Melham for Mayor Team Announces Candidates for a #BetterBelleville

Naomy De Pena & Thomas Graziano to run for Council

BELLEVILLE, N.J. — Belleville Mayoral candidate Michael Melham has finalized the selection of Council candidates to round out the Melham ticket for the upcoming Mayor and Council Municipal Elections. Melham has tapped longtime residents Naomy De Pena and Thomas Graziano, both of whom are community leaders and experienced professionals. De Pena and Graziano are already embedded within the Melham campaign and are working to meet voters and spread their message of a #BetterBelleville.

“From the beginning of this journey, I was adamant that our ticket would truly represent Belleville, and now with the addition of Naomy and Tommy, I can honestly say we look like Belleville,” said Melham, a former Belleville Councilman (2000-2004) who kicked off his campaign late last year in front of a crowded room full of supporters. “Naomy and Tommy are compassionate, intelligent individuals who have the Township’s best interests at heart and will strive to achieve goals we all share, like stabilizing property taxes, increasing the level of services and bringing new energy to Belleville.”

Having roots in Belleville spanning more than two decades, Naomy De Pena and her husband Allen have been Belleville homeowners for the past nine years. She was born in New Jersey and spent her childhood in the Dominican Republic, while regularly visiting relatives in Belleville. A former Belleville public school teacher and union representative, she has over 15 years of experience working with special needs children. She and her husband also own Zentai Martial Arts & After-Care Program, a small business located in a nearby community.

“Whether it was mentoring at-risk youths, volunteering to serve the homeless, or organizing food and clothing drives for hurricane victims, I have always tried to put the needs of others first,” said De Pena. “As a council member, I will continue to work for the betterment of others and do everything I can to help create a Better Belleville for all its residents”

A third-generation lifelong resident of Belleville, Graziano and his wife of 29 years are both graduates of Belleville High School. An Information Technology professional with nearly 30 years of experience, Graziano’s business acumen and experience will allow him to hit the ground running on the Council. A longtime volunteer with Belleville Little League, he is also a former president of the Belleville Wrestling Parents and Friends Association and a member of Belleville High School Hall of Fame. Graziano was elected to the Belleville Board of Education in 2016.

“Belleville is in desperate need of new leadership that is accountable to the residents and capable of doing what’s necessary to move our community forward, and that’s why I’m so excited to be running for Council along with Michael Melham and Naomy De Pena,” said Graziano. “I’ve lived in Belleville my entire life and I’ve watched it stand still as other communities passed us by, and that’s exactly why our team is running in this election — to move Belleville forward.”

Belleville’s nonpartisan municipal election is May 8.

For any additional information please contact Philip Swibinski at 201-864-0600 or philip.swibinski@vmmi.net.

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