Women hold key Howell positions

Study hard, have thick skin are words of advice from those who serve township

BY TOYNETT HALL Staff Writer

Her path in life was already predestined. From early on, she was told she was to become a lawyer. Her late father, William J. White Sr., taught her the simple principles of life that would help guide her course.

“Either do things the right and honest way or don’t do them at all. Right is right and wrong is wrong” are the adages Howell Deputy Mayor Angela Dalton remembered her father saying.

Dalton is one of many women who have governed in different capacities in Howell.

According to information provided by the township clerk’s office, women have been serving as mayor, council members and county surrogate as far back as the mid- 1970s.

Howell was incorporated in 1801.

While the journey for many of these women varied, commonalities that all of them share include their commitment to public service, their belief in doing what is right, their ability to multi-task and the support of their families.

Today, two of the five members of the Howell Township Council are women (Dalton and Susan Schroeder Clark).

Helene Schlegel, the township manager, serves as the chief executive and administrative official of the municipality. She is the second woman to hold the position since it was created in September 1971. Jacqueline Ascione served as Howell’s township manager from June 1999 to January 2001.

Angela Dalton of the council since January 2007, is no stranger to public office. Her roots to serve and govern had been planted by her father.

At the age of 20 she was elected to the Pine Hill (Camden County) school board, the community where she was raised. She took her experience and passion to serve to Monmouth University (1988-92) and was voted president of her senior class.

In 1997 she took office as governor at Girls State, a nonpartisan program sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary that teaches young women how state and local governments work. She said that was her first successful campaign.

Dalton furthered her knowledge of government and politics in law school at Rutgers University, Camden, ultimately bringing her father’s dream for her to fruition.

“My father, the most influential person in my life, decided that I was going to be a lawyer. He just saw something in me,” Dalton said. “He owned a junkyard, an unpopular business, and always had land use and zoning issues. He was a man of honor, a self-educated man.”

Dalton said her father always extended a helping hand to others. She said she was taught to do the same and she pays it forward through community service and pro bono work.

According to Dalton, “If somebody needs something, you do it, you help people. You do what’s right.”

Today, she wears many hats: as a wife to Dr. Mark J. Dalton; mother to three daughters, ages 21, 5 and 4; attorney; and councilwoman.

She said her commitment to service, volunteerism and making an impact, as well as the support of her family, are the fuel that keeps her going.

In comparison to the leadership of men, Dalton said, “Traditionally women oftentimes wear more than one hat. We learn to juggle a whole lot at once. It is also a woman’s nature, in terms of public life, to show less emotion. We handle [scrutiny] much better than men do. We don’t take things personally.”

Alice Alatalo in January 1976, according to the clerk's office. In those days when it came to playing on what some may consider an unlevel playing field, Veitengruber kept and practiced the simple philosophy: "study hard." According to Veitengruber, "There was a time that I [and other women] needed to be 'better than' to be considered 'equal to' our male colleagues. So I always made sure that I thoroughly knew the subject I was talking about." Her dual degree in business administration and economics from Upsala College in Lodi served her well as she governed alongside four male counterparts to serve the people of Howell. Veitengruber said that while she was on the Township Committee, she played an integral role helping to institute a new financial reporting system and improvements to the financial procedures, including centralized purchasing. She said she also was involved in interlocal service agreements that helped to save the town money, such as constructing the Board of Education's transportation garage on township property. "That resulted in 90 percent of the cost being funded through state aid," Veitengruber said. Veitengruber also said that during her tenure, Howell's master plan was revised to include the first special economic development zone, and municipal officials began to target economic development and the pursuit of clean ratables. She said she enjoyed her time as a public servant and recalled that her most enjoyable moments were performing weddings. "I performed 64 weddings, including ceremonies with Russian and Spanish translators, sign language, a couple dressed in native Indian garb, a biker group that arrived with the bride on a Harley, and even a few relatives," Veitengruber said. Her advice to the new wave of women chosen to lead the municipality echoed the philosophy that once helped her to persevere: "study hard." "Do your homework and always be prepared. If you don't know anything about sewer operations, road paving, finance, engineering, land use or anything else, learn, so you can have an intelligent conversation on the subject and you will know whether you are getting the real facts or a fairy tale. "Make sure you have the support and understanding of your family. There is no doubt they will have to share you with the community. My husband, son and daughter were always very supportive and helpful." And most important, "keep your promises and set your priorities," Veitengruber said. Contact Toynett Hall at howell@gmnews.com. Alice Alatalo in January 1976, according to the clerk’s office. In those days when it came to playing on what some may consider an unlevel playing field, Veitengruber kept and practiced the simple philosophy: “study hard.” According to Veitengruber, “There was a time that I [and other women] needed to be ‘better than’ to be considered ‘equal to’ our male colleagues. So I always made sure that I thoroughly knew the subject I was talking about.” Her dual degree in business administration and economics from Upsala College in Lodi served her well as she governed alongside four male counterparts to serve the people of Howell. Veitengruber said that while she was on the Township Committee, she played an integral role helping to institute a new financial reporting system and improvements to the financial procedures, including centralized purchasing. She said she also was involved in interlocal service agreements that helped to save the town money, such as constructing the Board of Education’s transportation garage on township property. “That resulted in 90 percent of the cost being funded through state aid,” Veitengruber said. Veitengruber also said that during her tenure, Howell’s master plan was revised to include the first special economic development zone, and municipal officials began to target economic development and the pursuit of clean ratables. She said she enjoyed her time as a public servant and recalled that her most enjoyable moments were performing weddings. “I performed 64 weddings, including ceremonies with Russian and Spanish translators, sign language, a couple dressed in native Indian garb, a biker group that arrived with the bride on a Harley, and even a few relatives,” Veitengruber said. Her advice to the new wave of women chosen to lead the municipality echoed the philosophy that once helped her to persevere: “study hard.” “Do your homework and always be prepared. If you don’t know anything about sewer operations, road paving, finance, engineering, land use or anything else, learn, so you can have an intelligent conversation on the subject and you will know whether you are getting the real facts or a fairy tale. “Make sure you have the support and understanding of your family. There is no doubt they will have to share you with the community. My husband, son and daughter were always very supportive and helpful.” And most important, “keep your promises and set your priorities,” Veitengruber said. Contact Toynett Hall at [email protected]. Susan Schroeder Clark

Councilwoman Clark, a neophyte to Howell politics, took office Jan. 1.

She is a partner at Clark and Clark, a law firm in Freehold, and is a former Monmouth County assistant prosecutor.

Clark credits her road to success and passion for civil service to her parents.

“They showed me the importance of doing what is right regardless of the consequences,” she said.

Clark said her interest in politics and government began while she was in college and working as an intern for the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

“I, like most other prosecutors in 1994, started as a law clerk and then worked my way up the responsibility and leadership ladder. My path to rising through the ranks was the same as many of my colleagues — hard work and a commitment to the people that I served,” Clark said.

She added, “I consider myself to have been very lucky in that I worked for excellent leadership role models such as John Kaye, Robert Honecker and Luis Valentin. They promoted me, and many of my colleagues, as we progressed in skill and experience.”

Clark grew up in Chatham, Morris County, earned a Juris Doctorate from Widener University School of Law in Pennsylvania in May 1994, and a Bachelor of Arts from Monmouth College, West Long Branch, in 1989.

She brings all of her legal expertise to her position as a Howell councilwoman and said she feels honored that residents have chosen her to serve the community.

“I am committed and driven by the awesome responsibility that comes with this leadership role,” she said.

Clark, who stands on the shoulders of many women before her, believes that gender has nothing to do with how a person leads.

“Although a particular person may manage tasks differently, I do not believe that there is necessarily a direct link between a person’s gender and the manner in which they govern,” Clark said. “Certainly, in this country, women have not historically had the opportunity to govern that men have had, but that is rapidly changing.”

Clark encourages any woman who may be interested in politics to “go for it.”

Helene Schlegel Schlegel, who is Howell’s township manager, has been a resident of the community since 1983. She was born in Asbury Park and grew up in the Wanamassa section of Ocean Township.

This self-proclaimed “Jersey Girl” has been working for the betterment of Howell since 1987, when she began as a recreation program coordinator.

Schlegel worked in that capacity until 1995 and went on to serve in the position of assistant director of Parks and Recreation until 1998.

Schlegel rose through the ranks to serve as the director of Parks and Recreation from 1998 to 2006, deputy township manager in 2006-07, and now township manager.

In addition to her on-the-job experience, Schlegel holds a Master of Science, Management (park and resource concentration) from Slippery Rock (Pa.) University, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgian Court College, Lakewood, and is expecting to complete a Master of Arts in public policy from Monmouth University in December.

Schlegel credits her success to education, experience and a little bit of luck.

“As opportunities arose,” Schlegel said, “I was able to advance. I obtained the designation of New Jersey Certified Public Manager from Fairleigh Dickinson University and continued to pursue my education at Georgian Court College, where I received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and subsequently a master’s degree in park and resource management from Slippery Rock University.

“When the opportunity of deputy manager arose, I had the opportunity and skills to apply. Shortly thereafter the township manager’s position became available,” Schlegel said. “I believe the combination of my dedication to the township, education and leadership skills afforded me the opportunity to be appointed as township manager.”

Schlegel said, “At various times in my career I have experienced different forms of adversity that are attributable to the fact that I am a woman. However, I have approached these instances as challenges to overcome rather than roadblocks to discourage me.”

She said a career in government is not for the thin-skinned and believes that anyone who contemplates working in government as a career choice should set clear goals, capitalize on their strengths, and remember to maintain their self-respect.

Suzanne Veitengruber

In 1989 Suzanne Veitengruber served as Howell’s first female Republican mayor under the previous Township Committee form of government.

The first woman ever to be elected to the governing body was