Aura Dunn serves as the Assemblywoman for New Jersey’s 25th Legislative District, representing Morris and Passaic Counties. First appointed to the Assembly in 2019 and later elected with record-breaking votes, she has quickly earned a reputation as an effective legislator and problem-solver who always puts people before politics.

Before joining the Assembly, Dunn spent over 30 years in public service and advocacy, including as District Director for Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, a budget analyst on education policy for the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, and as a policy advocate for organizations such as Sesame Workshop (the creators of Sesame Street) and PBS.

Raised in Brooklyn, NY and Arlington, VA, Dunn eventually settled in Mendham, NJ, where she is an active member of the community. 

Dave Helmer is the Executive Director of the Morris County Parks Commission

Lisa Bolton is the visionary founder of The Dandelion Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing grief support, education, and healing resources to individuals and families affected by loss, trauma, and substance use disorder. 

Born in Livingston, New Jersey, and later residing in Randolph, NJ, Lisa’s early years were shaped by the strong communities and values of northern New Jersey. (If you would like to add more about her childhood or family in NJ, I’m happy to help integrate that.)

Her personal journey through grief and loss deeply informs her work:

She lost her first-born son, “DJ,” in 1989 (a miscarriage), an experience that marked the beginning of her grief journey. 

Years later, she lost her stepdaughter, Quinn, in 2015 to Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis. 

In 2019, she lost her daughter Kerri to a heroin overdose laced with fentanyl and carfentanil. 

Melanie is the Curator of Collections and Exhibits for the Morris County Park Commission.