeholder Board in 2005 and Vice Chairman in 2004. He has a Master of Science degree in Management from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology/Sociology from Washington and Lee University. He will receive a Masters Degree in Homeland Security in March 2008.

Freeholder Proctor and his family live in Rahway.

In addition to focusing on economic development countywide, Freeholder Van Blake strongly supports important quality of life services, including the renovation of Cedar Brook, Echo Lake, and other County parks, as well as paratransit, Meals-on-Wheels, the Senior Home Improvement Program, and other civic services for the elderly and disabled. Another priority is transportation improvements such as the new County-run shuttle bus on Route 22.

A lifelong resident of Plainfield, Freeholder Van Blake was elected to the Plainfield City Council in 2002 by an overwhelming 2-1 margin. He is currently serving as the City Council President. In 2006, he served as Chairman of the Committee as a Whole. During his tenure at City Council he focusing on economic development projects in Plainfield such as the new Senior Center, the Seidler Field and Rushmore Park public pools renovations, and the Park-Madison Redevelopment project.

Mr. Van Blake attended Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on a Lehigh Football Scholarship and a Jack Barnett Academic Scholarship. He spent his junior year studying abroad at the University of Nottingham in Nottingham, England, and received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from Lehigh University in 1998.

An actor by avocation, Mr. Van Blake works professionally as an actor and has appeared on television and in advertisements.

In 2006 Freeholder Holmes was honored by the New Jersey Association of Counties with the President’s Award for his extraordinary leadership, devotion to community service and volunteerism.

Throughout his terms on the Board, Freeholder Holmes has focused on improving Union County's roads and bridges. He was a strong proponent of the County's five-year, $10 million road improvement plan. A strong believer in the link between transportation and economic development, he has worked for improvements at Port Elizabeth and the renovation of Union County's extensive network of roadways and bridges.

Freeholder Holmes has lived in Rahway for more than 50 years and is a graduate of Rahway High School. He also took courses in criminal justice at Rutgers University, Essex County College, and Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. He served as a police officer for 29 years, retiring with the rank of detective. As an officer, he received numerous commendations for outstanding police work and received specialized training in administration, criminal justice and crime prevention.

A licensed private investigator, he is President of Holmes Security and Investigations in Rahway. Freeholder Holmes has been honored for his many years of service by the NAACP and is a lifetime member of the organization's Rahway chapter. He has been a member of the Rahway Friendship Baptist Church for more than 40 years, and has been a trustee there for more than 30 years, and a chairman of the board for several years. He also served as coach of the church league basketball team.

Freeholder Holmes served in the New Jersey National Guard for eight years attached as a supply sergeant to the 50th Armored Division. He is the father of Chester, Jr. (deceased), Raymond, David, Cheryl, Jackie, Harold (deceased), and Marcial.

Through various workforce development programs, she has been instrumental in connecting job seekers with businesses. During her tenure as freeholder she worked with numerous committees, advisory boards and associations.

In 2006 Freeholder Scanlon served on the Union County Shade Tree committee. The Bureau of Shade Tree and Conservation offered free trees to schools and sponsored the "Young Writers of Union County" Poetry contest for sixth, seventh and eighth grade students.

She has served as liaison to Runnells Specialized Hospital. She is a strong supporter for maintaining the hospital's status as the states premier county-run health care facility. She also served on advisory boards for hospice and home health care, juvenile justice and voter accessibility.

Freeholder Scanlon is a former member of the Union Township Board of Education, where she served as Finance Chair, liaison to the Union County School Boards Association and representative to the Union Township committee.

She was born and raised in Summit and moved to Union in 1983. She is married to Patrick Scanlon, former Mayor of Union and former member of the Union Township Committee. She and Patrick reside in Union Township. They have three children Tammie, Lisa and Patrick IV and five grandchildren.

He has helped Union County maintain its high bond rating and develop programs that impact the lives of more than 500,000 residents in 21 municipalities. He helped develop events like "Jersey Jazz by the Lake" (now known as "MusicFest") and economic development initiatives such as the Park Madison and the Jersey Gardens Mall.

Freeholder Sullivan also developed three high successful initiatives: Proinnovativeject Pocket Parks, which provided millions of dollars in matching grants to municipalities for improving parks, athletic fields and playgrounds; Access 2000, which provided grants to school districts to ensure all students have access to computers and high-speed internet connections; and HEART Grants (History, Education and Arts Reaching Thousands) to highlight Union County's history and arts.

While serving on the Board, Freeholder Sullivan has been chairman of the Union County Economic Development Committee and the Fiscal Affairs Committee. He has also served on the Community Development Block Grant Committee, the Transportation Advisory Board, and the Labor Advisory Board.

Freeholder Sullivan is the Assistant Chief Administrator for the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. And is a member of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, which he chaired in 2007. He is a graduate of Seton Hall University with a Bachelor's Degree in Government.

Freeholder Sullivan began his public service career when he was elected to the Elizabeth Board of Education in 1993. He served as President and vice-President of the Board and Chairman of the Finance Committee and the Subcommittee on Security. He and his wife, Connie, have three children: Brendan, Kristen and Daniel.

In 1992, Ms. Ward began her professional career as a Law Associate for Schnirman and Charney in Linden. Within two years, she opened her own law practice in Springfield. In 1994, she moved her practice to Linden, where she specializes in personal injury law, workers compensation law, landlord/tenancy law and cooperative housing law.

Since becoming a Freeholder, she has served as liaison to the AIDS Advisory Council, the Local Advisory Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse and the Union County Planning Board. Ms. Ward also introduced new initiatives for dealing with the problem of violent gangs. Last year, she also served on the Air Traffic Noise Advisory Board.

Freeholder Ward is a past member of the Linden Economic Development Corporation. She has been a regular supporter of the Mayor's Humanitarian Fund which provides aid to families in dire financial hardship.

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, she volunteered her legal services at Liberty State Park in Jersey City where she received recognition from John Farmer, Jr., the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey. In 2007, was assigned to the Freeholder Homeland Security Committee.

An American citizen by birth, Freeholder Ward lived in Ireland for several years, returning to the United States when she was 13 years of age. She has been a supporter of the Union County St. Patrick's Day Parade since its inception in 1997. She also has been a regular volunteer at the annual Halloween and Christmas parties at the Morning Star Senior Citizen Community Building in Linden.