Hazlet businessman named top political influence

HAZLET — Vin Gopal has been named one of 100 politically influential people in the “Power List” for 2015 in Politicker NJ.

Born and raised in Monmouth County to an Indian American family, Gopal is a successful entrepreneur and business development professional who graduated from Penn State University with Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, according to a statement prepared by Tushar Patel of the Indo-American Cultural Foundation of Central New Jersey.

He has served in a leadership role for many non-profits, including the Board of Trustees for Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Monmouth and Middlesex Counties (2010- 2012) and the Board of Directors for the Northern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce (2009-2012), where he served as chairman of the chamber’s Government Affairs Committee in 2012.

He was also elected to a three-year term as president of the Hazlet Business Owners Association, serving January 2010-13.

Gopal is the president of Direct Development, LLC (DD), a marketing and creative design agency based in Hazlet that specializes in business development, digital media, design, communications, public relations, media relations and online marketing; as well as Community Magazine, a chain of full-color magazines that mails to more than 25,000 homes every month in Monmouth County.

Prior to being a small business owner, Gopal worked as a legislative aide to two New Jersey members of the State Legislature. He was elected Monmouth County Democratic Chairman in June 2012 with 73 percent of the vote. At age 27, he became the state’s youngest person elected to head a major political party in Monmouth County’s history, Patel said. He remains today as the youngest person to head a major political party in any of New Jersey’s 21 counties since June 2012.

Gopal was rated on PolitickerNJ.com’s Top 100 Most Politically Influential people in NJ’s Politics in the “Power List” in 2012 prior to this year. He was honored by the Monmouth Chamber of Commerce in 2014 with the Beacon of Hope award. He was named deputy vice chairman of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee in 2014. He was also honored by the Community Affairs and Resource Center in 2015.

Because of Gopal’s tireless grassroot affords, hard work, commitment and dedication to build a Democratic Party in LD-11, his two candidates won the assembly seats, which was held by republicans for last 24 years, Patel said.

“Indian Americans in the state are feeling very proud of Vin’s involvement and achievement in the state. Congratulations to Vin Gopal for the job well done,” Patel said.