Pat Kramer Named Head of County GOP Transition Team
Thursday, June 28, 2012 • 5:17pm
CLIFTON, NJ - Former Paterson Mayor Pat Kramer was among three Patersonians named to the transition team formed by the new Passaic County Regular Republican Organization Chairman John Traier.
Traier on Thursday announced the full slate of his transition team and their duties as he begins to take the reins of the organization he was elected to lead on June 12. The other two people from Paterson on the transition team were Carlos Pagan, president of the city firefighters' union, and Ilya Villaneuva, a former city council candidate.
Traier an accountant from Clifton, said the transition team, headed by former Kramer and former Passaic County Freeholder Richard DuHaime, says the 27 member team has 30 days to report to him on a variety of reforms and improvements to the PCRRO ranging from the way the party selects its candidates to the organization’s ability to increase communication to members and voters via social media such as Facebook and Twitter.
The new chairman, who took over for Assemblyman Scott Rumana of Wayne, says the party needs to be more diverse. He wants the transition team to come up with a plan to reach out to ethnic minorities as well as younger people. The transition team composed of 10 women and 17 men covers a range of ethnic and geographical representative from West Milford to Passaic and includes two people allied with rival GOP Strong leader Peter Murphy of Totowa.
“The team reflects the regional and ethnic diversity of the county,” said Traier. “We live and operate in a very socially and ethnically diverse county and our party should reflect that diversity. The PCRRO needs to attract younger people and Latinos, African Americans and Arab-Americans, who share our values of fiscal restraint on government and personal responsibility.”
Traier said he has instructed the team to provide suggestions on new ways to select candidates and on changes to the bylaws that govern the PCRRO.
“One thing I am adamant about is that I want a more open organization with more input and more dialogue from our members. We can’t grow the party if we don’t invite people to be part of the process and ask them to speak their mind without fear of reprisals,” said Traier.
“I was elected to lead a fractured organization and my goal is to make this a more unified party with one major objective – to win elections,” said Traier. “I’m not going to let the organization be side tracked with petty squabbles and ancient feuds. Our energy must be focused on beating Democrats, not beating up on each other.”
The immediate goal, said the new chairman, is to create a team that gives incumbent freeholder candidates Deborah Ciambrone, Ed O'Connelll and Michael Marotta the best chance of winning re-election to the seven member county freeholder board.
“Our Republican presence on the freeholder board has had a very positive influence on county government, and we need to communicate our contribution to the voters,” said Traier.
PCRRO Transition Team Members
Pat Kramer
Paterson
Former Mayor / NJ Commissioner
Dick DuHaime
Bloomingdale
Former Freeholder
Ron Fava
Clifton
Former Assemblyman/Prosecutor/Sheriff
Frank Fusco
Clifton
Former Councilman / Freeholder candidate
Jose Sandoval
Passaic
Former Congressional Candidate
Philip Weisbecker
West Milford
Former Councilman
Al Frech
Wayne
Chairman North Jersey Regional Tea Party
Tom Buckley
Jim Marotta
Totowa
Nadine Bello
Wayne
Councilman
Sherene El-Abd
Clifton
President, NJ Federation of Republican Women
Debbie Ciambrone
Wayne
Freeholder
Marie Sieber
Clifton
Councilman
Susan Enderly
Wayne
Former Council Candidate
Carlos Pagan
Paterson
FMBA chair
Tomas Gomez
Woodland Park
Freeholder candidate
Theresa Nance
Passaic
Minister
Riccardo Farfan
Clifton
County Committee
Ilya Villaneuva
Paterson
Former Council Candidate
Randy George
North Haledon
Mayor
Linda Zisa
Wayne
Former Vice Chair and State Committeewoman
Lonnie Miller Ryan
Wayne
Councilman
Ken Pengitore
Haledon
Former Mayor and State Assembly candidate
George Decker
Pompton Lakes
Finance Chairman
Dan Mahler
Wanaque
Mayor
Irene Smith
West Milford
County Committee
Maria Kent
Pompton Lakes
County Committee
