The Hopewell Township Committee has appointed David Chait to the governing body after the swearing-in of Kristin McLaughlin to the Mercer County Board of County Commissioners left her seat vacant on the Township Committee.
Chait was appointed at a Township Committee meeting on Jan. 10 after nominations and a vote was taken by the remaining Township Committee members. There were three names proposed by the Hopewell Township Democratic Committee: David Chait, Robert Greene and Peter Sandford.
“All three of our nominees are wonderful volunteers and are glad they are in our community and involved,” Mayor Courtney Peters-Manning said. “I am really excited to welcome Mr. Chait to the Township Committee and I think his combination of experience and perspective will be welcome and we are happy you are here.”
Once the Hopewell Township Democratic Committee nominated three people to fill the seat. The Township Committee needed to select and vote on one out of the three nominated and appoint them to finished out the rest of McLaughlin’s term, which ends Dec. 31, 2022.
Deputy Mayor Michael Ruger nominated Chait and no other nominations were made by fellow committee members following Chait’s nomination.
“These are three people who are really committed volunteers and all of them could do the job, but of course there is only one open position. I would like to propose David Chait,” Ruger said. “David is graduate from Columbia University and has an MBA. He worked at McKinsey & Company, he was a senior policy advisor for the Small Business Administration and is also the founder and CEO of a company.”
He added that he thinks he has the kind of professional background that will add to the Township Committee.
“I note he has also been a member of the Planning Board,” Ruger said.
Committeeman Kevin Kuchinski, Committeewoman Uma Purandare, Ruger and Peters-Manning voted “yes” to the measure to appoint Chait to the Township Committee and fill McLaughlin’s seat and unexpired term.
“I love living in Hopewell Township and care deeply about this community where my wife (Amanda) and I have chosen to raise our two girls. I have developed deep roots in this community, and whether it is serving on local boards, being a classroom parent, or coaching youth sports, my appreciation continues to grow,” Chait said.
“As a Township Committee member I would bring governmental experience and knowledge having served in the Obama Administration as senior policy advisor to the administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration in the midst of the Great Recession, as well as serving our local community most recently via the Hopewell Township Planning Board.”
He started his career as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, working with Fortune 500 companies, non-profits and governments.
“As a member of the committee I would promote pragmatic fiscal responsibility, a continued focus on health and safety, supporting our senior community, and the important challenge of preserving rural character and championing the conservation of our beautiful landscape, while also promoting smart and inclusive growth and diversifying our community and tax base,” he said.
Chait is also a small business owner and entrepreneur, serving as CEO of Travefy, a software company that has more than 20 employees and three offices.
“I believe in the power of active listening and know that open communication builds bridges and optimizes solutions,” he said. “The current committee members have served the community well and recognize Commissioner McLaughlin leaves some big shoes to fill.”