John R. Lacy, Jr. is a native son of Hamilton having been raised and educated here before pursuing his undergraduate degree in Journalism at Rutgers University and thenresettling in Hamilton with his wife Joanne and daughter Shannon. Jack, Joanne, who retired with 38 years service as the fine arts teacher at Reynolds Middle School, and Shannon all graduated from the Hamilton school system. He also earned an M.A. in Political Science from St. Regis University.

Jack has been involved in Hamilton community activities all his adult life, starting as an honor student, athlete and student government member while attending Hamilton High School. After marrying and settling permanently in his beloved hometown of Hamilton, he became president of the Hamilton Jaycees, a civic service and community leadership training organization, as well as the Hamilton YMCA. Jack was chairman of the Hamilton Township Economic Development Commission before seeking the first of what would become six terms as a Hamilton Township Councilman.

As a Jaycees member Jack worked on such diverse community projects as the acquisition of the land now known as Veterans Park, establishment of the Hamilton Township Library, creation of Hamilton Hospital (now Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton), development of Adult Education in Hamilton, and bringing about the change in the form of Hamilton's government from the antiquated and inefficient township committee to the modern mayor-council form of municipal government.

Jack Lacy was Council President in Hamilton 12 times, Vice President three times and served as council liaison to the Planning Board, Zoning Board, Environmental Commission, Economic Development Commission, Recreation Committee, Rent Leveling Commission, and the Hamilton Partnership, the private-public economic development corporation.

He was instrumental in creating and expanding many projects and programs over his 24 years on the Township Council. He was there for the development of Veterans Park, with Septemberfest and the park's athletic fields, playgrounds and passive recreationareas as well as the concerts and fireworks on major holidays, to the acquisition and development of both Kuser Farm Park, with its concerts and Winter Wonderland, and Sayen Gardens, with the famous annual Azalea Festival on Mothers' Day. He also sponsored and/or voted for such varied community improvements as the rent leveling ordinance, the ecological center, timely leaf and snow removal, stable property tax rates, master planning for economic development such as the Hamilton Marketplace, office of senior citizens programs and the senior center, neighborhood crime watch, police foot and bicycle patrols, fair and respectful labor relations, and expanded youth athletic programs.

While having a very full and productive community life, Jack Lacy served professionally as Director of the NJ Human Resource Development Institute in the NJ Dept. of Personnel, the Deputy Director, Marketing of the NJ Lottery Commission andDirector of Special Projects and Alumni Affairs of Mercer County Community College. He also managed to cram into his busy life the founding and operating of Lacy Communications and JR Lacy Associates, advertising, public relations and publishing counseling firms, and was the publisher and owner of the Mercer Messenger, Hamilton's former community newspaper. He was Executive Assistant to the NJ State Treasurer, Membership Relations Director of the NJ Taxpayers Association, Communications Manager of Sperry/Univac Corp. and Public Information Director of the Babe Ruth Baseball international headquarters staff.

Jack is listed in Who's Who in America and is a member of the Elected Officials Hall of Fame of the NJ League of Municipalities. He is currently a member of Hamilton Elks Lodge 2262 and Monsignor Crean Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and is president of the Original Hamilton Little Bigger League Graduates, Inc., an association of the first players ever in what has become the international Babe Ruth League Baseball organization. Relatively few Hamiltonians realize that the worldwide Babe Ruth League program was founded at Switlik Park in the Yardville section of Hamilton in 1951 and Jack was there as a player.

As one of his former council colleagues said of him recently, "His passion for Hamilton, his exceptional knowledge of our community, his vast experience in municipal government and his commitment to restoring dignity, honor and dedication to our municipal government makes Jack Lacy the absolutely ideal candidate to be the next mayor of Hamilton." We couldn't agree more and we hope you do, too.