Big Loss for the Village

We were recently informed of the retirement from the Village of one the hardest working people I have ever met. It is with great sadness that I want to share that Village Clerk Marj Smith will be retiring at the end of this year.

I have known Marj peripherally over the years through various dealings with the Village and always found her to be extremely reliable and professional to residents. However, once I became a Trustee, I really began to see the incredible work ethic, helpfulness and knowledge that Marj possesses about the Village. Marj was extraordinarily helpful to me (and my colleagues) as we got up to speed during out first weeks and months on the Board. Her extreme patience for all of us was truly impressive and greatly appreciated!

I have learned to count on Marj for her institutional knowledge and her amazing organizational skill to ensure that things get done properly. Marj is at the center of the sheer volume of hardcopy and electronic mail we each receive every week . Most people do not realize that Marj is also an Attorney and is generally responsible for drafting resolutions and proclamations, as well as manually transcribing the tapes of (extremely LONG!) BOT Meetings to produce accurate & timely meeting minutes.

If all that wasn't enough, Marj has been a devoted volunteer to the South Orange Resuce Squad, volunteering countless hours of her "spare" time to further help the community.

I am sure I have left off many other of Marj's accomplishments and talents, but I just wanted to wish Marj & her husband well in their new life. She should just know that things in South Orange will never be quite the same again.