Two candidates are vying for one nomination in the Democratic primary for Maplewood Township Committee on June 10 (early voting June 3-8), 2025: Jane Collins-Colding and Max Kravitz. Follow Village Green election coverage here.
The following endorsement is from Maplewood Deputy Mayor Malia Herman:
I am thrilled to endorse my friend Jane Collins-Colding for the Maplewood Township Committee, and I urge you to vote 2D for her, too. I could give you a dozen reasons to support Jane, but here’s three:
Jane has a rich background and lived experience that would give many issues that come before town leaders a fresh and important perspective.
For instance, Jane immigrated to the United States and is a naturalized citizen. So, when our community and elected officials talk about what it means to be a ‘Sanctuary City’ and how to protect our residents who are immigrants, Jane knows what’s at stake in a very personal way.
Jane and her husband, Russell, have two children who will be in elementary and middle school next year. Families with young children make up a large percentage of the population in our town, so I believe it’s important to have elected leaders who understand the unique issues families face, such as the need for affordable camp and swim lessons, outdoor recreation space, and making our roads safer for children walking and biking to school and around town.
Jane Collins-Colding and Malia Herman
Jane and her husband also have three adult children who graduated from Columbia High School. After their older children moved out, Jane and Russell sold their family home in South Orange and moved to Maplewood. As the Real Estate market continues to climb, Jane understands how important it is to have diverse – and affordable – housing options in MAPSO, combined with a low annual tax rate, so that families, can afford to stay in our beloved community.
Jane also helped her elderly mother downsize, after it became apparent that her mother could no longer live alone in her multi-story home. As a member of Maplewood’s Senior Advisory Committee, Jane has used this experience to advocate for Maplewood to remain an age-friendly town where seniors have access to services, transportation, and affordable housing and food, so they can stay in the community where they have roots.
In addition to her impressive wealth of experience, Jane has regularly demonstrated her concern for and commitment to improving our community by being a thoughtful listener who isn’t afraid to ask tough questions or suggest out-of-the-box ideas.
For example, Jane used the knowledge she acquired in overseeing the construction of a school in Liberia to ask insightful and relevant questions about the proposed reconstruction of DeHart Park at a recent public meeting at the Maplewood Community Center.
She used her experience in being her mother’s caregiver to query New Jersey American Water at a public meeting about their outreach efforts they are making to seniors living alone, as the utility kicked off an ambitious year-long effort to replace lead pipes throughout town.
Finally, Jane drew from her experience of budgeting paycheck to paycheck to come up with some innovative ideas for how to make things like the Maplewood Community Pool more affordable to residents.
These are just a few examples, but they illustrate that Jane is someone who takes the time to consider issues from all sides, asks relevant questions, and offers keen insight and unconventional solutions. I believe that Jane would be a valuable member of the Township Committee because she would be an independent thinker, weighing the pros and cons of an issue, before making a decision.
Finally, it is clear to me that Jane cares about our community. She has deep empathy not only for families with young children, seniors, LGBTQ+ residents and immigrants, but for everyone living here, and especially those from historically underserved communities. And, most importantly, Jane is willing to do the hard work necessary to make our wonderful community even better.
I first met Jane in the Fall of last year when I was helping to plan the SOMALA fundraiser for Kamala Harris. Jane had just spent another weekend in Pennsylvania campaigning for Harris and offered me some Harris signs and stickers. Jane had just become a District Leader for the Maplewood Democrats and I remember being impressed by how much time and effort she was putting into getting out the vote.
Then, Jane told me about the New Jersey Black Empowerment Coalition, which she co-founded and chairs, and invited me to an event. Through NJBEC, a statewide nonprofit, Jane has worked hard to improve systemic inequities by empowering communities of color to vote and become involved, while also educating state lawmakers about the racial inequities that continue to exist in New Jersey. It seemed like every time I texted Jane, she was headed to another meeting in Trenton to champion the coalition’s goals.
For all these reasons and more, I believe Jane would be an effective member of our governing body and offer a much-needed and unique perspective, drawn from her rich lived experience and impressive background, and I am proud to cast my vote for her.
Please visit janecollinscolding.com to learn more about Jane – and don’t forget to vote 2D on Tuesday, June 10.
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Early voting at the Turtle Back Zoo (and other locations) starts Tuesday, June 3. Mail-in ballots can be cast at the drop box in front of the Hilton Library up until 8 p.m. on Election Day.
