PETER S. PALMER 22 Prospect Street Bernardsville, NJ 07924 Term Expires: 12/31/14

Freeholders Office: (908) 231-7030
Freeholders Fax: (908) 231-8754
E-mail: FreeholdersOffice@co.somerset.nj.us

Freeholder Responsibilities:
Ex Officio to all county departments and divisions.

LIAISON:
Constitutional Officers, Courts, Criminal Justice, Board of Social Services-Alternate, Business Partnership, GSA-Hillsborough Advisory Committee, Joint Insurance Fund, Leadership Somerset, New Jersey Association of Counties- Voting Member, North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, Office of the Prosecutor, Park Foundation, Planning Board, Raritan Valley Community College Board of School Estimate, Raritan Valley Rail Coalition, Regional Center Partnership Committee-Alternate, Superintendent of Schools, Vocational Board of School Estimate.

PUBLIC SERVICE:
Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Member, 1997-present, Director, 1998, 2003, 2008, 2013, Deputy Director, 2007, 2012, Public Works I, Chairman, 1999, 2006, 2007, Human Services, Chairman, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2012, Finance/Administration, Chairman, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2009, 2010, Public Health & Safety, Chairman, 2011; Somerset County Planning Board, Member, 1995-1996; Bernardsville Borough, Mayor, 1985-1994; Bernardsville Borough Council, Member, 1968-1984; Bernardsville Board of Education, Member, 1962-1968.

AFFILIATIONS & COMMUNITY SERVICE:
New Jersey Association of Counties, Past President, 2010; North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, Member, 1999-present, Chairman, 2004, 2005, Freight Initiatives Committee, Chairman, 2003-present; Raritan Valley Rail Coalition, Chairman, Board of Trustees; Somerset County Business Partnership, Board of Directors, Member; Six County Coalition, Founding Member; Somerset County Governing Officials Association, President, 1985; Clinton Hill Area Redevelopment Corp., Newark (low- and moderate-income housing), Board Member, 1977-2007; Bernards High School Marching Band, Volunteer Assistant Director, 1956-2006; Somerset County Commission on Child Abuse & Missing Children, Co-Chair; Liberty Corridor Technical Committee, Member,2007-present.

BIOGRAPHY:
Lifelong resident of Somerset County and Bernardsville; married to the former Kathleen Corman; served in U.S. Army Signal Corps, Honorable Discharge as 1st Lieutenant; Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Co., 1963-1991, retired as vice president and actuary; Society of Actuaries, Fellow; Cornell University, Bachelor’s Degree, Electrical Engineering; Princeton University, Master of Science Degree, Engineering; completed courses required for New Jersey State accreditation as Certified County and Municipal Finance Officer, 1994-1996; Bernards High School, Graduate; Bernardsville United Methodist Church, Member.

AWARDS:
New Jersey Association of Counties, Freeholder of the Year, 2011; New Jersey Conference of Mayors, County Leadership Award, 2007; Somerset County Commission on Child Abuse & Missing Children, Richard Z. Voorhees Award for Child Advocacy, 2005;Regional Business Partnership of Newark, Transportation Leadership Award, 2005; National Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations, first-ever award for Outstanding Elected Official Leadership, 2004; managed award-winning reconstruction of own landmark commercial office building in Bernardsville, 1991-1993.

Freeholder Meeting Schedule

Meet the Freeholders: Click on  the names below to read the individual bio's.