Voorhees Township Committee holds annual reorganization meeting
It’s a new year, and this year that also means new members on the Voorhees Township Committee.
At the committee’s Jan. 4 reorganization meeting, Jason Ravitz and Michelle Nocito each took their oath of office as they were officially sworn-in as members of the committee before a courtroom packed with family, friends and township officials.
Ravitz, the vice president of retail operations for the Ravitz Family Markets, and Nocito, a financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial, ran on the Democratic ticket in this past November’s election, besting Republicans Dave Adamson and Heidi Handler.
After his swearing in, Ravitz thanked his family, friends and the people of Voorhees who he said had faith in electing him to committee along with Nocito.
“I promise that when I’m done doing this that I will leave Voorhees a better town than today, so thank you,” Ravitz said.
Ravitz was also later sworn in as deputy mayor.
After Nocito was sworn in, she also took time to thank friends, family and residents, and said she would also work hard to create a better community.
“At the end of the day, like Jason said, hopefully we leave this place better for our children and better for the next generations that it is now,” Nocito said.
Ravitz and Nocito also took time to thank former committee members Mario DiNatale and Andi Ayes for their years of service to the town. Both chose not to run for re-election, with DiNatale ending his time on committee after 12 years and Ayes ending her time after three.
The Jan. 4 meeting also saw Michael Mignogna once again nominated and sworn in as the township’s mayor. Mignogna thanked committee for giving him what he described as the honor, opportunity and privilege to once again serve as mayor.
“I say it every year, and I’ll say it again, I will never take this honor and privilege lightly,” Mignogna said. “I will work very hard to make not only the committee proud, but the residents proud. I promise you that.”
Mignogna also congratulated Ravitz and Nocito for being a part township committee, and was happy the two of them would be following the theme of working to make Voorhees a better place for future generations.
“Knowing the two of you the way that I do, I know that you will take that privilege very seriously and that Voorhees will be a better place after you’re done here,” Mignogna said.
Michael Friedman, the committee’s lone Republican member, also welcomed Ravitz and Nocito.
“I look forward to working with you both in a non-partisan manner for the objectives of the Voorhees Township residents,” Friedman said.
Mignogna also took some time at the meeting to reflect on the township’s accomplishments in 2015, as well as goals for 2016, and he also thanked DiNatale and Ayes for the time they served on committee.
He noted that Ayes worked to establish a better relationship between the township and its schools, and for the betterment of the township’s senior population.
For DiNatale, Mignogna said major projects such as moving the municipal offices to the Voorhees Town Center and the creation of the Virtua medical campus along Route 73 would not have been possible without him.
“Voorhees has been left a better place because of Andi and Mario, and I thank them for that,” Mignogna said.
