Hillsborough resident Thomas Cellilli, Jr., a U.S. Army veteran, has been named Hillsborough Township’s grand marshal for 2021.
“Mr. Cellilli was to have been the grand marshal in 2020, when Memorial Day festivities were cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions,” Lipani said in the statement. “We are pleased to now honor him in 2021.”
Cellilli was born in Ludlow, Massachusetts, and along with Philomena, his wife of 52 years, is a 40-year Hillsborough resident. They have two sons, four grandsons, two granddaughters and a great granddaughter.
Cellilli enlisted in the Army during the Vietnam Conflict and completed basic training at Fort Gordon in Augusta, Georgia. He attained the rank of E-5 and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service Overseas while managing the Classified Message Center and the highly classified Operation Command Post in the Sky, according to information provided by the township.
Cellilli is a lifetime member of VFW Post 8371 where he has served as both trustee and post adjutant and currently holds the position of post commander since 2018.
Cellilli also holds posts, volunteers or is involved with the VFW District 15 Senior Command Staff; the Somerville Disabled American Vets Chapter 16; committees in Hillsborough Township; Mary, Mother of God R.C. Church; and UNICO Service Organization Membership.
Cellilli began his career in the private sector at Allstate Insurance Company as a licensed sales representative and progressed to managing various New Jersey Claims Offices. Cellili went on to create the first Allstate Underwriting Fraud Investigation Unit in the country and served on various state boards with regards to insurance fraud prevention.
Cellilli was also the chief operating officer of both Penn Executive Diagnostic Center Inc. and Pattern Analysis Inc and has also volunteered for pro bono work for the New Jersey Special Investigators Association.