Thomas A. DeGise

Thomas A. DeGise is an American Democratic Party politician who serves as the County Executive of Hudson County, New Jersey. As County Executive, DeGise administers county business, together with the Board of Chosen Freeholders acting in a legislative role.

Thomas DeGise was born and raised in Jersey City. He earned his bachelors degree in Political Science from Saint Peter's College in 1973.

DeGise took office after winning a special election in November 2002, one in which he garnered 77 percent of the vote. On his first day in office, he submitted legislation to the Board of Chosen Freeholders to create the first ever Ethics Oversight Board for Hudson County government.

Prior to serving as County Executive, Mr. DeGise was Jersey City, New Jersey's longest serving Municipal Council President, holding that office from 1993 to 2001. Mr. DeGise entered public life as a community leader during the 1980s, founding the New #28 School Neighborhood Association and eventually chairing the Heights Coalition of Neighborhood Associations (HCNA), a group dedicated to improving quality of life in city's Heights Section.

Within the region, County Executive DeGise serves as the Chairman of the Freight Committee and a member of the Project Priorities Committee of the New Jersey Transportation Planning Authority.

A teacher and administrator in the Jersey City Schools since 1975, Mr. DeGise most recently served as a job placement counselor at the Henry Snyder High School.

He still lives in the same Jersey City neighborhood (The Heights) where he was born with his two daughters, Linda and Amy. His wife, Helene, has died.

External links

* [http://www.HudsonCountyNJ.org/gov/countyexec.asp County Executive page on Hudson County web site]
* [http://www.njtpa.org/public_affairs/board/degise.htm North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority profile]