Scroll down to learn about your Leadership Team
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Shawn Lipani, MayorShawn Lipani is serving Hillsborough as Mayor in 2023, as he did in 2021 and 2022. Shawn and his family have lived in Hillsborough since 1972. Shawn took on the role of Mayor once again for good reason. He knows Hillsborough like the back of his hand and is currently working through multiple projects aimed at protecting our open space, maintaining our tax base while maintaining a low tax rate and focusing on the complexities of our infrastructure planning. Of his many accomplishments, Mayor Lipani is extremely proud of the new road sustainability study, the Mindel property purchase and his tireless work to support residents through the IDA relief projects and funding.
Mayor Lipani also currently serves on the Planning Board and plays and integral role as a key member of the Hillsborough Rotary Club. Prior to these current leadership roles he served Hillsborough as our Deputy Mayor, Somerset County Planning Board, Economic and Business Development Commission, Board of Adjustment, Capital Planning, Tree Mitigation, and Youth Services Commission. On a personal note, Lipani is married with one daughter and owns and operates Central Jersey Nursery in the center of town. |
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Robert Britting, Deputy MayorRobert Britting is serving Hillsborough as our Deputy Mayor. Robert "Bob", along with his wife and 3 children, moved to Hillsborough in 2017 and are incredibly happy to settle here. Bob served as Committeeman in 2022 and supported the social services, health, recreation, open space and economic and business development departments, to name a few. Prior to the Township Committee, Britting served on the Environmental Commission, Board of Adjustment and Sustainable Hillsborough commission. In less than one year (2022), Britting created new social programs connecting residents and the police department, aggressively pursued a vehicle fleet designed to help seniors to and from doctors appointments and personal shopping trips, liaised 10 major recreation projects aimed at creating a more sustainable system for our children and residents.
Now, after winning re-election focused on common sense principles, Deputy Mayor Britting is determined to focus on protecting our way of life through strong fiscal budget management, aggressively protect our open space and liaise with the township leadership on most effective ways to protect our children and seniors. Professionally, Britting has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 20+ years in multiple senior leader roles, and now for a multinational generic pharmaceutical company and is on the senior leadership team. He holds his doctorate (PhD) in Organizational Change Management and Economics and an MBA in Marketing. |
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James Ruh, CommitteemanJames “Jim” Ruh replaced Deputy Mayor Eriksson in 2022 as a Committeeman. Prior to his leadership role on the Township Committee, Jim served on our Board of Education in 2022 to help the group establish a more budget conscious and socially effective direction. Committeeman Ruh has spent almost 15 years as the Executive Director for 501C3 children’s charity organization sponsored by Hillsborough’s own Superbowl Champion lineman, Shaun O’Hara. As Committeeman, Ruh is the liaison in multiple areas of the township administration: Recreation, social services, environmental, to simply name a few.
Personally and professionally, Ruh is a Hillsborough original and has lived here his whole life. He is married with 3 children and works as the Vice President of Sales for a leading smart technology home security company. Some of his proudest accomplishments are establishing $50k scholarships for High School students from 1998 to present time, establishing “project graduation” as Hillsborough class President and coaching at Hillsborough High School for 9 years and helping bring the baseball Championship in 2005 home to Hillsborough. |
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John Ciccarelli, CommitteemanJohn Ciccarelli is a construction advisory expert who has made tremendous contributions as a member of the Planning Board and now serves Hillsborough on the Township Committee. Professionally, John is consultant to the engineering and construction industry and is the Director for a global consulting firm. Committeeman John Ciccarelli campaigned and won his seat the fall of 2022 on a common sense platform that focused on fiscal responsibility, open space preservation and an engineer’s best friend… sustainable infrastructure. John seeks to spearhead multiple projects aimed at reinforcing how Hillsborough manages its land and protects our nearly 40% open space.
John is married with 2 daughters who are recent graduates of the Hillsborough school system and has resided in Hillsborough for the past 23 years. Holding a P.E. (Professional Engineer) license, and a Master’s Degree in Business, and with his local leadership experience, John lends an expertise that will allow Hillsborough to efficiently implement its sustainability planning and will help refine how we plan for the long-term. |
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Doug Tomson, CommitteemanDoug Tomson was labeled as the “great communicator” while he served as Mayor in 2020 and 2021. During the pandemic, Tomson was tremendous at creating an environment for residents to access essential support and developed a safe environment for the town to continue to operate even when other townships closed their doors. Tomson has been on the Township Committee for 12 years and has committed his time and effort to help Hillsborough maintain its position as one of the best places to live in the USA. Committeeman Tomson served as Deputy Mayor and Mayor throughout his tenure. Tomson has also served every single board and commission as a liaison and has made tremendous contributions to how our local government is recognized as a gold standard township.
Doug is married with 3 children, one in college and 2 in the Hillsborough public school system. Committeeman Tomson works professionally as the Vice President of Government Affairs for New Jersey Realtors. |
