March 24, 2008—Rahway, N.J.— The Rahway Valley Sewerage Authority (RVSA) recently announced the election of Joan Papen of Scotch Plains as Chairman and Charles P. Lombardo of Garwood as Vice Chairman of the RVSA 2008 Board of Commissioners. In addition, the Authority has welcomed two new members to the Board this year: Richard LoForte representing Kenilworth and Maria A. Abram representing Springfield.

Joan Papen has a long history of service with the Authority. She was appointed to the RVSA in 1995 and served one previous term as Chairman. She also has a long history of service in her community. Ms. Papen is a four-time Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Scotch Plains, serving on the Township Council for 16 years. She initiated the Municipal TV Programming, Environmental Commission and the Downtown Business Alliance. She served on the Planning Board, Master Plan Review Committee, Library Board of Trustees and Local Assistance Board. Ms. Papen was President of the Scotch Plains/Fanwood PTA Council and the Union County Women's Political Caucus; was Vice Chair of the Union County League of Municipalities and Union County Republican Committee; and is presently serving as Vice Chair of the Scotch Plains Republican Committee.

Leading the 2008 RVSA Board of Commissioners with Ms. Papen is Vice Chairman Mr. Lombardo. With as many years of dedicated service, Mr. Lombardo was appointed to the RVSA in 1995 and served one term as Chairman. He is presently employed by the County of Union, Department of Public Works as the Safety Coordinator. He has served six terms as a Councilman in the Borough of Garwood, and has served as Borough Council President and both Police and Fire Commissioner. He has served as liaison to the Union County Solid Waste Authority, the School Board, the Planning Board, the Shade Tree Commission and the Union County Air Traffic Noise Advisory Board.

Michael J. Brinker, Jr., RVSA Executive Director, commented, “The Rahway Valley Sewerage Authority provides essential and valuable services. It is our obligation to remain focused on wastewater treatment while safeguarding the environment and remaining accountable to the member communities we represent. With Joan and Charles leading the Board of Commissioners, I am confident we will be able to meet many challenges in the year ahead.”

The 2008 Board of Commissioners also has two new members: Richard LoForte, representing Kenilworth, and Maria A. Abram, representing Springfield.
 
Mr. LoForte has a history of dedicated public service to Kenilworth spanning more than 35 years. He has served Kenilworth as Recreation Chairman; Emergency Management Coordinator, during which time he prepared the Borough's State Certified Emergency Operations Plan; a member of the Planning Board for 16 years, including serving as its Vice Chairman; and two terms as a Town Councilman, during which he was elected as Council President twice. Mr. LoForte also chaired the Council's Rezoning Committee and served on the Town's Master Plan Committee. He has been a member of the Kenilworth Republican Municipal Committee for more than 30 years and currently serves as its Vice Chairman.

Ms. Abram is a life-long resident of Union County, residing in Springfield for the past four years. Her work on a local Township Committee Member's election campaign inspired her to get involved in the community and seek a position on the RVSA Board of Commissioners. As a graduate of Northeastern University in Boston with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science/Law and Public Policy, Ms. Abram brings effective communications skills to the Board and will serve as a valuable liaison for the people of Springfield.

About the Rahway Valley Sewerage Authority

The RVSA is an autonomous agency that owns and operates a trunk sewer system and a wastewater treatment facility in Rahway, N.J. The RVSA currently serves Member Municipalities of Clark, Cranford, Garwood, Kenilworth, Mountainside, Rahway, Roselle Park, Scotch Plains, Springfield, Westfield, and Woodbridge and User Municipalities of Winfield Park, portions of Fanwood and Linden.

The RVSA is governed by a Board of Commissioners, which consists of one representative from each member municipality.  Appointments are made by each municipalities’ governing body.  Each commissioner serves a staggered five-year term, and the chairmanship and vice-chairmanship of the RVSA rotate annually.