Today, Hamilton Mayor-Elect Jeff Martin announced Sharon Shinkle Gardner and Rachel Holland as transition co-chairs.

“I am delighted that Sharon and Rachel have agreed to serve as transition co-chairs,” said Martin.  “Sharon and Rachel have extensive public service experience, and combined with their many years of service to Hamilton, will do a fantastic job starting this administration on the right path.  In the coming days and weeks, specific committees and their respective chairs/members will be announced who will get to work laying a foundation for Hamilton’s future.”

Sharon Shinkle Gardner is a public affairs professional with over 20 years of experience in state and local government. For the past eight years, she has served as Chief of Staff to Transportation Chair and 14th District Assemblyman Daniel Benson. She previously was employed by the NJ Department of Transportation as Assistant Commissioner of Government Affairs and Legislative Liaison under three Governors. Ms. Shinkle Gardner has also worked as a lobbyist and a municipal government manager. She is currently a member of the Mercer County Park Commission where she has served for over 13 years as Vice President and most recently as President. She also serves on the board of the Women’s Political Caucus of NJ. Sharon is a graduate of Rider University and is a lifelong Hamiltonian. She resides in the Township with husband Steven and son Joshua.

Rachel Holland is a graduate of Drew University and received her Masters in Governmental Affairs from The Fels Institute at University of Pennsylvania.  After serving in the White House internship program, she began her career serving New Jersey’s Office of the Governor as an Advance Director in 2001.  In 2004, Holland became the Corporate Event’s Director for NJ TRANSIT, the 3^rd largest Transportation Corporation in the United States.  Later, she was asked to lead the not-for-profit Consumers for Cable Choice in New Jersey.  This successful campaign led to statewide franchising for television companies which in addition to creating competition has led to hundreds of millions of dollars in investment and the creation of thousands of jobs.

Holland serves As Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey, having previously chaired their Board Development Committee and their Annual Women of Distinction Fundraiser.  She is also the Immediate Past Chair of the Robert Wood Johnson University/ Barnabas Hospital Hamilton Foundation Young Professional’s Group and was named Young Professional of the Year in 2018.  She serves on the Lakeview Child Care Board of Directors and also as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors at Hamilton YMCA.  She is the leader for both of her daughters’ Girl Scout troops. She also serves in the Hamilton Township Zoning Board.

Members of the public interested in being a member of a transition committee should send a copy of their CV/resume and/or a letter of interest to MayorMartinTransition@gmail.com or to PO Box 9431, Hamilton, NJ 08650.  Contact information and area of expertise should be included.