New chair of the environmental commission talks transparency
When Kermit the Frog famously proclaimed, “It’s not easy being green,” he was talking about physically being the color green. While he wasn’t talking about being ecologically green, that isn’t necessarily the easiest thing to do, either.
Enter Ryan Rebozo, the new chair of Monroe Township’s environmental commission.
Rebozo, a PhD who serves as the director of conservation science at Pinelands Preservation Alliance and moonlights as an adjunct professor at Thomas Jefferson and Stockton universities, took over as the chair of the environmental commission earlier this year.
“Having recently moved to the area, I wanted to get involved,” Rebozo said. “The environmental commission seemed like a good fit. I could bring my background and expertise to help the town.”
Currently serving on the environmental commission are Beth Davis, Kathleen Flaherty, Christine Gorham and Matthew Scardino, in addition to Rebozo.
“I like that everybody is engaged,” Rebozo said. “So far communication has been great. There’s a good mix of people who were in town a long time but there are new faces too. The background is there but we’re motivated to hit the ground running and get things done.”
While the commission is full, there are two vacant alternate positions. The two alternates are involved in all meetings but can only vote if they’re taking the place of a member who is not in attendance. The application can be found on monroetownshipnj.org under the boards and commissions tab. Once the application is submitted, the position will be filled by a mayoral appointment.
One of the cornerstones to Rebozo’s tenure as chair is to be transparent with residents.
“Improve communications with the public and residents,” he said in reference to what his goals are for the coming year. “Make sure people know who we are and what we do.”
The environmental commission will host its reorganization meeting on Monday, March 18, at 7 p.m. on the second floor of the municipal building. According to Rebozo, the commission will identify a vice chair and liaisons to other committees.
“Something we’re looking to address in the first meeting is looking at old business and laying the groundwork for the next few years with our whole new crew,” he said. “This is where we set the stage for the next couple of years.”
While being green might not be the easiest thing to do, Rebozo is here to help bridge the gap and move the township toward greener pastures. The commission will host open meetings on the third Monday of every month with the minutes to be posted online. Members of the public are encouraged to attend.
