William E. Connelly, Jr., Board Chairman
William E. Connelly, Jr. (Bill) is currently serving as Chairman of the Bergen County Board of Social Services. Bill has been a Bergen County resident his entire life; born and raised in Teaneck. He attended Johnson and Wales University, where he was selected as a member of “Who’s Who in American Colleges”. He also attended the University of New Haven, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. He and his wife Susan have resided in Demarest for over forty years. They raised three children who all went through the public school system in Northern Valley. They are now the proud grandparents of two.
As Chairman of the Board, Bill oversees the operation of the Department of Social Services. The responsibilities of the Chairman are to sign all documents approved by the Board. The Chairman has the authority and power to perform all functions by State and Federal law and by State and Federal regulations. He authorizes the agenda for all Board meetings in accordance with applicable regulations. He assigns all committees and is a member of all committees ex-officio with the right to vote and participate.
Bill is president and owner of Consolidated Boiler in New York. He has served on the Demarest Board of Education, the Demarest Borough Council, the Demarest Athletic Association and the Bergen County Technical Schools, all of which he served as president.
Randi Duffie, Vice-Chairwoman
Randi Duffie has been an integral member of the Bergen County Board of Social Services since 2008 and currently serves as its Vice Chair. Randi and her husband John have lived in New Milford for more than 40 years. Together, they raised a family, have 4 grandchildren and remain committed to their community. Randi is currently serving her third term as Councilwoman in the Borough of New Milford.
As an entrepreneur, Randi owns a Flower & Gift shop in River Edge, NJ and clearly defines what it means to be a small business owner. In addition, she is someone who has always believed in giving back through volunteerism and continually works to make New Milford a vibrant and welcoming community. She likes to tell her friends and neighbors that when she sees something that doesn’t seem right, “I try to do something about it and hopefully, make it better”.
As a dedicated public servant, Randi’s focus has always been to help others and especially those in Bergen County who need it most.
Ritzy Moralez-Diaz, Secretary-Treasurer
Ritzy Moralez-Diaz currently serves as a Board Member of the Bergen County Board of Social Services. Ms. Moralez-Diaz was born in Paterson, New Jersey. She attended Passaic County Technical and Vocational Institute, and is an Alumni of Leadership of Paterson. Ritzy began working for Congressman Bill Pascrell in 1977 and has worked her way up the ladder to become his Director of Constituent Services. Ritzy has been serving the residents of the ninth congressional district specializing in the realm of immigration and assisting in providing social services. Ritzy proudly asserts that her nature lends itself to helping people and has been devoted to the constituent services over the course of her time with the Congressman, enabling her to be involved in the civic activities of her community.
Ritzy served as the Democratic Municipal Leader for the city of Passaic for 10 years and also as Vice Chair of the Passaic County Board of Social Service, a true leader in the Latino and other communities, and Vice President of Mujeres Latinas en Acción de NJ.Ritzy has been recognized by many organizations for her outstanding work over the years. Some of them are, the Passaic County Freeholders, United Latin Americans of Clifton, Desfile y Festival Estatal Dominicano de NJ, International American Asia Amity Association, 21st Avenue Merchants Association, and Peruvian American Political Action Committee.
Erin Delaney, Assistant Secretary-Treasurer
Erin Nora Delaney has been a lifelong resident of Garfield, NJ where she attended their public school system. She graduated high school in 2009 where she was in the Top 20 Seniors of her class, a member of the National Honor Society, and recipient of many prestigious scholarships, including the Edward J. Bloustein Distinguished Scholar award. Upon graduation, Erin enrolled in the NJ Stars scholarship program where she earned an Associate’s Degree in Social Sciences at Bergen County Community College. As a result of maintaining a high GPA there, she was eligible to participate in NJ Stars II at William Paterson University where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. While enrolled in William Paterson Erin began working for The Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources, A Program of Children’s Aid and Family Services on a per diem basis, working mainly on their school-based prevention programs. Once receiving her Bachelor’s Degree Erin then became their Coalition Coordinator for the Bergen County Prevention Coalition full-time. Erin completed her Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Public Management at Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2016. She has now been working in the field of substance abuse for over four years. In addition to working at “The Center,” Erin also worked for the Bergen County Department of Health Services’ Office of Alcohol and Drug Dependency and now at the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) of Hudson County (better known as Partners in Prevention). Through her years of schooling and labor Erin has great experience in grant work, community organization, community outreach, program development, coalition management, and event planning. Erin takes great pride in her work and also has knowledge in public speaking and presentations. She has delivered/facilitated numerous training for multiple entities including: the Garfield Junior Police Academy, Bergen County Juvenile Officers Association, Bergen County Social Services, the faith based community in Passaic County, school nurses across Bergen County, and countless schools throughout Bergen County. While working at The Center, a 5 year $125,000/year grant was secured for the City of Garfield. She has also been instrumental in bringing various programs to the City of Garfield, at no cost to our residents, such as Strengthening Families, Second Step, Mental Health First Aid, and Smoke Free Public Space.
Volunteerism was embedded into Erin’s values as a little girl, coming from a family of many volunteers. She has been involved in many community organizations/projects such as: Food for Thought Healthy Living, Garfield Clean Communities, Garfield Democratic Committee, many youth organizations as a volunteer coach, Garfield Events and Planning Committee, and, most recently, the Garfield’s 100th Anniversary Planning Committee. However, it is without a doubt that Erin’s great love is Mental Health and Substance Abuse Awareness. She is the founder of the Garfield Stigma Free Committee and member to the Garfield Prevention Coalition and Garfield Municipal Alliance. In her spare time she is a volunteer to the Bergen County Mental Health Division as a Mental Health First Aid Instructor in addition to being a member of the Bergen County Alliance Steering Subcommittee of the Local Advisory Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.
Tracy Silna Zur, Freeholder
Freeholder Tracy Silna Zur currently serves as a Board Member of the Bergen County Board of Social Services. Freeholder Zur has served two years as a Bergen County Freeholder. She is a life-long resident of Bergen County , and she holds a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and a law degree from Fordham University. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Public Administration from Rutgers University. Tracy Zur has been married to her husband Bobby for 22 years and they have 3 children Coby 17, Kayla 12 and Logan 9.
As a Freeholder Tracy Zur has championed the realignment of the County Police under the Sheriff’s Department, ensuring taxpayer savings and more efficient law enforcement in Bergen County. She has also promoted wellness initiatives including group exercise in the county parks and gardens at both the homeless shelter in Hackensack and at the Springhouse women’s drug treatment halfway house. Freeholder Zur has been an active member of the Board of Social Services, and her work on the building committee brought about a move which resulted in a savings of over $800,000 per year. She has been an adamant advocate for employment, housing and social programs for adults with special needs. Her priority is formalizing a county-wide strategic plan for grappling with these post-21 challenges.Freeholder Zur has served as a Municipal Prosecutor, a judge in Bergen County Central Municipal Court, the sixth busiest municipal court in New Jersey, and as the Public Defender to the City of Englewood and Woodcliff Lake. She served in private practice at several notable Bergen County Law Firms handling municipal as well as criminal defense work, and is currently serving as an Assistant Corporation Counsel in Jersey City.
Mary J. Amoroso, Freeholder
Freeholder Mary J. Amoroso first began her career in public service when she was elected to the Mahwah Town council in 2015. Before her election to the Mahwah Council, Mary had a long career as a reporter for the Bergen Record, where she covered local, county, state and federal politics.
She won a number of awards for a series in The Record about a domestic abuse survivor using county, state and federal resources to make an independent life for herself and her children. Her long-running show on the Comcast Cable network CN8 won both a CableAce Award and an Emmy.
Freeholder Amoroso grew up in Bergenfield and has lived in Mahwah for 23 years. Mary’s husband Jim McQueeny is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and former communications director for the New Jersey General Assembly. Together they have four children and two grandchildren with another grandchild on the way.
In her time as Freeholder, Mary is looking to pursue the passions she developed during her time as a reporter, and wants to serve as an effective advocate for women’s issues, children’s issues and family issues across Bergen County.
John E. Ten Hoeve, County Adjuster
County Adjuster John Ten Hoeve currently serves as a Board Member of the Bergen County Board of Social Services.
John E. Ten Hoeve, Jr., Esq. attended Rutgers University and Rutgers University School of Law. In law school, he held the prestigious position of Notes and Comments Editor for the Rutgers Law Review. He is a member of the state and federal bar, and the Bergen County Bar Association.
Mr. Ten Hoeve has practiced general law in Bergen County for over 36 years, litigating hundreds of cases and mediating numerous family matters. He has served clients in many spheres of the law, including real estate; business; municipal and other fields, however, the principal focus of his practice has been in the areas of family law and municipal law. He has substantial experience representing clients in divorce, custody, child support and post-judgment matrimonial litigation. He has also been the attorney for municipal governing bodies, zoning boards and planning boards and has represented clients appearing before such entities.
John E. Ten Hoeve, Jr., Esq. is also a certified mediator, appointed by the courts to mediate family disputes. He is the chairman of an early settlement panel, assisting the courts in attempting to resolve matrimonial disputes. He has also been appointed by the Supreme Court of New Jersey to serve in the past as an attorney member of a Fee Arbitration Committee, a body that resolves fee disputes between attorneys and clients.
Elaine K. Meyerson, LSW, ACSW
Elaine K. Meyerson currently serves as President of EKM1 Consulting, LLC, a non-profit consulting company. Previously she was the Executive Director of the Center For Hope And Safety (formerly Shelter Our Sisters) for more than 29 years. CHS is a leading Bergen County non-profit agency providing services for victims of domestic violence. In her capacity as Executive Director, Elaine grew the agency from a small grassroots organization, to an integral and well-respected county-wide program offering a continuum of services, from hotline, and shelter, to children’s creative arts therapies and outreach services benefiting Bergen County residents.
Elaine has been active on many state and local human service committees and coalitions. She is presently a member of the Hillsdale Board of Health; Bergen County’s Homeless Trust Fund Task Force; is co-chair of the Hills-Valley Coalition’s Stigma-Free Campaign and is a volunteer in the courthouse with the National Council of Jewish Women Bergen County Section. In 2015 Elaine was appointed as a Transition Team Member for Bergen County Executive. She previously served as President of the NJ State Coalition of Battered Women (2006-2008) and remained an active Board member through 2016. She was a former Chairperson and member of Bergen County’s Human Services Advisory Committee, and has served on many advisory boards throughout her career.
A noted speaker, former adjunct professor and multi-award recipient, Elaine Meyerson is a graduate of SUNY Buffalo where she received both a Masters of Social Work (MSW) and a Bachelors in Psychology and Sociology. She also holds certifications from the Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW). Elaine lives in Hillsdale and is married for 41 years to Lawrence N. Meyerson, a former Municipal Judge and Hillsdale Councilman, and noted attorney who practices in Montvale. She has two adult children, Rachel and David and a daughter-in-law Elizabeth.
Yris Encarnacion
Originally, from the Dominican Republic, Yris brings a strong expertise in accounting to the Bergen County Board of Social Services. She holds an MBA in management and currently works for a major manufacturing company in northern New Jersey. Yris is an active and committed Councilwoman for the Borough of South Hackensack and previously served as Vice President for the Memorial School Board of Education. Bi-lingual, committed to helping others and totally focused on delivering the best of services to the good people of Bergen County.