The Honorable Commissioner Sara M. Sooy, recognized as one of New Jersey’s most “Powerful Women in Politics”, began her career in public service at the age of 22 – earning her the distinction of being the youngest female elected official in NJ State history. She is currently serving her second term on the Somerset County Board of Commissioners, overseeing an annual municipal budget of $250m. Ms. Sooy was previously elected to serve on the Somerset Hills School District Board of Education, a post she held from 2015 to 2018.
With a life-long focus on sustainable community development, the tangible improvement of the treatment of the underserved and the protection of the environment, her public service extends beyond the Board of Commissioners. Ms. Sooy also currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (a federally-funded municipal planning organization with a $2b annual budget focused on sustainable development), as well as the following Boards or Advisory Boards: Somerset County Business Partnership, Commission on the Status of Women, Cultural Diversity Coalition, Health Insurance Commission, Home Investment Partnership Program, LGBTQ+ Advisory Board, Mental Health Board, New Jersey Association of Counties, Raritan Valley Community College, Raritan Valley Rail Coalition, and Rutgers Cooperative Extension. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.
Ms. Sooy also previously worked for the NJ State Economic Development Authority and as a Senior Analyst for Investors Bank. She is the founder of Alpha Strategies Group, LLC and a member of the Board of Directors for a NASDAQ-listed public company focused on extending banking and remittance services to the Latino community. Commissioner Sooy holds an MBA from Rutgers University and a BA from St. Francis College.