Three candidates are running for two Maplewood Township Committee seats in 2024: incumbents Nancy Adams and Jamaine Cripe, and Malia Herman. The primary election is on Tuesday, June 4, 2024. The general election takes place on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Read all of our Election Coverage here.
I have had the privilege of serving with Malia Herman on the Maplewood Pool Advisory Committee (PAC) for the past few years and have witnessed first-hand her dedication, passion, and tireless efforts to improve our community.
Malia has been a member of the PAC for nine years, during which she has demonstrated her commitment to making the Maplewood Pool more accessible and inclusive. Her advocacy for affordable access to the pool, lowering fees, and expanding swim lessons for all ages and abilities has been unparalleled.
Malia is leading our efforts on the PAC for swim lessons for disabled and neurodivergent children. She has strongly advocated for expanding swim lessons in the evenings and weekends so that working parents have the opportunity to enroll their children in lessons. Malia has also been a staunch supporter of lowering fees for school groups, particularly after the pandemic, and she is passionate about creating affordable recreational opportunities for children in our town.
Malia’s commitment to accessibility and inclusion extends beyond the Maplewood Pool. She is committed to ensuring that Maplewood has affordable and differentiated housing so that everyone, including adults with disabilities, can find a place to thrive and that seniors who wish to age in place have the support they need. Malia is truly dedicated to fostering community engagement through virtual and in-person office hours and town halls, and to ensuring that more residents have a voice in the decision-making process.
As a mom of school-aged children, Malia understands the importance of safe playing fields and recreational opportunities for our kids and will work to improve the condition and reliability of our fields. Malia is dedicated to gender equity in youth sports and making sure our town’s playgrounds are accessible and welcoming to all children.
Malia also recognizes the public safety and transportation challenges facing our town. She plans to focus on making our roads safer, using traffic calming measures, and improved lighting and crosswalks, particularly around schools and high-density developments, and expanding bike lanes in Maplewood, so that children and adults can ride their bikes safely.
Malia is the kind of forward-thinking leader that our town needs, and I urge you to join me on June 4th in voting for her for Maplewood Township Committee.
Laurie McGuire-Gates, Maplewood Pool Advisory Committee member
