GOP’s Thornton, Sheppard Seek Open Seats on Freeholder Board

CREST HAVEN — Republican freeholder candidates, Gerald M. “Jerry” Thornton, an incumbent, and Sue Sheppard, an Ocean City councilperson, are seeking two seats on the five-member board.
They have proposed a convention of local and county elected officials to discuss ways to share services, reduce the size of government and lower property taxes.
Thornton and Sheppard, “once elected, also plan to work with state officials in order to provide incentives for businesses to locate in Cape May County, “according to a release.
During the primary election campaign, Thornton and Sheppard identified the Cape May County Airport as a prime location for the county, state, Lower Township and Delaware River and Bay Authority to partner to bring companies with high-wage, year-round jobs to Cape May County.
Sheppard was elected as the 3rd Ward councilperson in May 2008. She is a 1988 graduate of Villanova University with a BS in Business Administration and a Finance Concentration as well as a 1991 graduate from Widener University School of Law, Cum Laude.
Sheppard was an associate in the law firm of Blank, Rome, Comisky & McCauley specializing in labor and employment law.
Later she was the managing attorney for the New Jersey Offices of McCabe, Weisberg & Conway where she was a general litigation trial attorney.
Presently, Sheppard runs her own law firm in Ocean City. She is the author of numerous articles published in legal periodicals and is a frequent seminar presenter.
Sheppard served as a trustee of Ocean City Free Public Library from 2002 until her election to council. She has been a religious education instructor for St. Augustine Church for over seven years and a volunteer sports coach for the Ocean City Recreation Department.
Sheppard is married to Frank Faverzani, and is the mother of three school-age children, Frank, Nora and Mark.
Thornton, a retired wine salesperson, was first elected a freeholder in 1995. He served as freeholder for 11 years (1976-1987) and is former freeholder director, a post he held for two years.
Thornton attended Kellogg Community College; University of Maryland (Overseas Extension); U.S. Air Force, 11 years active duty (Honorable Discharge); Non-Commissioned Officers Academy; Technical Schools: Air Traffic Controller; Space Tracking and Telemetry; Automatic Radar Management and Supervision; Former member of Board of Elections, eight years; 1980 member of Presidential Electoral College.
He is currently the county’s director of Health and Human Services.
Among his affiliations are South Jersey Freeholders Association; American Legion Post 193; former member of Rotary and Optimist; Cape May County Union League; American Association of Retired Persons; Villas Fishing Club; and member of Local 18, AFL-CIO.
Thornton’s freeholder responsibilities include Board of Social Services; Crest Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center; Department of Aging; Health Department; Human Services; R.S.V.P.; Veterans’ Bureau
He is also freeholder liaison to: Association of Intellectually Disabled Citizens; Atlantic Human Resources, Inc.; Board of Social Services; Cape Counseling Services; Cape Human Resources; Cape Mediation; Council on Aging; Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse; Drug Addiction and Drug Care Programs; First Call for Help; Human Services Advisory Council; Insurance Fund Commissioner; Jersey Cape Diagnostic, Training, and Opportunity Center, Inc.; Mental Health, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Board; Professional Health Advisory Committee; Public Health Advisory Committee; Retired Senior Volunteer Program; United Way, and Workforce Investment Board.