Ward 3 residents are very fortunate to have such an exceptional candidate in Dawn Nichol-Manning running to represent them on the Town Council this November.

A middle school teacher, pastor, community volunteer, wife and mom, Dawn epitomizes the best of what we look for in our public servants, and fortunately for us, is now seeking to bring her leadership skills and diverse set of experiences to benefit our community.

I first got to know Dawn through events hosted by our Human Relations Advisory Commission in partnership with the Dr. MLK Jr. Association, where she serves on the Board and has been a committed volunteer.

It was hard not to be drawn to her warm smile, immediate embrace, and ability to captivate a room, as you may have observed if you had the good fortune to have Dawn as your guide at the Westfield African-American history exhibit at the Rialto during Black History Month.

As a Town Councilperson, Dawn will bring her 27 years of experience as a middle school science teacher to be a fierce advocate for our students and partnership with the Board of Education.

She will also bring her demonstrated leadership skills as the current President of the East Orange Education Association, where she has learned the art of forging compromise among groups with different points of views and perspectives.

As a pastor, Dawn is already accustomed to servicing the needs of a community where she has demonstrated a capacity for listening, understanding, and empathizing with the concerns of others.

As a resident of Central Avenue, Dawn knows first hand the impact of traffic and congestion on Ward 3 residents’ quality of life and will be a fierce advocate for traffic and pedestrian safety.

As a mom of a college student and kindergartner, she is passionate about supporting and expanding parks and recreation facilities, and is committed to ensuring that Westfield is a community where her kids will want to return to and can afford to stay.

Dawn is not only exceptionally qualified to serve on the Town Council, but she will also bring a much needed and long overdue diverse perspective as the first African-American female elected official in Westfield.

I enthusiastically endorse Dawn Nichol-Manning for Town Council, and ask ward 3 residents to cast their vote for her on November 7 so that we can keep Westfield moving forward.

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