Heat. Heat. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Good morning, distinguished guests, elected officials, family members, and friends. Welcome and thank you for joining us as we gather for an important moment in our civic life, the
inauguration of the Honorable Sam Joshi, mayor of Edison, and three council members. My name is Gail Policowski and I have the honor of serving as the master of ceremonies today. For 14 years, I served as the principal
of one of Edison's two great high schools. During my time at John P. Stevens High School, I had the honor and privilege of working with Sam Jooshi as a student. As a high school principal, one of the greatest privileges of my career was to
watch students grow into leaders, not just in their professions, but in their character and service to others. When Sam was a student at JP Stevens, he stood out not because he sought attention, but because he was deeply
engaged. He was involved in school life, curious, and thoughtful. In particular, Sam had a strong interest in history and government. He studied, learned, questioned, and came to understand how
decisions are made, how communities are shaped, and how leadership carries responsibility. Even then, it was clear to those of us working with him that he understood that government is not about power, but about
service. Sam's success did not happen by accident. He comes from a family that instilled in him respect for others and a strong work ethic. Those values were evident every day in
how he treated others, in how he followed through on commitments, and how he approached challenges with determination and humility. And those same values are evident in his work today. As educators, we hope our students leave
us prepared not only for careers but for citizenship. Sam is a wonderful example of that hope fulfilled. His journey from student to elected mayor of his town speaks to the power of
education, family values, and a genuine desire to make a difference by serving others. Mayor Johi's story is a remarkable example for all students that leadership
begins long before a title and that dedication, integrity, and respect truly matter. We at JP Stevens knew then Sam would be successful, and now we have the privilege of experiencing that success
firsthand in our wonderful community of Edison. Now, ladies and gentlemen, please respectfully rise and remain standing for the presentation of colors by the Edison Fire and Police Honor Guard.
Please remain standing. Edison Police Chief Thomas Bryan will lead us in the pledge of allegiance. Good morning. Please join me for the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag United States of America and to the republic
for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Amanda Misaro will sing the national anthem. Oh, say can you see
by the dawn early light, what so proudly we held at the twilight last gleaming,
whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight. Or the red parts we watched
were so gallently streaming. And the rock is red glare. The bombs bursting in air
gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star spangle
Ber yet or the land of the free and the home of the
brave. Bunny, funny. Please be seated. At this time, we will proceed with the administration of the oath of office for council member elect Kelly Dimma, being sworn in by Assemblyman Robert Carabincek.
Kelly Dimma is a lifelong Edison resident, proud Edison High School graduate, and a devoted mom and wife. She has spent years serving local families as an executive board member at the Lindenau Elementary PTO, a coach and
cheer coordinator with the Edison Jets, and a leader with Edison High School student and parent organizations. Kelly currently serves as a Middle Sex County Democratic Committee woman and she is looking forward to continuing to serve the community she has always
called home. I, Kelly Dimma, >> do solemnly swear >> do solemnly swear >> that I will support >> that I will support >> the Constitution of the United States >> the Constitution of the United States >> and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey
>> and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey >> that I will bear true faith >> that I will bear true faith >> and allegiance >> and allegiance >> to to the same. >> To the same. and the governments >> and the governments >> established in the United States >> established in the United States
>> and in this state >> and in this state >> under the authority of the people >> under the authority of the people >> and that I will faithfully >> and that I will faithfully >> impartially >> impartially >> and justly perform >> and justly perform >> all duties >> all duties
>> of councilwoman >> of councilwoman >> for the township of Edison >> for the township of Edison >> according to the best of my ability >> according to the best of my ability. >> Help me God. >> So help me God. >> Congratulations. >> Council member elect Robert Kentos will
be sworn in by Mr. Michael Lombardi Esquire. Robert Kentos is a 15th generation Edison resident who has worked in engineering and information technology for over 30 years. Rob is currently the president of the Matuchen Edison
Historical Society and a trustee for the Danish Cultural Center and Museum of Edison. He is a Middle Sex County Democratic Committeeman in Edison's district 20 and a volunteer and supporter of the Edison Open Space Advisory Committee and the Edison
Greenways Group. >> I state your name. I, Robert John Kentos, >> do solemnly swear >> do solemnly swear >> that I will support >> that I will support >> the Constitution of the United States >> the Constitution of the United States >> and the Constitution of the State of New
Jersey >> and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey >> and that I will bear true >> and that I will bear true >> faith and allegiance >> faith and allegiance >> to the same >> to the same >> and to the governments established >> and to the governments established >> in the United States
>> in in the United States >> and in this state >> and in this state >> under the authority of the people >> under the authority of the people >> and that I will faithfully >> and that I will faithfully >> impartially >> impartially >> and justly >> and justly >> perform all duties
>> perform all duties >> of councilmen >> of councilmen >> for the township of Edison >> for the township of Edison >> according to the best of my ability >> according to the best of my ability >> so help me God >> so help me God >> congratulations Council member elect Bureau Patel will
be sworn in by Assemblyman Robert Carabinek. Bureau Patel is a former president and member of the Edison Board of Education and a proud father. He has also served on the Edison zoning board and water utility advisory committee. He is
currently a member of the Thomas Edison center at Menllo Park and an active volunteer with several nonprofit organizations including BAP Swam Orion Mandear in Edison. Bir is guided by his motto in the joy of others lies our own
and he remains committed to serving the Edison community. Thank you. Okay, please repeat after me. I state your name. >> I, Biral Patel, >> do so swear or affirm >> do solemnly swear
>> that I will support >> that I will support >> the Constitution of the United States >> the Constitution of the United States >> and the Constitution >> and the Constitution >> of the State of New Jersey >> of the State of New Jersey. that I will bear true faith
>> That I will bear true faith >> and allegiance >> and allegiance >> to the same >> to the same >> and to the governments >> and to the governments >> established in the United States >> established in the United States >> and in this state >> and in this state
>> under the authority of the people >> under the authority of the people >> and that that I will faithfully >> that I will faithfully >> impartially >> impartially >> and justly >> and justly perform all the duties >> perform all the duties >> of councilmen
>> of councilmen >> for the township of Edison >> for the township of Edison >> according to the best of my ability >> according to the best of my ability. >> Congratulations. >> Thank you. So help me go. Welcome to Edison, the sixth largest
municipality in New Jersey. Home to over 100,000 residents and a daytime population that rises past 150,000. They say all roads lead through Edison and it is true. We sit at the crossroads of New Jersey's major highways, Route 1, 287,
440, the Parkway, and the New Jersey Turnpike, connecting people, businesses, and opportunity. Our school system ranks among the best in the state and the services that we provide to residents exceed most municipalities. With 32
parks, nearly one per square mile, all renovated and improved, Edison is built for families, community, and a quality of life. We're also known as the restaurant capital of New Jersey. With more authentic ethnic cuisines than anywhere else in the state, our retail
sector is thriving, especially at Menllo Park Mall, one of New Jerseys premier shopping destinations. Edison is also home to the largest industrial complex east of the Mississippi River, powering jobs and fueling our region's economic engine. And when it comes to
entertainment, we host some of the top attractions in New Jersey, including places like Topgolf, Albatross, and Supercharged, among others. Edison is the place to live, work, and raise a family. A diverse community representing
every demographic where everyone belongs. This is our home. This is Edison. Please join me in welcoming the Honorable Phil Murphy, Governor of the State of New Jersey. Good morning.
Thank you, Gail. You're doing a great job. Um, thank you so much. Hello, Edison. Uh, Sam had I said this to Mikey that Sam had promised a large crowd today. I'm sorry he couldn't deliver. I think there are more people here than
there will be at the Giants game this afternoon. >> Not as many Cowboy fans though. Uh it is an incredible honor to be here this morning. I won't keep you long, but I wanted to be here for my dear friend Sam
and his extraordinary first lady Niati. Uh also to the council members who were just sworn in. I congratulate Rob, Kelly, and Biral. uh and to all of team Edison and team Middle Sex. Uh this is an extraordinary state and Middle Sex
County and then within Middle Sex County, Edison uh are the heartbeat of this great state. Uh to all Yeah. Uh to all of the extraordinary uh VIPs, elected officials, I want to acknowledge
my dear friend, your chairman, Kevin McCabe, this morning. Kevin, bless you. The speaker of the general assembly, my partner in government for the past eight years, Craig Coughlin. and to the cavalcade of members of
commissioners, mayors, members of the state legislature, all of whom are extraordinary constitutional officers, extraordinary leaders. And what a treat. I'm the 56th governor of the great state of New Jersey. What a treat to have the
57th governor of the great state of New Jersey, Mikey Cheryl. Mikey, I've only got 16 days to go, so I'm starting to get the hips. Um, listen, to say that I know Edison deeply
is an understatement, and I know what I was thinking about this, Sam, I know it really through three dimensions. One is public safety. the extent, and the speaker knows this and his colleagues, the extent to which we've been able to pass forwardleaning,
forwardthinking public safety laws, especially as it relates to the scourge of home invasions, autothefts that have not just come upon New Jersey, but the United States. That's due to Edison and Sam
Joshy's leadership. So Sam, thank you. Secondly, it's the small business community here. It is unlike any other community in our state. That video was great. It highlighted in particular your great restaurant culture. Uh but the
small business community is where we've spent Sam and I and colleagues an enormous amount of time focused on growing that culture. Uh it is the envy of the state. I would argue the nation. And then thirdly and finally and Sam and Niati and Tammy who sends her best
wishes and I have traveled throughout literally up and down India pitching Edison. Uh and let me say unequivocally two things. Oak tree road are three words that are known the world over. I promise you
that. And secondly, I have dubbed Sam, after all, given who our president is, I can get away with these assertions. I believe it's true. Sam is the mayor of the fastest growing Indian community
outside of India in the world. I believe that's true. Again, it is an incredible honor to be with you all. Happy New Year. Please help me welcome your mayor, Sam Joshi, and the next governor of the great state of New
Jersey, Mikey Cheryl. Come on down and the great first lady and the great Edison Niati. You're speaking well. It is wonderful to be here today. Thank you, Edison, so much for having me. Um, the governor just spoke about
all of the wonderful elected officials we have and public servants. And I just want to take a moment to highlight how special it is that all of you are here today. You know, we are on the eve of celebrating the 250th
anniversary of this great nation. And here in New Jersey, it's where it all began. And it's where we are continuing to fight for all of those things that represent the promise of our great nation. And as I look across at all of
you, as I think about the fact that we are about to swear in again Edison's youngest elected mayor, the first South Asian mayor of Edison. I think it just demonstrates so clearly
how Edison continues to fulfill that promise, that vision that we all have. A place where you can have your children get a great education. Have everyone have a seat at the table. Ensure there's opportunity for all. That we continue to
fight for small businesses and working families and everybody who wants to have a shot here in this nation. and ensure that your kids can maybe do just a little bit better than you've done. That's what we all want to build
as families, as parents, as people across Edison. So, I want to thank you for allowing me to be here. It's a true honor, Mayor Johi, to swear you in today. But the real honor is seeing how many people have come out to see this
great event. And I hope, like I always do, you get a little bit of a chill when you hear that oath that the mayor's about to take and that several of you have just taken. So, thank you all so much. I really appreciate you having me.
And now for the big event. Oops. >> Okay. So, you have your right hand up. Please repeat after me. I, Samep Jooshi, >> I, Sam Jooshi, >> do solemnly swear >> do solemnly swear >> that I will support >> that I will support
>> the Constitution of the United States >> the Constitution of the United States >> and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey >> the Constitution of the State of New Jersey. that I will bear true faith and allegiance >> that I will bear true faith and allegiance >> to the same
>> to the same >> and to the governments >> and to the governments >> established in the United States >> established in the United States >> and in this state >> and in this state >> under the authority of the people >> under the authority of the people >> and that I will faithfully >> and that I will faithfully
>> impartially >> impartially >> and justly >> and justly >> perform all the duties >> perform all the duties >> of mayor >> of mayor for the township of Edison. >> for the township of Edison. >> According to the best of my ability. >> According to the best of my ability.
>> Congratulations, Mayor. >> Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you, Governor Phil Murphy. Uh, it's been a pleasure to get to know you over these past few years and we are going to miss you very much.
say that on behalf of Edison. I don't know what you plan to do next, but I think it'd be pretty neat if you ran for president. Just saying. Uh, but we will miss you sincerely. And to all the other elected officials that are here, by the way, there are three uh
Mayor Lanki couldn't be here because he has the flu. Uh, otherwise he was planning on coming. But we have Mayor Jun Choy and Mayor Rigiano here as well. along with so many other uh dignitaries. Good morning everyone. I am truly
humbled and honored to stand before you today as your mayor for the next four years. First off, I would like to thank my wife, Nati, Edison's first lady, for her unwavering support over the last several
years. I would also like to thank my parents and my family who have seen me grow, learn, and work to become the person that I am today.
And to my staff from Sonia, Cat, Bob, Pat, Mary, and Chelsea, I thank you for your hard work and dedication throughout all these years. and to our three outgoing council members, Margot Harris,
John Pointer, and Nish Patel. As your tenure as elected officials comes to an end, your legacy will re be remembered as one of the most productive and positively impactful council
members. So, thank you. And lastly, and most importantly, I want to thank all of you. I'm not standing here today because of anything that I did alone. I'm standing here because of your support, your
trust, and your constructive criticism that keeps our team grounded and striving to do better. Over the last two election cycles, our community has shown just how unified it is. In two highly
contested races, you placed your trust in us. first at 68% of the vote in June and in November that support grew to a historic 72%
achieving the highest percentage of margin and a record high turnout in Edison Township. I share those numbers with you to highlight that not despite but because of our differences,
Edison is clearly united in wanting strong and steady leadership, real progress, and a shared vision for our future. Your trust in our local government continues to deliver.
I genuinely believe that across our 32 square miles, Edison families want mostly the same thing for our future. And even when we may not be able to agree on every issue or how to achieve
those results that we want to see, we have so much more that brings us together than what divides us. public safety, paving our roads, lowering our expenses, and a community
that we are proud to call home. My vision for the next four years is simple. It is a more unified, a united and involved Edison with leadership that you can be proud of. A place where all
of our youth, our families, and seniors can feel heard, supported, and most importantly, included. The truth is that there is no one clear solution in local government. The
magnitude of work that needs to get done requires a lot of intensive planning, involvement, and execution. And with that in mind, I congratulate our newest council members, Kelly Dimma,
Robert Kentos, and Berl Patel. I am confident that they will lead us to facilitate a better Edison for our future. As Edison celebrates its 250th anniversary, we acknowledge how far we've come in New
Jersey and especially Edison Township, which proudly consists of every background, every age group, every demographic, and every walk of life. With such a wide range of demographics, it's natural that we won't always share
the same priorities or the same viewpoints. And sometimes our interests will compete. But that is exactly why it is so important that we focus on where we agree instead of where we differ.
Having knocked on tens of thousands of doors and hosting nearly 500 neighborhood community meetings all over Edison, many of which you were there. I know firsthand that there's more issues that we can agree on than
disagree. We can have those tough conversations and disagree better. I genuinely believe that because of the strength of reach of our community, Edison's positivity sets the tones for others.
And I'm saying that and I know there's a couple mayors here, too. I want to remind you that your municipal government is here to serve you all. To the naysayers or to those who
continue to challenge my administration bringing in good government, just know that Edison Township is more unified than it has ever been before. That is just the truth. As your mayor, these past four years,
I've never taken lightly the weight of our community's challenges. Over the coming weeks and heading into my fifth state of the township address on February 3rd, my team will announce timelines for our goals and key
appointments to positions and with the help of the council continue the progress of turning vision into action on behalf of the residents of Edison because you deserve nothing less than a government that works 247
in the best interest of our community and I ask for your continued support towards that. As we work to build towards that goal as the pressures on public officials grow, I want you to know that I will
keep putting my best foot forward. I will keep working with every family and voice in our township. Your involvement and passion have fueled the progress over the last four years.
and will continue to drive us over the next four. We can't control national politics, but we can make sure that your trust in local government continues to deliver.
And as we look ahead, I promise you that we will continue to work tirelessly for Edison and focus on the things that matter to our community as a whole. We were able to accomplish an unprecedented amount of work in an
unprecedented amount of time. And our historic 72% margin of voters shows you that you want to see more of what we were already able to do. Edison knows that this administration is not just
words and promises, but rather actions and results that you can see, which is the steady lead leadership that you deserve from all of us elected officials. And although we have been able to accomplish so much over the last four
years, we still have so much more to do. We will continue to collaborate with all levels of government to bring resources and opportunities to our community. We will continue showing up every day doing
our best, pushing for progress and keeping our families in mind when making these decisions. And most importantly, we will continue to listen to you.
Your feedback, your concerns, your ideas and hopes for Edison will guide our work and together we will build on this tremendous momentum and honor the trust that you have in us to keep moving
Edison forward. I am invigorated by the confidence that you have shown and I look forward to serving as your next mayor for the next four years. Thank you. Congratulations, Mayor Johi.
We are honored to be joined this morning by many distinguished elected officials and guests. Foremost our governor, Governor Murphy, Governor Elect Cheryl. Your presence means a lot to Mayor Johi, but you have moved the entire community uh by being here. So, thank you very
much. And we have a lot of officials. So, please hold your applause until all the names have been announced. and distinguished guests, if you would please stand when your name is called. Congressman Frank Palone, Senator
Patrick Dagnen, Assemblyman Robert Carabincek, Assemblyman Sterley Stanley, Middle Sex County Sheriff Mildred Scott, Middle Sex County Clerk Nancy Pin, Director of Public and Government
Affairs John Carroll, County Commissioners Clarabel Escon Kona Barber, Chanel Scott McCullen, Leslie Copel, Charlie Tamaro,
Charles Kenny, Director Ronald Rios, Deputy Director Shanti Nara, County Surrogate Clarabel Cortez, State Chairman Leroy Jones,
Chairman of Middle Sex County Democratic Organization, Kevin McCabe, County Vice Vice Chair Beatrice Moscowitz, our honorable former mayors Thomas Lanki, Antonio Reigniganiano, Jun Choy,
Edison Council President Marggo Harris, Vice President John Pointer, Council Members Nish Patel, AJ Patiel, Richard Brasher, Joseph Coyle,
Asso, mayor of Matuchen, Jonathan Bush, Mayor of South Brunswick, Charlie Carly, Mayor of East Brunswick, Brad Cohen, Mayor of Piscataway, Brian Waller,
Mayor of Woodbridge, John McCormack, Mayor of Montgomery, Nina Singh, Mayor of Carter, Daniel Ryman, Mayor of Paripany, Pulkit Desai former council members Michael Lombardi
Esquire Alvaro Gomez and Leonard Sundelski superintendent of Edison schools Dr. Edward Aldderelli, CEO of BAPS North America. Canoe Patel.
Now you may applaud. And there are so many of you that serve the community behind the scenes on committees. We thank you very much for all that you do for our community. And thank you all. This concludes the inauguration of the
mayor and council members. We are so grateful that you joined us today. A big thank you and congratulations to the staff crew and everyone who worked in front of the scenes, behind the scenes for making this ceremony a success. We
wish our mayor and new council members every success as they begin their term of office. The ceremony is now adjourned. Have a pleasant afternoon. What do you think my for the best. 1 2 3
Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat.