Van Zlike oversaw Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
PETERSBURG — Jimmy Van Zlike will bring nearly a quarter-century of experience in the U.S. Army to Upper Township when he takes over as administrator June 2.
As an executive city management leader preparing to separate from his enlistment, Van Zlike has spent the past three years as deputy city manager of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, where he was entrusted with the health, safety and welfare of more than 5,000 soldiers, family members, civilians and contractors.
Van Zlike replaces Gary DeMarzo in the position. Township Committee voted Jan. 27 to terminate him from his position as administrator but could not immediately remove DeMarzo from his civil services position as personnel officer. It was able to do so on March 10. DeMarzo has filed legal action to reverse his elimination from the two positions.
DeMarzo’s employment was divided into 70 percent personnel officer and 30 percent business administrator with a total compensation of $121,000.
Van Zlike, who also was appointed as municipal housing liaison and fund commissioner for the Joint Insurance Fund, will be paid an annual salary of $155,000 commencing Aug. 11. His first 10 weeks will be covered by a Veterans Local Government Management Fellowship award from the International City/County Management Association. In addition, Van Zlike will continue to receive post-retirement benefits from the Army and thus not need those provided by the township.
The township hired Joseph Verunni of Jersey Professional Management as interim administrator to lead the search for a permanent replacement.
Mayor Curtis Corson said the township received 21 resumes from interested candidates. Eight were granted preliminary screening interviews and three finalists were interviewed by Township Committee in April.
“Through the course of the process, it became clear that one candidate stood out from the rest — Mr. James Van Zlike,” Corson said May 12, noting he was in the audience with his wife, Lindsay, daughter Liberty, 5, son James, 3, and daughter Violet, 22 months.
Van Zlike is a professional public administrator who holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Texas as well as the project management professional designation from the Project Management Institute.
“Mr. Van Zlike comes to Upper Township following a very successful career in the Unites States Army, which began in 2001. While his technical expertise is in the field of information technology, he has extensive leadership and management experience and training,” Corson said.
Van Zlike has served as the garrison command sergeant major at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
“This position is comparable to that of a deputy city manager of a large municipality. In this role, he was responsible for the day-to-day management of this U.S. Army installation serving 48,000 community members across approximately 65 square miles and responsible for approximately $24 billion of infrastructure,” Corson said.
Van Zlike, 41, was born in Junction City, Kan., and joined the Army at age 17. His wife grew up in Washington Township and the family has spent a week each summer in Ocean City, making him familiar with the area.
“My leadership philosophy is to foster relationships with my team and internal/external stakeholders by providing an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives shape policies and initiatives,” Van Zilke noted in his resume. “Remaining accountable to organizational needs and values, combined with data-driven decision-making, collaborative leadership and transparent communication, I champion innovation and embrace technology and best practices to improve operations and enhance team management.”
– STORY and PHOTOS by CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff