Freeholder Tomas J. Padilla
Tomas J. Padilla was elected to the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 2005 becoming the second Hispanic to be elected Freeholder by the voters of Bergen County. He previously served with distinction as Freeholder when he was appointed in October 2002 to fulfill an unexpired term. In 2007, Freeholder Padilla was unanimously elected by his colleagues to lead the Freeholder Board as Chairman, thus becoming the first Hispanic in the history of Bergen County to hold the position.
Freeholder Padilla is employed by the City of Hackensack as a Captain in the Police Department where he is the commander of the Youth Division. Previously, he served as the commander of the Bureau of Criminal Identification which included supervising and modernizing the department’s technology infrastructure. In this role, he introduced several new technologies including the computerization of forms and electronic fingerprint submissions. These experiences have served him well in his Freeholder capacity as Chair of the newly established Information Technology Committee.
Freeholder Padilla also serves as Chair of the Planning and Economic Development and as the liaison to the Bergen County Economic Development Corporation Committees where his input for future projects has become essential.
Given his strong background in law enforcement, he sits on the Law and Public Safety Committee. He has sponsored important public safety initiatives including the establishment of a Countywide Emergency Alert Notification System, the delivery of 1,650 personal protection suits for municipal First Responders, the acquisition of communication equipment for Emergency Management Coordinators and the donation of used bullet proof vests to the McGuire Air Force Base.
In addition, Freeholder Padilla sits on several other Freeholder committees that have offered him the opportunity to improve the lives of Bergen County’s residents: the Organization and Internal Affairs Committee; the Park and Public Works Committee; the Transportation Committee; Shared Services Committee; and the School Board of Estimates for the Vocational Schools. In particular, Community Action Partnership Committee has given him great satisfaction by providing the opportunity to work closely with Hackensack’s elected officials on the development of a new homeless shelter. Through initiative and compromise, the long awaited homeless shelter is finally coming to fruition.
Freeholder Padilla is a senior member of the Democratic Party. His involvement began in 1989 when he was elected a municipal committee member. He went on to serve as Vice-Chair of the municipal committee and as a member of the District 37 Executive Board. He part of the Transition Teams of Governor Jim McGreevey and Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney.
Freeholder Padilla is a strong advocate for unions. In his capacity as a uniformed police officer, he has served as the State Delegate for the Hackensack PBA labor union, where he was awarded both Silver and Gold Lifetime Memberships within the local and state organization.
In addition to being a graduate of the Bergen County Police Academy, Freeholder Padilla’s educational background includes a Bachelor’s Degree and a Certificate in Public Service Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU). He has also completed the New Jersey Certified Public Management Program and has received a Certificate in Supervisory Management from the New Jersey Department of Personnel. He is currently working towards a Master of Administrative Science from FDU.
Freeholder Padilla immigrated with his family to the United States from Colombia when he was five years old. He grew up in Hackensack and currently resides in Park Ridge with his wife, and three children, where he is a parishioner of Our Lady of Mercy.