New Member-At-Large Appointed To Summit Common Council

SUMMIT, NJ — Following the resignation of former Councilwoman Beth Little, Summit Common Council appointed a new Council Member-At-Large at Thursday night's meeting.

Dr. Jaime Levine, who is also a member of Summit's Zoning Board, was selected by the Common Council to finish out the remainder of Little's term until Dec. 31, 2023.

Little said in her resignation statement two weeks ago that at this time her "personal circumstances" are preventing her from focusing fully on her council position, which led her to make the decision to step down before the end of her term.

Read more: Resignation Of Summit Councilwoman Was Due To 'Personal Circumstances'

Councilwoman Susan Hairston said at Thursday's meeting that three people were nominated to fill the vacancy. This included Levine, Lisa Campbell and David Berkowitz.

"We had a long discussion about each of the candidates that were being considered," Hairston said.

Councilman O'Sullivan said all three candidates were "extremely qualified" to fill the seat, but he believes Levine will be a "terrific fit."

"She is a doctor and with all we've gone through with the pandemic, her voice up here will be very valuable," O'Sullivan added.

Mayor Nora Radest said she is enthusiastic about the appointment and described Levine as a "strategic thinker" who is calm and level-headed.

Councilman Greg Vartan said Levine will take over the committee assignments previously managed by Little until the end of this calendar year.

Levine is scheduled to be officially sworn in on Friday, when she will also take over as liaison to the Emergency Shared Dispatch Committee, the Board of School Estimate, The Shade Tree Advisory Committee and the Zoning Board (to be confirmed).

More about Levine:

Levine was born in Kirksville, Missouri and raised in Springfield. She has lived in Summit with her husband and two daughters since 2014.

During her time in Summit, Levine has demonstrated a commitment to her community through extensive civic engagement and volunteerism.

She was appointed to Summit’s Zoning Board of Adjustment in 2020 where she continues to serve. Levine is currently Vice President of the Board of Trustees of the Reeves Reed Arboretum and is also the Chair of their Accessibility Committee. She is currently leading a large project at the Arboretum aimed at improving the accessibility of the grounds for those with mobility differences.

Levine was elected to the Summit Municipal Democratic Committee in 2019, where she continues to serve. She is also the current Secretary of the Board of Trustees at the Beacon Hill Club.

As a physician, she is board-certified in both Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R), and Brain Injury Medicine. Her residency was in PM&R, where she trained to care for people with disabilities. She then pursued a fellowship in Brain Injury Medicine where she narrowed her focus to treating survivors of Brain Injury, from concussion to severe traumatic brain injury.

As Medical Director of an inpatient unit, she led a large cohort of team members and patients through the most severe phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. She decided in 2021 to pause from
practicing medicine and dedicate more time to her family and community.

Levine is a graduate of Duke University where she was a member of the Varsity Women’s Track and Field Team. She is also a tennis enthusiast who plays on several local teams year-round.

You can watch the full council meeting on YouTube below:

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