MANCHESTER – Township Officials seem to know the value of honoring their well-established staff members as well as welcoming new employees to the governing body’s critical departments.
In recent weeks Diane Lapp, the township’s long serving chief financial officer was awarded a proclamation from both Mayor Joseph Hankins for her work as well as former mayor and current Ocean County Commissioner Robert Arace.
Lapp spoke with some emotion as she noted her pride in working in the township’s finances department. “I’ve worked here for a long time and have been dedicated to this town. It will be hard to go…but I thank you all – I really do – and I have loved working for the town.”
She added, “I’m not done yet but I know it will be time soon. I appreciate the proclamations. You’ll never know what they mean to me.”
Pointing to Business Administrator Carl Block she said, “you are the one who started it. He’s my business administrator, was the county administrator and we’ve worked for a couple years now and it has been wonderful.”
In related news, Mayor Hankins joined members of the council in welcoming a new police officer to the department. He administered the oath of office to recently hired Patrolman Joseph Olszewski during the latest council meeting.
“I’m proud to welcome Patrolman Olszewski, a resident of our township with several years of law enforcement experience, to our department,” Police Chief Antonio Ellis said during the presentation.
Chief Ellis noted, “throughout the entire interview and hiring process, Patrolman Olszewski demonstrated his strong commitment to service, community, and his fellow officers.”
The officer was born in Trenton, raised in Hamilton, and went on to attend Mercer County College.
Ellis noted that Olszewski “worked as a Public Safety Telecommunicator for IXP Corporation, dispatching for the East Windsor Police Department. In 2020, he joined Trenton College of New Jersey as a security officer and became a public safety telecommunicator.”
“After completing Basic Police Officer Training at Monmouth County Police Academy in December 2022, Patrolman Olszewski became a full-time officer with the Trenton College of New Jersey Police Department, where he was well-regarded by his superiors,” the chief added.
The chief said, “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mayor Joseph Hankins, members of the Township Council, and Township Administration for their continued support of our police department and our mission to serve our residents to the highest possible level.”
The new patrolman will begin the Manchester Township Police Department’s intensive Field Training and Evaluation Program and during this training, he will be instructed and mentored by several highly trained and seasoned officers.
“We wish him success in his law enforcement career serving Manchester Township and its residents,” Chief Ellis added.
