Chris Tamburro

Dr. Christopher Tamburro was elected to the Verona Township Council in May, 2021, and began his term on July 1, 2021. He served as a council liaison to the Neighborhood Traffic and Safety Committee and as a member of the Open Space Trust Fund Advisory Committee. In 2023, he was elected by Township Council to serve as mayor, beginning his term on July 1. He is a Class I member of the Verona Planning Board, Chair of the Open Space Trust Fund Advisory Committee, and liaison to the Verona Environmental Commission.

Chris began serving Verona as a high school teacher in 2008. He quickly realized that there was something special about the Verona community. It was a welcoming town where people supported one another in good times and more difficult ones, rallying around individuals and families in need. Chris saw the unwavering community spirit that bound together the residents. Chris soon left his cherished hometown of Long Valley, NJ and moved to Verona in 2010.

Chris is a high school social studies teacher, who started in Verona teaching world and United States history. He has been the mock trial coach for 15 years, helping students expand their knowledge of the legal system and develop argumentation and advocacy skills. Chris was one of the inaugural advisors of the Euro Challenge program in which students compete nationally to analyze economic issues in the Euro Area and provide real-world solutions to panels of experts. Chris currently teaches AP Microeconomics, AP Macroeconomics, AP U.S. Government and Politics, Constitutional Law, and Criminal Justice. He was the first winner of the student-selected faculty kindness award, was the first student-selected homecoming king, and was the subject of an award-winning student essay on a teacher of impact. Chris was recognized as a honored educator by Springfield College, a distinction for which he was nominated by a VHS graduate. Chris enjoys working with students both in and out of the classroom, and endeavors to develop both their academic and life skills.

An Emergency Medical Technician since 2002, Chris served his hometown as Chief of the Long Valley First Aid Squad. In this capacity, he concurrently served as a sworn Township department head, managing the service’s portion of the municipal budget as well as a municipal-owned fleet of seven vehicles. He was co-chair of the non-profit corporation’s board of trustees. Chris joined the Verona Rescue Squad in 2009, and served in several leadership capacities, including many years as assistant chief. He continues to respond to medical emergencies as a member of the organization. Chris was appointed a deputy emergency management coordinator for the Township in 2016 and has taken an active role in municipal preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts. He serves as a deputy EMS coordinator for the Essex County Sheriff’s Department Office of Emergency Management.

Chris is a consultant on labor and employment matters for the New Jersey Education Association. In this capacity, he works with school employees on matters including contract negotiations and enforcement, alternate dispute resolution, internal budget and fiduciary matters, bylaws and parliamentary procedure, public budget analysis, training, and professional development. He is a sought-after speaker on labor relations and has presented to both labor and management audiences. Chris has lectured on the university level on negotiations and conflict resolution in labor relations from his unique perspective as someone who represents both labor and management interests.

Chris serves as an adjunct lecturer in the department of education at Caldwell University, teaching a class in the Ph.D./Ed.D. program on public and private administration and policy development. He is the Vice President of the New Jersey Council for History Education. He previously served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Montclair History Center and the Verona Historical Society.

He holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science from The College of New Jersey, a Master of Arts in Teaching from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and a Doctor of Letters with Distinction in historical studies and fine art and media studies from Drew University.

He owns a house in Verona which he shares with his dog Radar, who is a popular attendee at Township events.