Please write the degree(s) you have from Stockton.
Bachelor of Science
Briefly explain your occupation including job title and company name.
Deputy Director, NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission since 2009
What person, course, or moment most influenced your Stockton experience? How?
Wes Tilley. He was one of many brilliant professors I was blessed to learn from. He
instilled in me a determination to be broad as well as deep in myeducation. Which,
of course, is the main goal of liberal studies. The Renaissance model. My courses
were roughly balanced between science andliterature. It was perfect training for a
34-year career in journalism before I went into state government.
What is your proudest professional or personal accomplishment that occurred after
graduating in which Stockton played a role?
My environmental science studies at Stockton served me well. As a reporter with the
Press of Atlantic City, I exposed a toxic dump in Pleasantville thatwas on the verge
of destroying Atlantic City's water source right before casinos opened. The city well
field had to be relocated. I also wrote extensivelyabout the need to protect the pinelands,
made readers understand the danger of putting floating nuclear plants just north of
AC, and wrote an eight-pagesection about radiation a few months after the Three Mile
Island nuclear accident occurred in Harrisburg in March 1979. It won a national science
writingaward. The other coverage won state and local awards.
What do you like about the work you are doing now? Describe your career path.
Besides having a longstanding concern about the environment, in the wake of the Watergate
scandal I developed a strong interest in the need forcampaign finance laws to deter
political corruption. I wrote about the subject extensively as a reporter, and the
agency where I now work regulates themoney that goes into elections as well as lobbyists.
In a stunning coincidence, my first news story ever, which appeared in the Argo, was
about the statelegislation creating the agency where I now work!
How do you stay connected with Stockton University?
I have attended some Foundation events and, after developing a long friendship with
former Congressman and Ambassador Bill Hughes as well asseveral of his family and
staff members, I have been a longtime supporter of the Hughes Center since its dedication
in 2008. I also have spoken to manyclasses over the years, and visited the campus
to attend events like one honoring Richard Bjork, the school's first president, and
to see several guestspeakers, including Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, former
EPA chairwoman Lisa Jackson and a debate between Roger Stone and Doug Schoen,two national
political strategists. A woman student I chose as tops in a 1982 campus science fair
went on to win an international gold medal.
What is something people may not know about you?
I love opera, particularly Italian composers like Verdi and Puccini. I also helped
edit the script and then appeared in a very, very low budget scifi filmcalled "Hellfire"
that was partly filmed on the Stockton campus by Bill Murray of Northfield. At one
point, you actually could rent it in video stores. Sadly, Ireceived no award nominations
for my 20 seconds in the film.
What advice do you have for current students who want to make the most out of their
experience at Stockton?
Be curious. Work hard at your studies (I had no TV during my college years). Take
on subjects you might not be able to conquer - my only failing gradewas for Calculus
III but at least I tried- because it still stretches your mind. Enjoy the beautiful
campuses where you are learning in Galloway and AC. Go Ospreys!
