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Union County Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados and Union County Deputy County Manager Amy Wagner thank members of the New Jersey Youth Corps and Groundwork Elizabeth for the gift of “Kindness Rocks!,” painted rocks featuring upbeat sayings that are on display in the atrium of the Union County Administration Building in Elizabeth.

Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados, County administrators met today with representatives from the Union County WE ARE ONE NEW JERSEY immigration center and members of Make the Road New Jersey to discuss immigration issues concerning the greater Union County community.

“Now more than ever, with the onslaught of anti-immigration policies being put forth by the Trump administration, we need to ensure that we are well-versed on the impact these actions are having on immigrants, and what we can do to address these issues,” said Granados. “This Freeholder Board is proactively working with non-profit groups such as Make the Road New Jersey to provide solutions to our community’s concerns.”

“I would like to thank Make the Road New Jersey for this meeting.  Based on the discussions that occurred today, I will work with my colleagues on the Freeholder Board to set forward additional policies that show our immigrant community that we consider Union County a safe place for all and not to fear any interactions with County government for services,” said Granados.

Some of the topics included in the discussion involving the immigrant community were access to services, protecting the privacy of all residents, ICE, Dreamers (DACA), and deportation (not using tax dollars to separate families.)

Sara Cullinane, Esq., who is the Director of Make the Road New Jersey, said:

“I thank Chairman Granados for organizing this very productive meeting. As ICE ramps up attacks on our communities,  we look forward to partnering with the Freeholder Board to establish policies that ensure Union County is a fair and welcoming place for all residents, regardless of immigration status. Our county resources must be used to promote our health, education and public safety, not to separate families.”

Make the Road New Jersey (MRNJ), based in Elizabeth, seeks to build the power of immigrant and working class families to achieve dignity and respect through community organizing, high-quality legal and support services, and transformative education.

In addition to Granados and Cullinane, others in attendance included: County Manager Alfred Faella, Deputy County Manager Amy Wagner, incoming County Manager Ed Oatman, Elizabeth Montes of the WE ARE ONE NEW JERSEY immigration center, Brandon Givens, Director of Community Development in the Department of Economic Development, Human Services Director Debbie-Ann Anderson, Corrections Department Director Ron Charles, Lauren Herman, Sara Mora and Nedia Morsy of Make the Road New Jersey.

Also involved in discussions was Mora, a resident of Hillside and Make the Road New Jersey organizer whose family immigrated from Costa Rica when she was three, received DACA status when she turned 16, allowing her to get her driver’s license. Her immigration status made her ineligible for state and federal financial. Despite this, because of DACA, she was able to get a work permit and worked to put herself through Union County College. Mora was recently honored by the Freeholder Board for leading the Pledge of Allegiance at Governor Phil Murphy’s Swearing-In Ceremony in Trenton earlier this month.

Nedia Morsy, an organizer with Make the Road New Jersey originally from Hillside, spoke on behalf of students:

“This was a good opportunity to speak with some of our representatives in government who are decision makers,” said Morsy, noting that a large percentage of students throughout Union County are immigrants. “The timing could not be any more appropriate with the State of the Union coming up, and students living in fear of being deported.”

The Union County Freeholder Board has blazed a trail in supporting immigrant rights during the past several years, including the creation in 2015 of the Union County WE ARE ONE New Jersey immigration and naturalization center, which is sponsored through the Union County Freeholder Board.

In 2014, Union County also became the first New Jersey county to formally adopt a policy declining to hold individuals in its jail based on requests issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without sufficient legal proof. The County Freeholders have sponsored various measures supporting immigrant rights, including most recently this month, a resolution in support of the DREAM act, and Chairman Granados, who is of Salvadoran descent, issuing a statement condemning the Trump Administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nearly 200,000 Salvadorans.

Union County Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados thanks Crystal Orr and Keyonah Orr of the Urban League of Union County Young Professionals for a donation of business clothing for men & women to the Union County One Stop Center. They were joined by Nathalie Hernandez, Coordinator of the Office of Community Engagement and Diversity.

The donations were coordinated through the County’s Office of Community Engagement and Diversity, which was announced by Chairman Granados during the recent County reorganization as part of his “Moving Union County Forward” initiatives for County government in 2018. The office promotes volunteerism and outreach, and works with other agencies to identify volunteer opportunities, coordinate events, and create a network of volunteer organizations to build relationships with the County’s different communities. For more information on the office, please email Ms. Hernandez at Nahernandez@ucnj.org.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders appointed Edward Oatman to be the new County Manager effective March 1st.

Oatman will succeed Alfred Faella, who announced his retirement effective March 1st after more than six years as County Manager.

Oatman, 42,  has more than 16 years of governmental experience. He is the 12th top executive under the County Manager form of government. Oatman assumes responsibility for the day-to-day operations and budget of a 21-municipality government with approximately 2,800 full-time employees.  He will be responsible for the implementation of the policy of the Board of Chosen Freeholders.

“I would like to thank the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders for this opportunity as well as the residents of Union County,” said Oatman. “I look forward to continuing the vision and course of action the Freeholder Board has set, and to deliver the best possible services to our residents. It is an honor to serve the public in this position.”

Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados congratulated and welcomed Oatman.

“Ed has more than 16 years of governmental experience at the state and in working with officials at the local and county levels of government, as well as experience in running a business,” said Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados, who added that Oatman had reached out to every Freeholder on the Board prior to his confirmation. “We are excited to work with him in moving Union County forward.”

Freeholder Vice Chairman Bette Jane Kowalski added that the Board has confidence in Oatman’s abilities having worked through him over the years on state issues involving Senator Scutari and former Assemblywoman Linda Stender.

“Ed has great experience in developing solutions to complex issues,” said Kowalski. “He brings the added dimension of his statewide contacts and experience, and his ability to build a consensus in getting things done.”

Over the years, Oatman has worked to assist Senator Scutari and former Assemblywoman Stender in developing landmark environmental, public safety, health and infrastructure legislation. He has served as Chief of Staff for Senator Scutari for the past six years and for Assemblyman Jim Kennedy for the past two years. Oatman was the Union County Campaign Coordinator for Governor Phil Murphy. Oatman previously served as Chief of Staff for former Assemblywoman Linda Stender from 2002-16.  He is a partner in Parktowne Associates, a small business focusing on political consulting and community and governmental affairs.

Oatman has worked on bills that would prohibit individuals on the terror watch list from being able to purchase a gun in New Jersey; the Global Warming Response Act signed by then Governor Corzine; a measure reducing the use of pesticides in schools; the Pedestrian safety legislation which provides pedestrians with a clear right to safely navigate New Jersey’s roadways; and a bill that consolidated the NJ Turnpike and the Parkway, resulting in millions in savings to taxpayers.

Oatman also worked with various levels of government in efforts that resulted in funding for the Tremley Point Connector road in Linden, a long-sought infrastructure project that is vital to improving roadway safety and fueling economic development in the region.

Working on behalf of Stender and Scutari, Oatman worked to aid a local Scotch Plains family as Scutari amended a law to change the form of Marijuana that could be distributed for medicinal purposes. Christie ultimately vetoed the measure and the case made national news as  it involved a two-year-old Scotch Plains resident who suffered from a catastrophic, drug-resistant form of epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome.

As County Manager, Oatman added he would continue to follow the Board’s vision of realizing economic efficiencies, maintaining the County’s high bond rating, while continuing the trend of delivering solid services that touch all residents and working families at every stage in life.

“These are all areas this Freeholder Board has excelled in governing, and I will continue to move the needle forward,” said Oatman.

Oatman also emphasized the importance of continuing to jumpstart economic development, especially infrastructure improvements including roadway projects, while providing new job opportunities to residents.

“We certainly look forward to working with our new Governor, who shares many of the same priorities as the Freeholder Board does,” said Oatman.

Oatman has a Bachelor’s of Science in Political from Kean University. Oatman currently serves on the Kean University Board of Trustees; and has been active in his hometown of  Woodbridge, having served on the Boards of the Woodbridge Little League; and the Woodbridge Township Youth Soccer Association. He is a member of the Mawbey Street School & Woodbridge Middle School PTO.

Oatman is married and has three children, and lives in Woodbridge with the family dog, Buddy the Beagle.