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MEET OUR CANDIDATES FOR 2022

Vanessa James for Council

• Current Pitman Councilperson
  
• Council Liaison, Department or Parks & Recreation
• Council Liaison & Past President, Greater Pitman Chamber of Commerce
• Founding Member, Pitman Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Council Liaison, McCowan Memorial Library
• Coach, Pitman Soccer Association
• Attorney & Partner, Baker Gelfand, James & Sarvas, PC
• Married to Jason; two children: Aidan & Fiona

Robert Uyehara for Council

• President, Pitman Board of Education
• Certified Master School Board Member, NJ School Boards Association
• Chair, Pitman United Methodist Church Council
• Finance Chair, Pitman United Methodist Church Council
• Board of Directors, Pitman Education Foundation
• Member, Pitman Task Force on Diversity Equity, and Inclusion
• Assistant Coach, Pitman Little League Softball
• Retired Prosecutor, Camden County
• Married to Staci; two children: Virginia & Liza​​

Moving Pitman Forward Starts With
A Commitment to Our Community

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Robert Uyehara
is Committed to Our Community

When the pandemic struck in 2020, Robert Uyehara understood that he couldn't just lock himself inside and wait it out. He sprung into action to help his community.

Ensuring the Essentials
With his wife, Staci Scheetz, Robert organized the Soap & Stuff Pantry for the Pitman United Methodist Church. The Pantry collected and distributed essential toiletries like soap, shampoo, toothpaste, dishwashing soap, laundry detergent, and feminine hygiene products. The Pantry quickly grew from a single cooler to several plastic tubs as demand and donations increased. Soon, the Pantry team began working with other local churches to help them start their own toiletries pantries.

Lending a Hand
As a member of the Pitman Board of Education, Robert saw firsthand that while the district received federal funding to provide meals for all children in the district, the food services staff struggled to keep up with the constant food prep, sorting, packaging, and packing. Robert volunteered in the high school cafeteria, packing food to help support the hard working food services staff.

​For a Better Future
These are just a couple examples of Robert's commitment to service and community. Robert feels a special commitment to the children of our borough. Prior to joining the Pitman Board of Education, he served on the Pitman Education Foundation, coached his daughters' sports teams, and was a homeroom parent.

Robert is running for Pitman Borough Council because he believes in the importance of public service and he's dedicated to making Pitman an inclusive, welcoming, and better place to live, work, and play.

Vanessa James
​is Committed to Our Community

When Councilperson Vanessa James was elected in 2019, she knew her first responsibility was to represent everyone in our community. She'd found creative ways to give every resident a voice.

More Than Just Fun & Games
As liaison to Pitman's Parks and Recreation Department, Vanessa established new programs to benefit everyone in our community. She partnered with the Pitman Police Department to start the Pitman Fishing League, a program where kids and their parents/guardians can discover the fun of fishing together. Vanessa also began the Adult Open Play Pickleball League to provide recreation opportunities for adults, and just this summer, launched the Pitman Geocache Adventure, a fun program encouraging residents to get outside to explore Pitman's natural beauty.

Everybody Means Everybody
In 2020, with our country grappling with nationwide racial injustice, Vanessa realized Pitman should do more to build a welcoming and inclusive community. Working with Republican Mayor Michael Razze, Vanessa formed the task force on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. As a result of the task force's recommendations, Vanessa then proposed and established Pitman's first permanent DEI Committee.

Putting the Unity Into Community
These are just some of the ways Vanessa has committed herself to representing our community. Prior to serving on Pitman Borough Council, Vanessa was President of the Greater Pitman Chamber of Commerce, where she organized Pop-Up Parks, Fourth Fridays, Pitman Egg Scramble, the Volunteer Fair, and the immensely popular Pitman Potter Festival.

Vanessa is running for re-election to Pitman Borough Council because she knows the importance of representing everyone in our community, and she's ready to continue to work hard to make Pitman an inclusive, welcoming, and better place to live, work, and play.

Our Campaign Priorities

Keep Taxes Low

Keeping property taxes low is central to helping Pitman continue to thrive. We will make sure that we can move Pitman forward without affecting our residents' taxes.

Bring In New Businesses

Moving Pitman forward means bringing in new business revenue to keep our borough vibrant. We will work closely with the Chamber to help bring new businesses into town.

Support Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

We can only move forward if we do it together. For us, this means supporting the incredibly important work of our DEI Committee to ensure Pitman welcomes and celebrates all.

Why do we serve?

Take the Next Steps Today

Questions for Vanessa and Rob?

We can only move forward when we work together.
That's why your questions are so vital to our campaign.

Contact Vanessa & Rob

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