Highlands Council Welcomes Seven New Members

All vacancies filled; Representation from all seven Highlands Counties restored

CHESTER, N.J. — At its first public meeting of 2026 the New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council welcomed seven new Council members, following a flurry of nominations and confirmations in the waning weeks of the 2025 legislative session.

“We were delighted to have these nominations and confirmations moved so quickly,” said Carl Richko, Highlands Council Chairman. “Our sincere thanks to Governor Murphy and the legislature for taking these actions. Having a full Council will make a huge difference in our ability to move forward with the important work of the Council to protect the New Jersey Highlands region.”

Four new members were approved at the December 18 and 22, 2025 sessions of the State Senate, and another three at the January 8 and January 12, 2026 sessions. The new members are:

• Mary J. Amoroso. Bergen County Commissioner
• Joseph Basralian. Special Project Manager, New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJCF)
• Tammy Koop. Council Member, Town of Belvidere
• Helen Le Frois. Mayor, Town of Newton
• Melonie Marano. Commissioner Deputy Director, Somerset County
• Matthew Oswald. Council Member, Riverdale Borough
• Kelley Smith. Co-owner of J-P Smith Farms LLC, KelRick Farms LLC, and Star D Farm LLC.

The Highlands Act sets specific requirements for Highlands Council membership. The 15 members must include eight elected officials – 5 municipal and 3 county – and seven public members. Among the elected officials, there must be one representative from each of the seven counties in the Highlands region and two from the most populus county, which is Morris. These seven new members were appointed by Governor Murphy to fill three municipal and two county elected official seats, and two public member seats. Brief information about each new member follows below.

“Having elected official representation from each of the seven counties that have lands in the Highlands region is extremely important,” explained Ben Spinelli, Highlands Council Executive Director. “While most New Jersey residents benefit from the resources of the Highlands and enjoy visiting the region for all it has to offer, the work of protecting the region occurs largely at the municipal and county levels. We’re particularly pleased to finally have representatives from Warren County which has been missing on the Council for several years.”

Also at the January meeting, the Highlands Council honored retiring member Michael Francis. Michael first joined the Highlands Council in 2009, having been appointed to the Highlands Council by then Governor Jon Corzine. At the time, Michael was serving as a Council Member in Hopatcong Borough. He became mayor of the borough in 2016 a role he held through 2023.

The Council also approved resolutions providing grant awards to Hunterdon County, the Morris County Parks Commission, Morris Plain Borough, and Netcong Borough. Additionally, the municipalities of Mendham Township, Morris County and Peapack and Gladstone Borough, Somerset County received approval from the Highlands Council on their requests to begin implementing the Highlands Regional Master Plan (RMP) at the local level (plan conformance).

Newly Appointed Members of the

New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council

Mary J. Amoroso of Mahwah is filling the county elected official vacancy on the Highlands Council, left by the passing of Michael Dressler in December. Ms. Amoroso is a Bergen County Commissioner who began her public service career in 2015 when she was elected to the Mahwah Town Council. Her current committee assignments as commissioner include Community Development (Chair), Health Services, Human Services, Organization and Internal Affairs Agenda, Shared Services/Consolidation, and Budget/Finance. Prior to elected office, she was a journalist holding roles as a reporter and an editor for the Bergen Record and winning a CableAce Award and an Emmy for her talk show on the Comcast Cable network CN8.

Joseph Basralian of Chatham Township is filling a public member vacancy on the Highlands Council. Prior to his role with NJCF, Mr. Basralian held positions with Farmstead Capital Management, the Nature Conservancy, and the New Jersey Audubon.

Tammy Koop of Belvidere is filling a municipal elected official vacancy on the Highlands Council, becoming the representative for Warren County. As a member of the Belvidere Town Council, Ms. Koop serves as liaison to the Recreation and Education committees. She is also Vice President of the Heritage/Victorian Day Committee.

Helen Le Frois of Newton is filling a municipal elected official role, replacing Michael Francis who has been serving on an expired term for many years. Ms. Le Frois is a three-term elected member of the Newton Town Council, currently serving as Mayor. She has also previously served as a member of the Planning Board, Commissioner and Chair of the Parking Authority, and Chair of the Historic Preservation Advisory Commission. She is also the former Chair of the Sussex County Community College Foundation Board of Trustees. Ms. Le Frois has also served for many years as the Vice President of Development for JBWS.

Melonie Marano of Green Brook is filling a county elected official vacancy on the Highlands Council, becoming the representative for Somerset County. In addition to her role as a County Commissioner in Somerset County, Ms. Marano is also Vice President of Business Development at Universal Vending Management. As County Commissioner she has been liaison to several boards and commissions including Public Works, the Cultural and Heritage Commission, the Open Space Advisory Board, and the Agricultural Development Board. She is a former Committee Member and Mayor of Green Brook Township.

Matthew Oswald of Riverdale is filling a municipal elected official vacancy on the Highlands Council, becoming one of two representatives for Morris County. In addition to his role on the Borough of Riverdale Council, Mr. Oswald is a Union Electrician, Instructor and Vice President of IBEW Local 102. He also serves as liaison to the Sustainable Riverdale Green Team, is a member of the Shade Tree Commission, and Chairperson of the Utilities Committee.

Kelley Smith of Harmony is filling a public member vacancy on the Highlands Council. Ms. Smith is a full-time farmer active in the Warren County agriculture community. With her husband she co-owns J-P Smith Farms, KelRick Farms, and Star D Farm. Ms. Smith also holds several municipal positions in both Harmony Township and Franklin Township, Warren County.

Actions taken by the Council at this meeting will take effect following the Governor’s review and consideration of the meeting minutes, up to 10 business days from receipt of the minutes. Materials related to this meeting including resolutions, presentations, audio, and minutes will be posted at: www.nj.gov/njhighlands/about/calendar/.

The New Jersey Highlands region is a scenic and diverse area, encompassing 88 municipalities in parts of seven counties in northern New Jersey. More than 70% of New Jersey residents get some or all of their drinking water from the Highlands, including 8 out of every 10 people living in a designated Overburdened Community. The Highlands Council is a regional planning agency established in 2004 with the passage of the New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act and charged with protection of the region. More information is available at www.nj.gov/njhighlands.