Election 2023: Melissa Lowry, Candidate For Fair Haven Council

FAIR HAVEN, NJ — Melissa J. Lowry, River Road, is running as a Republican for the Fair Haven Borough Council.

Lowry and Brian Olson are running as a team. You can read more about them at their campaign site here: https://fhrepublicans.org/ and find them on Facebook @LowryandOlsonforFH.

Councilwoman Laline Neff and Councilman Christopher Rodriquez are not seeking re-election.

All candidates for council are listed below.

In these profiles, candidates provide voters with background about themselves and their positions on the issues, as they see them.

Lowry has been an experienced oncology nurse and is now a volunteer at Memorial Sloan Kettering in Monmouth County, among other community activities. She says fiscal prudence and the safety and security of residents must be top priorities, as well as preserving the borough's unique qualities for the future.

Read more from Melissa Lowry:

Background:
Candidates were asked to provide their professional or volunteer information, government experience and personal background.

I am a proud mother of two children who are products of our Fair Haven schools, a ninth-grade daughter and a sixth-grade son.

I have a Bachelors in Nursing Science from the University of Florida and a Masters in Nursing Education from NYU, where I held a part-time faculty position.

I spent the majority of my career as a Certified Oncology Nurse at Memorial Sloan Kettering in Manhattan. While there, I served many roles, including nurse liaison for the director of outpatient Hematology, employee health nurse and nurse recruiter. I also collaborated with the social work department to develop and provide support groups for patient caregivers.

I currently volunteer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Monmouth County and I serve as a per diem school nurse at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School.

I am an active member and volunteer for the Fair Haven PTA and the WeForum Group health advocacy organization, where I assist with events and partnership development, and various other philanthropic organizations throughout the tri-state area.

I am driven by gratitude, empathy and service to others. I welcome the opportunity to lend my collaborative experience to make a positive contribution to our community.

Top issues:

Candidates were asked about the important issues in their municipality and to offer ideas on how the governing body might address them going forward.

I believe it is of the utmost importance to ensure fiscal prudence of our municipal tax revenue. In order to do so, we must prioritize local concerns. The safety and security of our residents must be a top priority as we partner with our Fair Haven Police Department, Fire Department and Office of Emergency Management.

Fair Haven is such a unique community with an exceptional quality of life. We have a vibrant business community, wonderful natural areas and access to the river, great schools and active and involved residents.

We need to do everything we can to uphold and maintain all that Fair Haven has to offer for future generations.

I look forward to building upon the success of Mayor (Josh) Halpern and team. They have worked hard to achieve the objectives of our Master Plan, including renewals to our infrastructure, improvements to our storm water management throughout the borough and a commitment to pedestrian and bicycle safety. Changes have been made to our land use ordinances as well as our brush and leaf pickup schedule.

Fair Haven Borough Council (Full term; vote for two)

• Michal DiMicelli (D) Monmouth County Democrats
• Neil Blecher (D) Monmouth County Democrats
• Melissa J. Lowry (R) Monmouth County Republican Organization
• Brian W. Olson (R) Monmouth County Republican Organization

Note: Candidates who have not received their request for profile information from Patch should check their spam folders or can contact Pat McDaniel at patricia.mcdaniel@patch.com for the email with candidate questions.