Evesham Township Council swore in a new member to a vacant seat at its regular September meeting.
The move comes after former councilwoman Patricia Hansen announced her decision to resign, effective Aug. 16. She won reelection in 2022, and her current term was set to expire at the end of 2026. But Hansen cited the recent division among council members and lack of communication as reasons for her exit.
Dr. Krystal Hunter was sworn in by Mayor Jackie Veasy and began her service during the rest of the meeting, where she was also selected by council to fill a seat on the Evesham Township Planning Board. Hunter previously served on the board of commissioners for the Evesham Municipal Utilities Authority.
Hunter is a graduate of Lenape Regional High School District who grew up in Mount Laurel. She is a bio-statistician at a local health system and a a medical school associate professor. She has a bachelor’s degree from Spelman College in Atlanta, a master’s from Rutgers University and a doctorate from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Hunter’s fellow graduates at Spelman include Stacey Abrams, a politician, lawyer and voting rights activist who served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2007 to 2017.
”First of all, I want to thank the council, and I’d also like to thank residents of Evesham who supported me through this journey,” Hunter said. “I also want to thank my family for being here tonight – and God.”
Hunter quoted a noted civil and children’s rights activist who is also the founder and president emerita of the Children’s Defense Fund, a nonprofit that focuses on child advocacy and research.
”In terms of my philosophy concerning service, I’d like to quote Marian Wright Edelman, who said, ‘Service is the rent we pay for living. It is the very purpose of life.’”
”I have big shoes to fill here,” Hunter remarked of her new position. “I am very much looking forward to serving this community, and I want all to know that I did not enter into the decision to take this position lightly and that I counted the cost and knew that I had the resources and could contribute to my fullest ability.
”I’m looking forward to listening to (residents) and to get things done,” she added. “I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and work for you.”
The full meeting and Hunter’s swearing-in can be viewed on the township website.
