Township of Irvington, New Jersey

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• $4.4 million new Irvington Bus Terminal
• Multi-million dollar property redevelopment plan resulting in new housing and businesses
• Coalition of county, state and federal
  law enforcement agencies:
  Anti-Crime Partnership
• 50+ housing demolitions
• New playground equipment in parks
• Revival of the irvington Police Auxiliary
• Prescription drug discount program
• Weed and Seed designation
• Facelift of senior citizens' center

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Wayne Smith has been an active, prominent member of Irvington’s civic, political and social sectors throughout his 20-year residency in the township. During this time, he has crafted key alliances with all levels of government, in addition to private enterprise. This ability to build consensus helped propel Wayne Smith to victory in 1996 as an Irvington Council Member At-Large. He was resoundingly re-elected two years later, and at that time, unanimously chosen by his colleagues to serve as president of the legislative body.

His personal philosophy, “If you conceive it and believe it, you can achieve it,” has served Wayne Smith well during his life pursuits. In November 2001, he announced his candidacy for Mayor. Promoting an aggressive agenda to improve life in Irvington, Wayne Smith in May 2002 was elected as Mayor—the 20th since Irvington was incorporated as a township in 1898. His entire slate of council candidates—known as Team Irvington—were also elected, further demonstrating his proficiency for building effective partnerships. As a precursor to these impressive victories, the candidates backed by Team Irvington also swept the Board of Education election in April 2002.

Mayor Smith was installed in Irvington’s top political post on July 1, 2002. Having identified three keys to Irvington’s revitalization—public safety, quality of life, and economic development—Mayor Smith will implement innovative programs in these areas to begin reclaiming the town’s glorious past as a safe, attractive and proud community.

In a nod to this undeniable popularity and the affirmation of his advancement of the Township of Irvington, Mayor Smith ran unopposed for a second term in May 2006 and assumed office in July 2006. He is the first chief executive of Irvington to achieve the feat since Mayor Robert H. Miller in 1978. In November 2006, Mayor Smith was installed as the president and chairman of the 24-member NJ Urban Mayors' Association.

Mayor Smith gained valuable experience in municipal operations as the chief of staff to former Irvington Mayor Michael G. Steele. During his tenure on the Council, Mayor Smith sought and received funding from state officials to help balance the township budget and stabilize taxes. Under his guidance, the Council authorized the Special Improvement District, a program to enhance Irvington’s shopping districts. In addition, he helped establish a boys’ and girls’ club in the township. In another commitment to children, Mayor Smith sponsors a Little League baseball team every year.

Mayor Smith was born to Mordean Smith and George Rucker (deceased) in the City of Newark, New Jersey; and he attended Bloomfield College in Bloomfield, New Jersey. He is the president and CEO of Wayne Smith & Associates, an Irvington, New Jersey-based public relations, marketing and public affairs consulting firm, serving clients throughout the state, in addition to New York; Washington, DC; Pennsylvania; and Los Angeles. An astute, accomplished businessman, Mayor Smith is also chairman of the Black Urban Alliance-the African American Chamber of Commerce of NJ/NY; and the chairman of the Legislative Task Force of the Minority Business Braintrust. As co-chairperson of NJ Citizen Action, Mayor Smith’s efforts resulted in Community Reinvestment Agreements with more than 20 banks throughout NJ, stipulating low-interest mortgage loans for low- and moderate-income citizens. In 1995, Mayor Smith was a member of the New Jersey delegation at the White House Conference on Small Business.

• The civic and professional careers of Mayor Smith are highlighted by the following activities and accomplishments:
• chairperson, Energy & Environment Standing Committee, National Conference of Black Mayors
• appointment to the 2007 Nominating Committee of the U. S. Conference of Mayors
• representative of the Essex County Democratic State Committee 1997
• member of the Board of Commissioners of the Essex County Improvement Authority
• board member of the Irvington Chamber of Commerce
• board member of Irvington General Hospital
• board member of the United Way of Essex & West Hudson
• board of Director of Downtown New Jersey
• board chairperson of the Boys’ and Girls’ Club of Essex County
• former member the advisory boards for Dime Savings Bank, Sovereign Bank &First Union Bank
• board member of the Center for Urban Education
• member of the African-American Heritage Parade committee
• former commissioner of the Irvington Housing Authority
• former chairperson of the advisory board for Healthy Start of Essex County
• former member of ex-Gov. Whitman’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Black Infant Mortality
• former member of the Irvington Public Library Board of Trustees
• coordinator of Irvington’s 1st United Nation’s People Festival
• commentator for the Newark Festival of People
• Alumnus of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University--2004 Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government.
• member of the Community Advisory Committee, Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies, Rutgers-Newark

Mayor Smith has received numerous awards and recognition, including the following:

• Rising Star of the Essex County Democratic Committee 2003
• “An Outstanding Young Man of America” 1988
• “Outstanding African Male” Township of Irvington 1995
• Project Redirect “Men of Valor Award” 1999
• Dollars & Sense magazine’s Best and Brightest Award
• US Small Business Administration Minority Business Advocate
• NJ Citizen Action Service Award 1997
• 98.7 KISS-FM Achiever
• American Stop Smoking Intervention Study/Essex-Union Coalition Assist Service Award
• Exemplary Service Award, Irvington Chamber of Commerce 2004
• Maynard Jackson Award, Minority Business Development Political Action Committee, 2004
• Adam Clayton Powell Award for Good Government, The Learning Tree, 2004
• Presidents Executive Leadership Award 2007, Associates in Mental Health & Development Disabilities, Inc.

Mayor Smith has been featured in the following publications:

• The Star-Ledger
• The New York Times
• New Jersey Biz
• City News
• Twin Visions
• Dollars & Sense
• The Arrow
• The Daily Challenge
• The Network Journal
• Municipalities (NJ State League of Municipalities magazine)
• Irvington Herald
• Exist (magazine)
• Urban Times News

Mayor Smith has appeared on:

• The Maury Povich Show
• The Phil Donahue Show
• WNBC-TV’s Positively Black
• WWOR-TV’s The Black Experience
• WCBS-TV’s Sunday Edition
• New Jersey Network
• News Channel 12

The Mayor's Bio Sketch...