Philip Thigpen
Chairman

Philip Thigpen is Chairman of the Essex County, New Jersey Democratic Committee. He coordinates elections and Democratic Party -related activities in the 22 municipalities in the county. In his capacity as Chairman he selects candidates to run for county and state elective offices. He manages the Committee’s budget and fundraising activities. He has held this position since 2001 and has been elected 3 times. Mr. Thigpen has also been an elected official, serving as an Essex County Freeholder and as a City Councilman in East Orange, New Jersey. Mr. Thigpen was also director of the Essex County Department of Planning and Economic Development where he had overall responsibility for the development and implementation of fiscal and administrative policy in issues such as economic and physical planning and solid waste disposal.

From 1980 to 1987 Mr. Thigpen was Vice President of Urban Data Systems, Inc., of Newark, New Jersey, a computer forms manufacturer. His responsibilities included sales, and acquisition of raw material related to the production of computer forms.

Prior to joining Urban Data Systems, Inc, Mr. Thigpen was Executive Vice President of Leon N. Weiner & Associates, Inc., a real estate development firm based in Wilmington, Delaware. Mr. Thigpen ran a joint venture with Campbell Soup and RCA to develop low and moderate – income multifamily properties in other locations in the east and Midwest. He was a member of the National Association of Homebuilders ad was Chairman of its Affirmative Action Committee.

Mr. Thigpen was a graduate from Seton Hall Prep and Seton Hall University, where he received a B.S. degree in Business Administration. He also received an M.A. from St. Louis University in St. Louis Missouri, and was an Urban Fellow at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

At Seton Hall Prep, Mr. Thigpen was a two- time national champion in the 880 yard run. In college, Phillip Thigpen was national champion in the half –mile and was three –time national champion in the 1000 yards. He is a member of the Seton Hall Prep Athletic Hall of Fame and Seton Hall University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Mr. Thigpen also:

• Served as a member of the Electoral College in the presidential election of 1996
• Was appointed to the New Jersey Health Care Administration Board by the governor of New Jersey
• Is a Lifetime member of the NAACP
• Served on the Essex County Democratic Advisory Board
• Served as East Orange Democratic City Chairman and also served on the East Orange Water Commission
• Is a Vice President of the Seton Hall Alumni Association

Mr. Thigpen is married with 3 sons.

M. Teresa Ruiz
First Vice Chair

New Jersey State Senator
29th Legislative District

Senator M. Teresa Ruiz is currently serving her first term in the New Jersey State Senate, representing the 29th Legislative District, which includes the Union County Township of Hillside, and parts of the City of Newark in Essex County.  A first-generation Puerto Rican American, she is the first Latina to serve in the State Senate.

Senator Ruiz serves as Vice Chair of the Senate Education Committee, and as a member of the Senate Economic Growth Committee, Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Joint Committee on the Public Schools.

A lifelong resident of Newark’s North Ward, Senator Ruiz is active in Essex County government and politics.  She is Vice Chair of the Essex County Democratic Party, and Deputy Chief of Staff and former Director of Public Information for Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr.  A fearless advocate for the people and issues in which she believes, Senator Ruiz uses the skills she learned in county government and the political realm to promote the ideas of justice, inclusion and equality.

Senator Ruiz worked as a Pre-K Teacher at the North Ward Center after she graduated from Drew University as an English major.  A founding member of the Robert Treat Academy, she has served for over 5 years as a school Trustee. She also served as a Trustee of the Essex County Technical-Vocational School Board for 5 years.

In addition, she was the first Puerto Rican woman to sit as a member of the Essex County Improvement Authority Board of Commissioners. Senator Ruiz served as an elected delegate for John Kerry at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and was also elected as a Clinton delegate in 2008.

Recognized by the Hispanics for Progress of the Oranges for her dedicated service to the Latino community, and honored by the Essex County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce with its Public Service Award, Senator Ruiz was also awarded the Star of Essex during the County’s Hispanic Heritage Celebration in 2005.  In 2006 she was named Woman of the Year by Newark’s Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Inc. 

Senator Ruiz’s parents settled in Newark in the 1950s.  She has one married sister, one extraordinary niece and a large extended family that strongly supports her goals and proudly applauds her achievements. The most recent addition to her family is Samuel Gonzalez, the Essex County Freeholder-District I, and an elected member of the Newark Board of Education, to whom she was married in September of 2005.

William J. Kennedy
Second Vice Chair

Mr. Kennedy is a Business Agent with Plumber’s Local Union No. 24. Mr. Kennedy also serves as a Vice President for the Essex County West Hudson Labor Council, the Essex County Building & Construction Trades Council.

Mr. Kennedy is a trustee of the Plumbers Local #24 Employee Benefit Trust Funds. Mr. Kennedy graduated from Belleville High School. After serving his Apprenticeship, he served on the Locals Finance Board, and as Recording Secretary. In 1997 he was elected Business Agent.

Mr. Kennedy resides in Bloomfield, with his wife Maria and their three children, Marlena, Joseph, and Gerard.

Janice Maly
Secretary

Public Service: Presently serving second term as Bloomfield First Ward Councilwoman (elected to first term in 2002, re-elected 2005)
Chairman: Bloomfield Traffic Safety Committee & The Bloomfield Recycling Committee
Township Council Liaison To: Bloomfield Municipal Youth Guidance Council, Bloomfield Cable Television Committee, Bloomfield Board of Education, and the Bloomfield Historic Green Initiator
Facilitator of: Bloomfield Township Newsletter
Community Service Volunteer: Community Food Bank of New Jersey
Parent: Saint Peter’s Preparatory High School
Memberof : UNICO National – Bloomfield Chapter, Order Sons of Italy, Cavaliere Dottore Angelo Bianchi Lodge 2654, and the Suburban Essex Chamber of Commerce

Professional Career
2000-Present – Robert Treat Academy Charter School, Newark, NJ
School Standardized Testing Coordinator – NJASK Grades 3-7, GEPA

1997-Present – Robert Treat Academy Charter School, Newark, NJ
Teacher: Grades 1, 3, 4, 7 and 8

1996 – North Ward Center, Newark, NJ
Kindergarten Teacher

Professional Achievements
2001 – Governor’s Teacher Recognition Award
1995 – Teacher of the Year Archdiocese of Newark

Education
Sept '83-June '87: Kean College of NJ – B.A. in Elementary Education ~ Dean’s List
Sept '82-June '83: Caldwell College – One year academic scholarship
Sept '78-June '82: Lacordaire Academy, Upper Montclair, NJ (4 year academic scholarship) Dean’s List, Student Council Executive, School Newspaper

Mike Delplato
Treasurer

Bio coming soon!

Keith Ali
Sergeant at Arms

KEITH M. ALI
6 Willowdale Court
Montclair, NJ 07042
Phone: 862-216-2585
kmail90@yahoo.com

Law Enforcement Professional
Summary of Qualifications
Keith’s experience in prisons and jails ranges from Correctional Officer in 1976 working through the ranks SGT, LT, CAPT to Warden in 2002.  While working in Essex county jail and New Jersey state dept of corrections he was involved from the very basic supervision of inmates to supervising a compliance office responsible for responding to federal consent decree issues, as well as the department’s compliance to policies and procedures, state statutes. While Warden Keith guided the department though the challenging transition of closing the existing facilities main jail and annex  buildings , and transferring over 2700 inmates to a new $416 million  state of art corrections complex .  He went on to become Deputy Director of Essex county jail in 2004. Supervising all operational areas of the newly built facility, outsourcing inmates to privately managed centers, the Staff Training Division and Medical and Mental Health Programs. . Established the organizational structure for the complex, developed and implemented policy and procedures for all aspects of prison management. Keith has served as an expert in conducting conditions of confinement reviews based on core detention standards for jails.  He was an active participant in the revision of the Conditions of Confinement review.Commissoner of New Jersey Corrections said: Your conduct exemplifies expertise and professionalism.

Work Experience

• 03/2008 - Present
  U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security T.S.A.
  Newark, New Jersey
  Transportation Security Officer
  Perform a variety of duties related to providing security and protection of air travelers, airports and aircraft. Responsible for identifying dangerous objects in baggage, cargo and/or on passengers; and preventing those objects from being transported onto aircraft.
• 07/2004 to 06/2006 (Retired)
  Essex County Department of Corrections
  Newark, New Jersey
  Deputy Director

Education

• Montclair High School
  Montclair, New Jersey
• New Jersey State Corrections Officer Recruit
  Newark, New Jersey
• KM Ali Consultant Services
  Professional, Confidential Expert Consulting for Prison, Jail and Secure Healthcare Facilities

Association Memberships
Essex County Democratic Committee-Sergeant of Arms, New Jersey State P.B.A. Local #153, New Jersey F.O.P. Local #71, Pan African Culture Society, Black Community Development Corporation, Essex County Jail Superior Officer’s Union, Trustee Offender Aid and Restoration of Essex County, Inc., Coalition of Muslims in government, Inc., Essex County Citizen Advisory Committee

Phil Alagia
Executive Director

Bio coming soon!

Michael Parlavecchio
Parliamentarian

Bio coming soon!

Lonnie Hughes
Sergeant at Arms

Bio coming soon!