News from the Somerset County Board of County Commissioners
Shanel Y. Robinson, Commissioner Director | Melonie Marano, Commissioner Deputy Director
Doug Singleterry, Commissioner | Sara Sooy, Commissioner | Paul Drake, Commissioner
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 14, 2022
Somerset County to Hold County Government Month Poster Contest for County Students
Fourth Grade Contestants to Submit Posters with Theme ‘My County’
SOMERVILLE, NJ – In honor of County Government Month in April, Somerset County’s Constitutional Officers are sponsoring a “My County” poster contest for fourth-grade students. The first-place winner will be awarded a pizza party for their class. Three winners will have their photographs taken and receive special certificates at the Somerset County Board of County Commissioners’ meeting on April 26, and their posters will be displayed on the county’s website. All contestants’ posters will be displayed in the County Administration Building in Somerville. The deadline for submission is March 15.
“We love sponsoring this annual poster contest. It’s a fun way to create awareness about local government and may even spark some children’s interest in becoming involved in government in the future,” said Somerset County Clerk Steve Peter. “Children are our future voters, innovators, and civic leaders, so it’s important that they have an awareness of the importance of civic responsibility and the various aspects of County government.”
“My County” Contest Guidelines
- Contestants must be in fourth grade and attend a Somerset County school
- The poster design and content should depict why they think Somerset County is great by using their knowledge of history, current events, or personal experience
- Posterboard must be a standard size of 22” x 28”
- Somerset County must be written in 4” black solid letters across the top of the poster
- The student’s name, teacher’s name, and school must be printed neatly in the lower right-hand corner on the back of the poster
Poster Submissions
Posters must be mailed or delivered no later than March 15, 2022, to the Somerset County Surrogate, Bernice “Tina” Jalloh, at the Somerset County Administration Bldg., located on
20 Grove St., Somerville, NJ 08876. For more information about the contest, call 908-231-7003.
Somerset County Constitutional Officers
Sheriff Darin Russo has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience. He is a retired Lieutenant from the Franklin Township Police Department where he managed a staff of 16 officers, four sergeants and multiple police units. He has worked with Somerset County, state and federal agencies on high-profile investigations and has organized some of the largest mobilization of officers in the county to combat gang activity, violent crimes, and robberies. He has also received numerous citations and is a two-time recipient of the Somerset County 200 Club Award.
County Clerk Steve Peter graduated from Harvard University with a master’s degree in Linguistics and earned a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and Germanic Languages and Literatures from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was elected Somerset County Clerk in 2017 and has served as Somerville Council President and Deputy County Clerk in Illinois. His public service experience includes as a member of NJ Restart and Recovery Advisory Council, and Downtown Somerville Alliance Board of Directors.
Surrogate “Tina” Jalloh, Esq., was sworn in as the Somerset County Surrogate on Jan. 1, 2021. She is admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of New Jersey and the New Jersey Bar. She received a Juris Doctor from Rutgers University, a master’s degree in Public Administration from Rutgers University, and a Bachelor of Science from Syracuse University.
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