COURT HOUSE — Middle Township Business Administrator James Alexis “will be passing the baton off in two or three months,” to his replacement Mark Mallett.
The announcement was made Monday at 8:30 a.m. by Mayor F. Nathan Doughty at a press conference in the municipal meeting room. Department heads attended the event which included the announcement of Kimberly Tomkinson as municipal clerk and Donald Arndt as construction official.
Mallett, of Court House, was accompanied by his wife of 18 years Maria Gautreau Mallett and the couple’s children, Kathleen, 15, John, 13, Ann, 10 and Julia, 8.
All the children attend Middle Township schools. The family has made their home in Middle Township for 10 years, and lives on Romney Place.
Proximity to his new office will trim one car from the municipal fleet, said Doughty.
Mallett’s commute of about three blocks will be “by hoof or with a bike. It will be a great savings,” said Doughty.
Doughty said there were “roughly 62 applicants for the job and we interviewed 25.”
“It was quite an experience for all three of us,” the mayor said.
He lauded Alexis, a former committeeman, who “came on board in 1977.”
He served on the zoning board, and continued in the public works department. Alexis has been business administrator for 13 years.
“I congratulate Jim Alexis on the fine job he has done for the township, and will continue to do for the next three months or more,” said Doughty.
Mallett has been active in municipal youth wrestling programs and the Home School Association.
“I’m real excited to get more involved,” he said.
Mallett said he wants to, “build upon what Jim has done and continue to provide service to the public.”
His salary as business administrator will be $93,000 annually.
Mallett had a “successful career for over 20 years in the casino, hotel and food and beverage industry with roles in finance, operations, marketing and development,” according to a release.
He has worked with AC Coin and Slot Service, Inc. in Pleasantville, as director of corporate finance for nearly four and a half years. In that post, he was responsible for strategic planning, analyses, forecasting, and budgeting and capital planning.
Prior to that, Mallett worked for Harrah’s Entertainment for 13 years. His career started in Memphis, Tenn. conducting hotel feasibility analyses for the Promus Hotel division, which included Hampton Inns and Embassy Suites brands.
That job led to director of gaming development where he evaluated and developed new casinos for Harrah’s.
He then moved into casino operation where he held a variety of positions in finance, strategic planning and analysis and casino marketing at Harrah’s properties in New Zealand and Atlantic City.
His last post with Harrah’s was as director of finance for the Harrah’s and Showboat casinos in Atlantic City.
Mallett earned a Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration from Cornell University and an MBA from University of Rochester.
After Mallett’s introduction, Committeeman Steve Barry announced that Arndt, a North Cape May resident, would assume the title of construction official on the retirement of James Cannon.
Arndt’s wife, Theresa, and 6-year-old son, Benjamin, accompanied him to the conference.
Arndt is the son-in-law of former Cape May Mayor William G. Gaffney, who also joined the occasion.
Committeewoman Susan Atkinson DeLanzo then reported that Tomkinson, who has been serving as deputy municipal clerk, would become the next municipal clerk, a post that Alexis assumed upon the retirement of Township Clerk Sharon Coco.
Contact Campbell at (609) 886-8600 Ext 28 or at: al.c@cmcherald.com