Colleen Mahr’s long career in public service spans thirty years. Fresh from college, Colleen served as a Mayoral Aide in the City of Jersey City and rose through the ranks to earn the post of Assistant Director of Housing and Economic Development of the City of Jersey City. Through the intervening years she has worked for several local governments with a focus on economic development. As her credentials developed, Colleen had the opportunity to apply her experience to her home town of Fanwood.
Mahr has represented Fanwood as Mayor since 2004 and is responsible for overseeing the transformation of its downtown, which had languished for decades. Downtown Fanwood now boasts of several redevelopment awards, including the distinction of being named the Best Small Town in New Jersey in a recent NJ Monthly magazine.
While growing the downtown, Colleen was growing a family too. At her first swearing-in in 2004 she held her first-born in her arms and is now mother to three active and growing sons.
Re-elected to an unprecedented 5th term as Fanwood Mayor, Colleen is one of the longest serving woman mayors in the State of New Jersey. Mahr considers it her responsibility to build the bench for women breaking into politics, and as such, has mentored countless women seeking to run for office.
A strong voice for her constituents, Mayor Mahr continues to lead a bi-partisan coalition of mayors along the Raritan Valley Rail Line to secure direct rail service to Manhattan.
Mayor Mahr is Past-President of the New Jersey League of Municipalities, an organization that represents 565 municipalities, a member of Mayor’s Against Illegal Guns, Past President the NJ Conference of Mayors, a founding member of Union County’s Mom’s Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, and a member of Climate Mayors, working with mayors across the US to maintain and expand environmental protections.
Mayor Mahr was recognized with the honor of being named among the Best 50 Women in Business Awards for 2017 by NJBIZ.
Mayor Mahr currently serves as the Administrator of the County of Somerset where she is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the County, which has been marked with a challenging portfolio, including the heavy responsibility of managing the County response to the COVID-19 crisis.