‘ Grateful ’ for your support What a long , great trip it ’ s been my first two years
Marc Kovar
Executive Vice-President
Two years ago , many PBA members knew me as a behind-the-scenes guy who was happy to do the little things like load cars at a toy drive or clean up the trailer after an event as so many of our members do so often . I would ride along to the events with President Tony Wieners and Executive Vice-President Keith Dunn , and I thought I knew a lot about the PBA .
Now , here I am two years into being NJ State PBA Executive Vice-President realizing just how much intensity it takes to help run this multi-million-dollar business that our union has become . And on this second anniversary of being in this job , I am happy that you all know me as more than a behind-the-scenes guy .
Two years ago , most people didn ’ t know who ( State President ) Pat Colligan and Marc Kovar were . But thanks to the PBA members believing in us , we can walk the halls of the state legislature in Trenton and many other places across the state , and they know Pat and Marc . And thanks to your help , they all know the New Jersey State PBA .
Looking back on the past two years , we are grateful to the membership for getting behind our political action initiatives and our PAC fund . Your efforts to get involved in the election process , from canvassing in your towns to working the phone banks on election days , have helped us get so much done .
I feel like I ’ m doing the job the same way when I used to work in the kitchen at the holiday party , but I ’ m just more out in the open . I ’ ve always believed in doing whatever it takes ; I ’ m just doing it now on a higher level . Whether it ’ s motivating members or getting the bodies out , we ’ ve been able to focus on driving our message because the members believe in our vision .
I can tell you I was a little nervous when I took over as Executive Vice-President . I didn ’ t want to let the membership down . There have been a lot of stressful days and long hours as a result , but I love doing this . It ’ s in my blood . I could do it eight days a week and just keep going and going , though it ’ s nice to get home and spend time with my family .
W E LCO M E N E W D E L E G AT E S
If I could work eight days a week , I could make it to every event for every Local . We try to make it to every event . I feel that ’ s part of my job . I want to meet all the members , not just the delegates , and I ’ ve had a chance to meet thousands , not just from the municipalities , but corrections , the sheriff ’ s offices , the prosecutor ’ s offices and many of the statewide agencies . I can ’ t tell you how much it means when you tell me , “ We ’ ve never had the PBA come down here .” That makes us want to come back .
And we will be back . I ’ ve put about 3,000 miles per month on my car the past two years , and it ’ s been worth every mile . We know how important it is to make it to Cumberland County or Warren County , even if we can only stay for an hour .
Meeting so many of you has helped me understand the best measure of success for the PBA the past two years . We saw it on June 20 when more than 150 members came out on a Monday morning in Paramus to support our endorsement of Democrat Josh Gottheimer for Congress .
That ’ s just one race in one election , but that ’ s how far we ’ ve come in the past two years . We ’ re already gearing up for the 2017 election , looking at endorsing candidates in districts where the elected officials haven ’ t been good to us , scouting the locations for the phone banks and planning to take back what was taken from us eight years ago with the swipe of a pen .
We ' ve built the relationships in the districts and in Trenton . I used to be nervous about stopping an assembly representative or state senator to talk to them two years ago . Now , we walk the halls of the state legislature and see many elected officials who have become supporters of the PBA . Everywhere , it seems , they know the PBA , and that is because of what you have allowed us to do and what you have done to support us .
So I plan on continuing to go eight days a week to lobby in Trenton , meet with members or load cars at a toy drive . Like I said , it ’ s just in my blood . I didn ’ t want to be a sergeant . I didn ’ t want to be a lieutenant . I ’ ve always loved the union , and the past two years I ’ ve tried to go from giving 100 percent to giving 200 percent because that ’ s what I believe in . d
The following new State Delegates were sworn in at the NJ State PBA Meeting on Jan . 28 in Atlantic City :
Brian Pio , Salem County Corrections Local 400 ; Pam Ricciardi , Monmouth County Detectives Local 256 ; Mario Lima , Ventnor City Local 97 ; Jamar Hall , Union County Police Local 73 ; Patrick Bradley , Union Township Local 69 ; Daniel Norton , Cranford Local 52 ; Owen Duff Northern Somerset Local 139 ; Robert Ruane , Essex County Sheriff ’ s Department Local 183 ; Jim Arnesen , Mendham Township Local 402 ; Brendan Burke , Hawthorne Local 200 ; Jason A . Cardamoni , Eatontown Local 305 ; Joseph Schnackenberg , Ridgefield Local 330 .
www . njcopsmagazine . com ■ JULY 2016 7