'I'm Ready To Get To Work': New Member Joins Holmdel Township Committee

HOLMDEL, NJ — A new member joined the Holmdel Township Committee on Monday after a sitting committeeman resigned from his role toward the end of December.

Gary Vanderham was officially sworn in to the committee after Committeeman DJ Luccarelli resigned during a meeting held on Dec. 22.

While Luccarelli didn't provide a reason for his resignation, he thanked his fellow committee members for their work during his resignation speech, as well as township staff and residents who have put their trust in him over the years.

“It’s with deep regret that I’m not going to fulfill the last year of my second term,” Luccarelli said. “...To the residents of Holmdel, thank you. I appreciate all the trust that you’ve put in me over the years. I hope I served you well, and I wish you all, personally, a happy holiday season.”

During a meeting held on Monday morning in Town Hall, Vanderham was officially selected and sworn in to fill Luccarelli’s seat on the committee.

According to township attorney Michael Collins, since Luccarelli was elected to the committee as a Republican nominee, the Republican County Committee was able to select and forward three names to replace him.

From those three names, the Township Committee then selected Vanderham as their nominee, and a majority vote solidified him as Luccarelli’s replacement. On Monday, he was officially sworn in to his new role.

“Gary brings a wealth of experience and a long record of volunteer service to the role, including his work on the Finance Committee and the Holmdel Football Association board,” the township said of Vanderham in an online post. “Please join us in welcoming Committeeman Vanderham, and in sharing a heartfelt thank you to former Mayor and Committeeman DJ Luccarelli for his many years of dedicated leadership.”

During Monday’s meeting, some residents took to the floor to question the timing and process of Vanderham’s appointment to the committee.

One resident, Lance Lupe, questioned why the meeting to swear in Vanderham was taking place a week after Luccarelli announced his resignation, as well as why the meeting was taking place at 10:30 a.m. as opposed to the committee’s usual 7:30 p.m. meeting time.

Another resident, Mat Weisfeld, added that he doesn’t know much about the three nominees given to the Township Committee to fill Luccarelli’s seat, which may be causing unease for some residents.

“I don’t understand what the rush is for this meeting,” Lupe said. “I really don’t understand why. Was it because we wanted to have a unanimous vote? Because maybe there would have been dissension in January? I don’t know. But it just seems the optics on this are not good.”

In response to residents’ concerns, Committeeman Rocco Impreveduto said the committee follows a strict legal process and that since the vacancy happened under the 2025 governing body, the committee thought it should also be filled under the 2025 governing body.

As for the meeting's time change, various committee members said they had prior commitments on Monday evening that wouldn’t allow them to attend their normal time, so meeting in the morning made more sense.

Though Mayor Brian Foster and Committeeman Joe Romano weren't able to attend the meeting in-person on Monday morning, they were able to call in to the meeting via phone.

“I served under a governing body several years ago that was compromised by resignations,” Impreveduto said. “And so we appreciate how expeditiously the county committee acted in providing us names so that we could fill this.”

“We don’t know what next year is going to hold,” Impreveduto continued. “I don’t care if someone would vote ‘no’ or not. That’s their right as a member of the governing body. But having been in this position before when someone else was in leadership, I appreciate how quickly it’s moving because I don’t think it’s a good idea to walk into the new year with a compromised governing body.”

Once Vanderham was officially sworn in to the township committee, he introduced himself to meeting attendees and shared information about himself, his family and his service to the town.

“I don’t take this responsibility lightly,” Vanderham said. “The role of local leadership is sacred, and I am fully committed to serve Holmdel with integrity, transparency, and purpose.”

“The moment you’re called to lead is the moment you’re called to listen,” Vanderham continued. “I want to represent all of Holmdel. If you see me around town, please stop and say hello. Let’s connect. Let’s build trust. I’m ready to get to work.”

To see a full recording of Monday's meeting, you can watch here.