Latino Heritage Celebration Honors School Board Member, Professor In Essex County

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Two high-achieving Essex County residents recently earned “Estrella del Condado de Essex Awards” as part of an annual Latino Heritage Celebration.

Essex County held its 2025 award ceremony on Tuesday, paying homage to the “rich culture and traditions of U.S. residents who trace their roots to the Spanish-speaking nations of Europe, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.”

Two local community members earned awards this year: Newark Board of Education member Josephine C. Garcia, and Charles Auffant, a Rutgers School of Law professor who serves as co-director of the Community and Transactional Lawyering Clinic.

“When we come together, we shine brighter,” Garcia said.

“This recognition makes me want to work even harder and give back and contribute to bring life to others even more,” she added.

Auffant said came to Newark to go to law school – and he stayed to “build a life and live here.”

“We owe a debt of gratitude to our ancestors who came before us and helped us get to where we are today,” he added.

Pastor Madalyn Santos from Newark Community Church in Newark delivered the program’s invocation. Leah Crespo, a sophomore at Arts High School, sang the National Anthem, and the Latin Jazz Band from Arts High School in Newark provided musical entertainment during the program.

“We are proud to recognize Josephine Garcia and Charles Auffant for their outstanding leadership, dedication to public service, and commitment to improving the lives of all our residents,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said.

The Latino Heritage Month Celebration is part of a year-long cultural series created to highlight Essex County’s diversity. Other cultural heritage celebrations include African American History Month, Irish Heritage Month, Women’s History Month, Italian Heritage Month, Jewish Heritage and Portuguese Heritage.

The following biographies of Garcia and Auffant come courtesy of Essex County:

JOSEPHINE GARCIA – Josephine C. Garcia is a distinguished community and educational leader in the City of Newark, with more than two decades of service dedicated to advancing public education and municipal governance. She began her career as a legal secretary before joining the administration of former Mayor Sharpe James in 1998, where she rose to Bi-Lingual Assistant Supervisor of the Mayor’s Administrative Staff. In 2006, she became Chief of Staff to Newark Councilman-at-Large Carlos M. González, advising the councilman on municipal issues, research and constituent services, while also serving as Legislative Aide to Assemblywoman Shanique Speight. In these roles, Ms. Garcia has been a trusted advisor and advocate for Newark residents, ensuring their voices are represented at the local and state levels.

Her commitment to education led her to run for public office in 2017, when she was elected to the Newark Board of Education with the highest number of votes in a competitive field. She made history as the first elected Latina President of the Board under local control, serving from 2018 to 2021. During her tenure, she played a pivotal role in Newark’s return to local governance after two decades of state oversight, led the successful superintendent search, and served on key committees including Governance, Finance, and Parent Engagement. Beyond Newark, Ms. Garcia has held leadership positions as Vice President and President of the Essex County School Board Association, President of the Essex Regional Educational Commission, and President of the Puerto Rican Day Parade of Newark, reflecting her deep commitment to both education and cultural pride.

A lifelong resident of Newark’s North Ward, Ms. Garcia is also an elected member of the Essex County Democratic Committee and Vice Chair of the North Ward Democratic Committee. She is a graduate of Barringer High School and Essex County College, and her expertise in school governance is supported by certifications from the New Jersey School Boards Association. Above all, Ms. Garcia is most proud of her role as a mother to three accomplished sons: Donavin, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran; Brandon, a William Paterson University graduate with a double major in Biology and Psychology; and Michael, a St. Peter’s Preparatory School graduate pursuing engineering.

CHARLES AUFFANT – Charles Auffant is a Professor at the Rutgers School of Law and Co-Director of the Community and Transactional Lawyering Clinic. A longtime Newark resident, Auffant received his J.D. from Rutgers School of Law-Newark in 1982 and joined Rutgers in 1998 as a Clinical Faculty Professor in the Urban Legal Clinic. His career includes service as Staff Attorney for Essex-Newark Legal Services, Director of Housing for the Urban League of Essex County, Associate Counsel for the Newark Board of Education and Counsel to the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

Deeply committed to his community, he has served as Commissioner on the Newark Zoning Board of Adjustment since 1997, Chair of Essex-Newark Legal Services since 2016, is a founding member of Newark’s Civilian Complaint Review Board, and Trustee of the Newark Public Library. Nationally, he served on the Executive Committee of the American Association of Law Schools’ Section on Clinical Legal Education from 2010 to 2016, including as co-chair, where he advanced diversity in leadership. At Rutgers, he founded the Cuban Legal Field Study program and, through the Community and Transactional Lawyering Clinic, specializes in real estate, urban land use, board governance, and adult guardianships, blending scholarship with a lifelong commitment to justice and community service.

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