PETERSBURG — Committeewoman Kim Hayes was elected the first female deputy mayor in the history of Upper Township, incorporated in 1798, during the annual reorganization meeting Jan. 6.
Committeeman Mark Pancoast noted Jan. 9, during Township Committee’s first regular meeting of the new year, that the event’s significance had not be noted.
“We overlooked a historic vote that took place. On Jan. 6, Kimberly Hayes became the first female that has been elected to the deputy mayor position. It’s a monumental step and I’m honored to be part of that vote,” Pancoast said. “I want to congratulate you.”
Hayes said she had heard a lot of congratulations and well-wishes over the weekend.
“The common thread through all of it was the residents of the township were proud to see the committee put a woman forth in a leadership position. It’s kind of humbling to be the first. I hope I can live up to that,” she said. “The real kudos go to you, Mark, and Mayor Newman for sending that empowering message to the women of Upper Township.”
Following a split vote Jan. 6, Hayes took her seat alongside Jay Newman, who was elected mayor with the support of Hayes and Pancoast.
Sitting mayor Curtis Corson and Victor Nappen II, who was elected in November and sworn in the same evening, voted no on both counts despite there being no alternate nomination.
Previous women who served on Township Committee include Barbara Camp, who served two terms beginning in 2004, and Kristine Gabor, who served in 2010 and 2011.
Hayes was appointed to fill the vacancy left by Committeeman Hobie Young in 2020 and was elected to her a full term beginning in 2022.
Corson said he was honored to serve as mayor for a year and would have liked to continue “but obviously my colleagues are going in a different direction.”
He said he looks forward to working for the township and, given the opportunity, would like to serve as mayor again.
Nappen, who ran on a ticket with Pancoast, said his vote had nothing to do with Newman as a person.
“He’s a leader and I look up to him,” Nappen said, noting Corson “has done a great job as mayor.”
Hayes said she is excited to get moving and “continue all the work we’ve been doing,” noting it would not be possible “without the love and support of the people around you.”
She congratulated Newman on being elected mayor, saying they have often spoken about their shared vision for the future of the township.
However, she said it’s not the elected officials that make the township go.
“The people who are the champions are the township employees,” Hayes said. “They make the township run smoothly regardless of who sits in these chairs. I am thankful for everything you have done and continue to do for the township.”
Newman said he was grateful for the support.
“I want to thank my colleagues for putting the trust in me to serve as mayor,” he said, commending Corson for doing “a phenomenal job.”
Calling small-town politics “government at its most basic level, Pancoast said it has taught him the ability to listen.
“We all listen to one another at the grocery store, church services and backyard barbecues,” he said. “It’s part of the close-knit, everyday life here in Upper Township.
He called Newman a “true example of a leader” who “understands what it means to be Upper Township strong.”
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff