First Black Councilwoman In West Orange Ready To Roll In 2021

WEST ORANGE, NJ — When Tammy Williams joins her first meeting of the West Orange Township Council on Tuesday, it will mark a milestone for the town’s first Black councilwoman.

In West Orange, five candidates matched up against incumbents Michelle Casalino and Jerry Guarino for three open seats on the township council in November’s general election. The challengers were Williams, Monica Perkowski, Bill Rutherford, Susan Scarpa and Brent Scott.

Williams, Michelle Casalino and Bill Rutherford emerged victorious for seats on the township council after a nail-biting race. READ MORE: West Orange Election Results: Here's Who Won Council, BOE Seats

Williams earned 9,277 votes, the second-highest total behind Casalino, who got 9,798. Her campaign platform included:

• “Ensure West Orange leadership reflects the diversity of our town”
• “Support a sound economic development plan that creates profitable business opportunities in scope and scale with our community”
• “Create, expand and support transit services to better accommodate the needs of our residents”
• “Protect our parks, improve our library and improve access to Main Street”
• “Improve communication between government and town residents”
• “Broaden the scope of resident involvement in planning and decision-making”

Williams, a real estate broker who led the township’s Human Relations Commission for the past four years, also served on its planning board and citizens budget advisory committee.

Williams graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in the administration of criminal justice. She plans to complete her MBA in public administration from Northcentral University in January.

She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, the Pearls of Wisdom Foundation, Jack and Jill of America Incorporated, the National Association of Parliamentarians, and multiple real estate organizations.

According to the municipal website, Williams was driven to help others after the premature death of her younger sister. She founded the West Orange Stop-Suicide Advocacy Coalition in 2019.

• See related article: Which NJ Counties Have The Most Women In Politics? See The List

“I am honored when I think of the historical impact of being selected,” Williams said.

“Being able to serve in a diverse community such as West Orange, a community where I am raising my family — all these things make up the wonderful township we live in,” Williams said.

West Orange, which has a population of more than 47,000 residents, is 42.1 percent white, 28 percent Black, 19.9 percent Hispanic/Latino and 7.5 percent Asian, according to the most recent estimate from the U.S. Census.

• See related article: Sheila Venable Is First Black Woman To Lead Essex County Courts

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