Freeholder Sue Kiley’s remarks upon being sworn in

As prepared for delivery

First, my heartfelt thanks to Chairman Shaun Golden and Co-Chair, Christine Hanlon, for their hard work, direction, and drive during the campaign to secure victory for Gerry and me. And thank you to the current Monmouth County Freeholders, Director Tom Arnone, Lillian Burry, Pat Imprevaduto and my running mate, Gerry Sharfenberger for the work you are doing for our great County!

Most importantly, thank you to the voters of Monmouth County for electing me to serve as a Freeholder with this great board. I am honored and humbled that you have placed your trust in me.

As much as I have enjoyed serving my home town of Hazlet as a Committeewoman, then Deputy Mayor and Mayor, I look forward to the new challenges and opportunities the Freeholder position will bring.

Hazlet has given me my start in government service and created the foundation for me to build on. With your trust, I will work tirelessly along with my fellow Freeholders to continually improve the quality of life for all our residents.

I would like to take a moment to commend all the candidates who have been elected to serve their communities and seek solutions for public problems.

It is not always easy to put ourselves out there in the public forum, so I give credit to those with the initiative to do so.

During the campaign travels with Gerry, we really got to appreciate this great County! We crossed beautiful bridges, and visited constituents in beach towns, we visited our parks, horse farms, bucolic open spaces, our libraries, our schools and more.

We met so many new and longtime residents and we created lasting memories and had experiences I will not soon forget. I have learned so much throughout this campaign on the specific and varied issues and opportunities facing our communities.

To our town officials, know that I will do anything I can to have your back and support you in your local initiatives. We have proven time and time again, that we are a very powerful team when we work together.

As many of you know, I am blessed with a wonderful family. (Have them all stand up) I wish my parents could be here to witness this today. They taught me, my 4 sisters and my brother the meaning of service and giving back to the community from an early age.

They raised us with strong values and a solid moral code. We were raised to be faith based. They encouraged us to always look at both sides of an argument before forming an opinion; To walk in the other person’s shoes before you judge them. They taught us to lead with compassion and respect for others, and to always have a sense of humor. These lessons have served us well and are the cornerstone of how we live our lives today.

I am grateful for my wonderful husband Gene, my 5 children and their spouses and significant others, and my 10 grandchildren- who always help me put into perspective what is really important in this life. They, above all others, keep me grounded and grateful. And I hope to instill in them the great lessons my parents taught me. It is for them that I want to give back.

Before entering the public sector, I was fortunate to have a successful career in Healthcare, first as a Registered Nurse, and then as a National Healthcare Executive.

I am thrilled, that as a Freeholder, I will be able to use my background as the Liaison to the following departments:

The Department of Human Services,
Mental Health and Addiction Services
Social Services,
Transportation
The Health Department.

I look forward to meeting all those who work in these departments today and learning about the work that is being done. I look forward to standing before you next year to tell you about the amazing work we will accomplish together.

In closing, I would ask my fellow Freeholders for your guidance, wisdom and support, and I thank you for the great work you have done for our County.

My promise to all of you is the following: