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.
Elaine K. Meyerson, LSW, ACSW
Secretary-Treasurer
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.
Susan Silverstein
Assistant Secretary-Treasurer
Susan was an employee of the Bergen County Board of Social Services for 45 years, beginning her career as a caseworker, promoted to Assistant Supervisor, then Supervisor and finally Training Supervisor/Administrator.
She is currently on the County Committee in Fair Lawn, where she’s resided for over 40 years, and also a member of the Ethics Board in Fair Lawn. In the past, Susan served on the Fair Lawn Library Board.
She has also volunteered for various organizations, including the Bergen Bike Tour that has raised money for Tomorrows Children, Volunteers in Protective Services, Center for Hope and Safety and the Center for Food Action. She has also helped at the Fair Lawn Food Pantry.
Susan is married to John Falahee and together they have three children, two daughters-in-law, and three grandsons.
Tracy Silna Zur, Commissioner
Commissioner Tracy Silna Zur currently serves as a Board Member of the Bergen County Board of Social Services. Commissioner 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 three children Coby 17, Kayla 12 and Logan 9.
As a Commissioner 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. Commissioner 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.
Commissioner 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.
Thomas J. Sullivan, Commissioner
Thomas J. Sullivan Jr. is a lifelong Bergen County resident who cares deeply about making Bergen County a leader in education, economic opportunity, and quality of life.
Commissioner Sullivan has served with distinction on the Bergen County Board of County Commissioners since January of 2015. As a Commissioner, he has served on the Board’s committees for: Social Services, Shared Services, Labor and Personnel, Law and Public Safety, Transportation, Public Works, Community Development, and Planning and Economic Development. He was elected Vice-Chairman of the Board in 2017 and 2022, and as Chairman of the Board in 2018 and 2023. In 2021, after being nominated by Governor Phil Murphy and confirmed by the Senate, Commissioner Sullivan was appointed to the New Jersey Healthcare Facilities Finance Authority.
Commissioner Sullivan has a long and proven history of integrity and leadership in Local 164 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and from his experience in community volunteerism and public service.
Starting out as an Apprentice Electrician, Commissioner Sullivan learned the value of hard work and the opportunities it brings. Through many years of innovation and commitment to his career, he became a Journeyman Electrician, and was subsequently elected Vice President of Local 164 in 2010, and President in 2013, a position he currently holds today.
Commissioner Sullivan’s prior experience as an elected official includes serving on Bergenfield’s Borough Council from 1998 until 2002, and Montvale’s Borough Council from 2005 until 2008. He and his family currently reside in Montvale.
Tom’s wife Jody and oldest daughter Kenzie are public school teachers, while his younger daughters Jadyn and Kerrin are full-time students in college.
Commissioner Sullivan feels privileged to have been chosen to serve the residents of Bergen County and will always strive to justify their confidence in him.
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.
Alexandra Harwin
Alexandra is a civil rights attorney who represents victims of employment discrimination. She is a partner and co-chair of a national employment discrimination practice at one of the country’s leading public interest law firms. As a lawyer she has fought for victims of sexual harassment, women who experience pay discrimination, and employees who have been discriminated against based on their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, and age. A legal publication named Alexandra one of the top five employment attorneys under 40 years old nationwide.
Alexandra earned her college degree from Harvard, where she was the top-ranked student in her graduating class and the Editor in Chief of the Harvard Health Policy Review. Alexandra went on to earn her law degree from Yale Law School, where she was the Managing Editor of the Yale Journal of Law and Feminism. Alexandra also worked at the progressive Center for American Progress, where she performed economic policy research for Gene Sperling, who served as the national economic advisor to Presidents Clinton and Obama.
Alexandra is married to Noah Fabricant, who is the rabbi at Temple Beth Or in Washington Township. They live in Ridgewood with their young children, Lorry (5 years old) and Franny (2.5 years old).
Diane DeCarlo
Diane joined the Board of Social Services as the Bergen County Adjuster in March 2023. A division within the County Department of Law, the Adjuster’s Office has charge and supervision of the preparation of papers relating to the admission and commitment of the mentally ill within the County, and in some cases other Counties. The Office sets court hearings, investigates the residency status and ability to pay of those admitted, and also completes the “Consent for Mental Health Record Search” in conjunction with state and local police, which is part of the gun permit and purchase process.
She received her B.A. in political science from Montclair State College in 1982, and J.D. from the University of Bridgeport School of Law in 1985.
Diane is a founding partner in the law office of Testa & DeCarlo, Esq. located in Ridgefield. Established in 1992, the firm has represented clients and their families in a wide range of legal matters, now focusing primarily on transactional real estate, municipal court, and zoning board applications. Diane also had the privilege of previously serving as Public Defender in her hometown of Palisades Park for a 12 year period.
A lifelong resident of Bergen County, Diane and her husband, Jeffrey, enjoy the small town atmosphere of Maywood where they have lived for the last 23 years with their daughter, Julia.
Junior Hernandez
Bio pending