Brookdale Swears in New Trustees

Three new members of Greater Red Bank's Brookdale Community College's Board of Trustees were sworn in on Thursday, May 17.

David Flaherty, of Howell, and Charles A. Karcher, of Colts Neck, were appointed by the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders in March, both for four-year terms. Timothy Hart, of Manasquan, is a graduate trustee and was elected by his peers to serve for a one-year term.

Flaherty, a 45-year resident of Howell Township, is a former committeeman and deputy mayor. He is presently assigned to the Howell Township Police Department's Services Bureau as sergeant and accreditation manager.

Flaherty said he chose to serve on the board to give back.

“Monmouth County as a community has been my good fortune, having been raised here and raising a family here has been a remarkable experience," he said in a released statement. "I am of the belief that you should participate in your community at all levels. When the opportunity at Brookdale presented itself, I saw it as a way to give back a little to the community that has given so much to me.”

Flaherty is a former member of the Howell Township Board of Education and  Planning Board. He also served as Shade Tree Commission and Recreation Department liaison and was a member of the Mayor's Advisory and Economic Development Committee. He is also a recipient of the Howell Township Chamber of Commerce's 2010 Lifetime Achievement and has been a member of the chamber's Board of Directors.

When asked why he applied to serve on the board, Karcher said, “I am a strong proponent of higher education and bring knowledge, skill and experience to the Board that I believe will enhance the ability of Brookdale to meet the needs  tens of thousands of students. Were it not for Brookdale, many of these students would be unable to attend college. I want to help maintain Brookdale as the outstanding community resource that it is and believe serving on the Board of Trustees is a perfect way to do that.”

Karcher brings Brookdale his professional executive experience with the Port Authority of NY & NJ, his background as an attorney and law firm management skills. His support for higher education directly relates to his personal career path.

Karcher started his Port Authority career climb right after high school at the lowest job level, that of night watchman. He attended college at night and earned a bachelor’s within 10 years. Karcher rose to the highest middle-management position in his division.

Twenty years later, he began law school at night and in four years, he had earned a Juris Doctor degree from New York Law School. He has since taught at New York University. He is also a trustee of the Colts Neck Education Foundation.

Graduate Trustee Hart started his college education studying computer and electrical engineering at Rutgers University School of Engineering. After a year, he came to Brookdale where he changed his major to graphic design, a field he found personally more enjoyable.

Hart’s Brookdale experience includes serving on the Student Life Board, as a member and as the board's president. As an added bonus with his transfer to Brookdale, Hart was able to earn a degree without incurring student loan bills. Debt-free, Hart will, in addition to his board duties, spend the coming year researching and traveling to visit four-year schools to find the right match for his career interests.