<< BackKean Alumna Leads the Way
Sandra
Haimoff ’65 has an impressive history of making a difference – in her
career as a speech language specialist and in the service she has given
to the public. Today, she is the new mayor of Millburn, N.J., elected in
January 2008, two years into her second term on the Township Committee,
and with 12 years of previous dedication to the Millburn Board of
Education. “I
enjoy interacting with the people of Millburn very much,” Haimoff said.
“And I receive great satisfaction from the fullness of serving the
community.”
Haimoff started her career in Fairlawn, NJ, as a speech correctionist who helped create the state’s first speech pathology program for secondary school. In 1965, she earned a Master’s degree in speech pathology at Kean (Newark State College), and went on to work in the Maplewood School District for 20 years as a speech therapist. “Newark State College was known to be the best school around for an advanced degree in speech pathology,” Haimoff said. “The instructors were the best, and my training was excellent.”
In addition to serving on and leading several Parent-Teacher Associations, Haimoff created the Millburn Municipal Alliance – the first drug awareness organization in local schools – and also served as Chairwoman of the Millburn Township Planning Board and a member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Along with her duties as mayor, she currently serves on the Community Service Award Committee and as liaison to the Millburn Environmental Commission. Her time is also dedicated to the Ordinance Review Committee and as a trustee for the Cora Hartshorn Aroboretum.
She considers her mother, who graduated from New York University at age 16, one of her greatest inspirations. Working for some time in accounting, her mother went on to earn a certificate at Kean (Newark Normal School) to become a teacher and worked outside the home while raising a family. Haimoff’s grandmother was also a significant influence and encouraged her to reenter the work force as a speech therapist after she had stopped working fulltime to raise her daughters. “Once my grandmother planted the seed, it became a challenge,” Haimoff said. “And one I am very grateful to have taken.”