As a 13 year resident of South Orange, I am once again running for South Orange Trustee because I am committed to serving this community.
You may remember that I ran in the 2019 election along with eight other passionate candidates for three seats. I did not find defeat a deterrent to working for this community. I found other ways to make a difference. I jumped in to coach our 3rd and 4th grade basketball team at the South Mountain YMCA. My South Mountain Ducks taught me perseverance and served as a perfect remedy to defeat. Our kids and youth are smart and resilient and enriching their lives will be a priority for me if elected to Trustee. I was also raised by a school teacher, my mom, and the lessons she taught me as both a parent and an educator stay with me to this day. She taught me to challenge my own sons and the student-athletes I mentor with the importance of scholastic excellence in building the bridges of opportunity.
My lifelong love of athletics is infectious, and that means that I’ll be committed to encouraging all members of our community, regardless of age, to get active and that I’ll ensure inclusivity and diversity of race, gender, and socioeconomic lifestyle. South Orange is a diverse community and I look forward to helping ALL of our residents thrive from the benefits of that diversity.
By trade, I am an attorney, and I will work in collaboration with our Board while using my career skills to facilitate pragmatic assessment of the full range of municipal policy. When the Use of Force Report came out, I felt compelled to engage in the discussion and help to foster communication between a diverse group of residents and police officers. This became the South Orange Community Police Collaborative (CPC) and I am honored to serve as the first chairperson of the CPC committee. While I am extremely proud of the work the CPC has already done with regards to data analysis, training, and community outreach during our first year, I am also extremely optimistic about things to come and the work still to be done. Public safety initiatives that ensure better, safer, and unbiased interactions with a community-focused police department pave the way for further equity and inclusion efforts. There is always room for more engagement and I urge our community to be part of the solution. Please reach out.
I am running for Board of Trustees because I believe that there is a safer, healthier, more vibrant and more inclusive South Orange for my two kids and for everyone living in and visiting this Village. I am happy to team up with Karen Hilton and Bill Haskins in our quest to make South Orange better for all of us.
Please Vote Line B for Trustee on May 11th: Hilton Haskins Brown! Visit HHBSO2021.com for more info!
