Biography
Mayor John E. McCormac was elected Woodbridge Township Mayor in November, 2006.
Since becoming Mayor of Woodbridge Township, Mayor McCormac has prioritized “Quality of Life” issues, including a state-wide recognized crackdown on illegal housing and property maintenance and initiated “visioning plans” geared to improve and revitalize downtown business districts. Mayor McCormac has advanced initiatives important to the environment, the arts, health & wellness, the animal rights community, and historical advocates. Mayor McCormac led the effort to bring redevelopment to many areas of the Township and has worked with the Woodbridge Board of Education, the County of Middlesex, the State of New Jersey, and organized labor to implement more than 40 shared service or inter-local agreement programs which maximize public tax resources. Mayor McCormac has also developed and implemented numerous projects to improve Township infrastructure, Open Space acquisition, educational opportunities, and other initiatives.
Mayor McCormac began his long and distinguished public career as the Financial Officer in the Finance Department, Woodbridge Township Municipal Government, in 1990. In 1992, Mayor McCormac took the reins as the Township’s Chief Financial Officer, followed by appointment as Business Administrator in 2001. As BA, Mayor McCormac was responsible for managing the day-to-day functions of town government and supervising over 800 employees, bringing stability to town finances, leading the drive that created the Woodbridge Community Center and Community Playground, and was instrumental in establishing the “Tooling Around the Township” Program.
In 2002, Mayor McCormac was appointed New Jersey State Treasurer with oversight of the state budget and management of twelve divisions and more than 3,500 employees in the State Treasurer’s Office. As Treasurer, Mayor McCormac provided financial expertise to former Governor Jim McGreevey and Acting Governor Richard Codey while managing New Jersey’s multi-billion dollar annual budget. Mayor McCormac served as the lead cabinet officer charged with briefing the state legislature, statewide constituent advocacy groups, and the media on New Jersey’s fiscal policies.
Mayor McCormac learned the importance of leadership and community service through family ethics and values and, as importantly, through ten years serving in the Boy Scouts of America, ultimately earning the prestigious standing of Eagle Scout. After graduation from St. Cecelia’s grammar school in Iselin and St. Thomas Aquinas High School (class of 1976) Mayor McCormac went on to earn a BA in Accounting from Rutgers University and a Master’s Degree in Finance from St. John’s University. As a Certified Public Accountant, Mayor McCormac began his financial services career working for a large international CPA firm representing Fortune 500 companies and municipal governments. In 1988, Mayor McCormac started his own Woodbridge Township-based CPA business which assisted hundreds of Woodbridge residents with tax questions and financial concerns.
Mayor McCormac is a life-long Woodbridge Township resident since his father, an Irish immigrant and steel plant foreman, and mother, the daughter of Irish immigrants, bought their first and only home in Menlo Park Terrace section of the Township. An active member of the Woodbridge community, Mayor McCormac has been a member of the Knights of Columbus since 1984 and was named Council Knight of the Year three times, as well as State Knight of the Year. Mayor McCormac is a charter member of the Woodbridge Recreation Council and was Grand Marshall of the 2006 Woodbridge St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Mayor McCormac met his wife Tammy, an accountant for Bristol Myers, while they were both students at Rutgers University. Their daughter, Erin, is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Accounting.
