Antonicello, Dick lead slates; Sabo runs for Assembly seat
WEST CAPE MAY — Seven people are seeking the three seats on West Cape May Borough Commission, including two incumbents running in slates against one another.
All three positions are up for grabs Nov. 4 in the borough, where Mayor Carol Sabo is not seeking re-election, opting instead to run for the state Assembly with fellow Democrat Carolyn Rush.
Deputy Mayor George Dick is running with Susan Hoffman and Ellen McDevitt for the four-year terms under the slogan “Keep WCM the Best Cape May.”
Dick and Alan Crawford were appointed in early 2023 to replace Dan Kurkowski, who resigned to join the county Superior Court, and Peter Burke.
Dick was then elected later that year for the remainder of the unexpired term, serving about three years total.
Commissioner Jack Antonicello is also seeking his second term. He was elected to Borough Commission in 2023, unseating Crawford for the remainder of the unexpired term. Antonicello received the most votes, 329, followed by Dick with 296 and Crawford with 179 votes for the two seats. He is running with Dawn Vitagliano and Hamilton Wilde under the slogan “Qualified. Capable. Ready to Serve!”
The final candidate, Joseph T. Gilmartin, is running alone.
The three candidates with the most votes will secure the seats and be sworn in during a meeting in early January.
The candidate profiles below were gleaned from information provided to the Cape May Star and Wave. Gilmartin did not respond to a questionnaire in time for this edition despite receiving advance notice.
WEST CAPE MAY BOROUGH COMMISSION CANDIDATES
GIACOMO ANTONICELLO
Giacomo “Jack” Antonicello, 61, and his wife have six children and three grandchildren, all living on Cape Island.
He said he has been a borough homeowner since 1999 and is “deeply rooted in the community I serve.”
Antonicello was born and raised in New Jersey, growing up in Jersey City with a strong sense of duty and community.
“From a young age, I was inspired by the values of service and protection, which guided me into a lifelong career dedicated to public safety and the well-being of others,” he said.
Antonicello is a graduate of John Jay College in New York City, where he developed knowledge and skills in public safety and criminal justice.
“With nearly 35 years of service as a first responder in New Jersey, I’ve worked as a firefighter — serving during the tragic 9/11 terrorist attacks — and fire captain and later as an arson investigator, combating dangerous crimes,” he said. “My career in emergency response has given me a unique perspective on community safety and resilience.”
Antonicello believes his time on Borough Commission has demonstrated his “commitment to our borough through thoughtful leadership and advocacy for residents’ safety and well-being.”
“My extensive background as a first responder provides me with firsthand experience in crisis management and problem-solving,” he said.
Prior to serving on the commission, Antonicello was a member of the Historic Preservation Committee. He also is a board member of Veteran & Patriots Post 1 and a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Fraternal Order of Police and the International Association of Fire Officials.
Additionally, he is the varsity baseball coach for Wildwood Catholic High School.
Antonicello said he wants to continue serving “because I’m passionate about preserving the unique charm of our borough and ensuring it remains a safe, family-friendly and thriving place to live.”
“My decades of service as a first responder have instilled in me a deep sense of responsibility to protect and support our community. I want to continue building a resilient future for West Cape May, where every resident feels heard and valued,” he said.
He believes his work experience lends itself to being a quality candidate.
“I bring a compassionate yet resolute approach to problem-solving, ensuring that decisions are made with the community’s best interests at heart,” he said. “My experience in arson investigation has honed my analytical and investigative abilities, which are invaluable in addressing complex local challenges. Additionally, my longstanding involvement in community organizations has given me a deep understanding of West Cape May’s needs and the collaborative spirit needed to address them.”
He believes the most pressing issues facing West Cape May today and in the future revolve around safety. That includes ensuring effective emergency evacuation routes to protect residents during natural disasters or other crises, as well as improving bike and pedestrian safety to prevent accidents and enhance mobility , he said.
“Alongside these, we must continue to address environmental resilience, historic preservation and balance the needs of residents with the impacts of tourism, but safety remains my top priority as it directly impacts every member of our community,” Antonicello said.
GEORGE DICK
George Dick and his wife, Debbie, have four grown children and now live in the borough with their Labrador Ravyn.
“Debbie and I both love being involved in the community. She volunteers with groups like the History Committee of West Cape May, Cape May MAC and The Nature Conservancy, while I help out at the Cape May Community Food Closet and also volunteer with The Nature Conservancy,” Dick said. “We both care deeply about giving back to the place we call home.”
Dick said he always believed in the power of community. He learned the “importance of showing up, pitching in and doing your part, whether that was helping a neighbor or being part of a team,” while growing up.
“Those early lessons stuck with me and have guided me through my professional career, my years as a coach and now in my role serving West Cape May,” he said.
Dick studied economics at Haverford College, then went on to earn a master’s degree from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.
He spent his career working in the chemical industry as a global business manager at the Rohm and Haas Co., where he worked with teams around the world, managed budgets and focused on long-term planning and problem-solving.
Dick said he always has had a passion for working with young people, coaching women’s lacrosse at Immaculata University and leading the Harriton High School girls lacrosse team to two state championships.
“Player development was a key to our team success, so I also ran the Lower Merion Youth Girls Lacrosse program and a successful lacrosse coaching business,” he said. “Coaching and mentoring have been a big part of my life.”
Dick believes his tenure on Borough Commission provided him with the experience to continue serving.
“It’s a role I take very seriously and one that has given me the chance to work alongside our town’s amazing commissions and borough staff,” he said. “We’ve worked on everything from infrastructure improvements to bicycle and pedestrian safety, to increasing transparency in how local government operates.”
Outside the borough, Dick serves on the Cape May Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee and the Cape May County Local Road Safety Steering Committee. He also is a fund commissioner and member of the executive committee for the Joint Insurance Fund that serves Atlantic and Cape May counties.
Dick said he wants to continue serving because “I truly care about this community. I love the people, the environment, the history and I want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to protect what makes West Cape May so special.”
He believes his education and work experience make him a quality candidate
“I bring a mix of real-world experience and community leadership. My background in business taught me how to manage budgets, solve problems using fact-based analysis and think strategically,” he said. “Coaching taught me how to listen, lead with empathy and work as part of a team. And my time on the commission has taught me that there’s no substitute for doing your homework by reading every report, asking the right questions, and following through until the right solution gets completed.”
DAWN VITAGLIANO
Dawn Vitagliano has lived in the borough since 2019, when she and partner Barry Bittenmaster bought and “lovingly restored” their historic home.
“My heart has been tethered to Cape Island since the 1980s, when I first dreamed of owning a piece of this small farm town by the seashore,” she said. “Now you’ll find us pedaling bikes or strolling through our vibrant community with our 10-year-old black Labrador, Tank, and soaking in its unique blend of history and coastal charm.”
Vitagliano, who calls herself a “Jersey girl through and through,” has lived in the Garden State since 1978. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Montclair State University in 1987 and began a career at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
She recently retired from a 23-year career at Johnson & Johnson, which took her across the globe, leading teams in clinical research and medical science.
“As a Global Trial Leader in the neuroscience department, I played a role in bringing a groundbreaking treatment for major depression to FDA approval — a career highlight that still fills me with pride,” she said. “Later, as part of an elite process-improvement team, I earned a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification and delivered millions in cost savings, sharpening my knack for efficiency and problem-solving.”
In West Cape May, she serves as a board member and officer of the West Cape May Taxpayers Association.
“I helped launch this organization to amplify community voices, champion transparency and keep residents informed on the issues that matter,” Vitagliano said.
As a regular at Borough Commissioner meetings, she said she has “spotted opportunities to elevate our town’s communication by improving the borough website, streamline business and financial operations, consolidate services and keep transparency front and center.”
The mother of two sons said she has a clear vision for the borough.
“I’m committed to finding cost-effective ways to enhance our town’s beauty and safety while preserving the small-town magic that makes us special,” she said.
Vitagliano said she is cognizant of the fact that the borough is filled mostly with senior citizens.
“I’m acutely aware that many of us rely on fixed incomes, and I’ll fight to keep our tax burden manageable while honoring our rich history,” she said.
SUSAN HOFFMAN
Susan Hoffman and her husband, Wayne Hoffman, are the parents of identical twin daughters and the grandparents of four granddaughters.
She was born in Scranton, Pa., but lived in numerous cities in the state because of her father’s career, finally settling in Allentown.
Hoffman earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Penn State University and started a career as a high school health and physical education teacher and gymnastics coach, but retired from teaching to stay home until her daughters started school.
When she returned to work, she moved into the field of marketing and public affairs.
“I worked for the local chamber of commerce, a large regional bank and finally moved into health care, where I spent most of my professional life,” Hoffman said.
She retired as head of marketing and public affairs for Lehigh Valley Health Network, a multi-hospital system serving eastern Pennsylvania.
Since retirement, Hoffman said, she has dedicated herself to serving the borough and surrounding community. She served as festival director for the Cape May County Coast Guard Foundation and, for the past eight years, has served as secretary of the West Cape May Shade Tree Commission. More recently, she was elected vice chair of the borough’s Historic Preservation Commission.
Hoffman said her family has been vacationing in the borough since the 1980s.
“We fell in love with the area’s small-town charm, history and surrounding beauty. We were fortunate to buy a house here more than 15 years ago, and since that time have chosen to make West Cape May our permanent home,” she said.
Hoffman said she is running for Borough Commission because the sees “things that drew us here being threatened.”
“Together, we are committed to upholding the principles of effective leadership, sound fiscal management and steadfast service to the West Cape May community,” she said. “Our most important objective is to preserve the unique character of West Cape May.”
She said they recognize there is a delicate balance between growth and preservation.
“We will work diligently to ensure future progress blends with our borough’s history and natural beauty,” Hoffman said.
Her more than 30 years of experience in community affairs, grant writing, special events, government relations and marketing make her a quality candidate, she said.
“My work has resulted in grants to perform a tree inventory in West Cape May and to plant more than 40 trees along the streets, the distribution of over 6,200 saplings to community residents and the planting of more than 140 trees on private property in our borough,” Hoffman said, noting she also championed a program to provide continuing education to Historic Preservation Commission members.
Hoffman believes the top issues facing the borough are development and the resulting strain on infrastructure, pedestrian and bicycle safety, and preserving and creating open space.
“We need a comprehensive review of our zoning regulations to ensure they meet the demands of today’s development,” she said. “West Cape May’s growth over the past 10 years has been exponential. Small cottages are being torn down to make way for larger homes. Single homes on larger lots are being replaced with two or three dwellings.”
HAMILTON WILDE
Hamilton Wilde, 29, operates her family’s Willow Creek Winery and Farm in the borough, where she shares a multigenerational household with her partner, mother and uncle.
“Living and working together has taught me the value of cooperation, hard work and respecting everyone’s voice at the table,” she said. “It keeps me grounded in what matters most: family, community and taking care of the land we call home.”
Wilde grew up in the borough and has “loved this community for as long as I can remember.”
“Being raised here shaped who I am and gave me a deep appreciation for our small-town traditions, from neighborhood gatherings to the annual Lima Bean Festival,” she said.
Wilde graduated magna cum laude from Muhlenberg College and earned a law degree from Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law on a full academic scholarship.
During law school, she worked at the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation, where she focused on exposing waste, fraud and abuse in government — “experience that has prepared me to bring greater transparency and accountability to West Cape May,” she said.
Wilde is a founding member of the New Jersey Farmers Cooperative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
“Today, I am a second-generation businesswoman and farmer, managing operations on my family’s farm and advocating for small farmers across New Jersey,” she said.
Wilde feels her connections to the community make her a quality candidate.
“My life and work are rooted in West Cape May. I understand firsthand the challenges facing small businesses, farmers and homeowners. As a founding member of the New Jersey Farmers Cooperative, I’ve worked collaboratively with stakeholders across the state to strengthen local food systems and support agricultural businesses,” she said.
She said her combination of legal training, investigative experience and hands-on work in small business “uniquely equips me to serve the borough with both practical knowledge and a commitment to integrity.”
In addition to her professional life, Wilde has been involved in organizing community events, supporting local nonprofits and collaborating with neighbors to solve problems.
“My background in planning and logistics has given me firsthand experience balancing competing priorities, listening to stakeholders and finding creative solutions — all skills that translate directly to public service,” she said.
Wilde said she wants to serve because “I love West Cape May — its history, its farms, its neighbors. I want to protect what makes our town special while planning wisely for its future.”
She believes local government should be transparent, responsive and collaborative, and wants to ensure resident feels heard and represented.
Wilde said she is running as West Cape May’s future.
“As the youngest candidate by 30 years, I have the energy to accomplish anything, and as a lifelong resident, I am determined to ensure that the incredible experience I had growing up here is still available for the next generation,” she said.
Wilde said the top issues include balancing growth while protecting the borough’s green spaces, history and small-town charm; addressing flooding, road maintenance and pedestrian/bicycle safety; and ensuring residents have a voice in decisions that affect them.
ELLEN McDEVITT
Ellen “Ellie” McDevitt grew up in Pittsburgh in a neighborhood “peopled by immigrants who mostly worked in the steel mills.”
“I remember life being a cacophony of languages, cultures, customs and foods that was very different from the life my grandchildren live today,” she said.
The Penn State graduate worked her first job at KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, later moving to Washington, D.C., where she met her husband, Dave, a Philadelphia native, when they worked in child nutrition programs.
“He introduced me to Cape May, where his family’s had a home since 1944,” she said.
The mother of two daughters earned a master’s degree in adult and community education. The family built a house in West Cape May in 1987.
“My husband’s dream was to own a home here — a dream that we were able to realize but that middle-class families cannot realize today,” she said.
McDevitt opened Ellie’s Bakery in the borough so that families today could have the same experience as her daughters when they walked to Kokes Bakery on the Washington Street Mall to get sticky buns and snowflake rolls.
While she looks fondly back at the past, she is cognizant that “change is inevitable.”
She believes the best change comes with balance.
“That balance includes finding ways for middle-class families to live in West Cape May so that we have a strong base for community,” McDevitt said. “The community that I have enjoyed here since 1987 seems to be eroding and I think we need to find a way to encourage growth while maintaining the culture that makes West Cape May so special.”
Balance also involves finding ways to maintain the health of the borough’s natural resources — specifically water, she said.
“Homeowners want to have pools and beautiful lawns but we need to find balance between their rights as homeowners and the community’s rights for sufficient and safe drinking water,” McDevitt said.
She also feels that means finding better ways to communicate with residents to guarantee transparency.
“The law requires that notices of meetings be published and the borough does that. But I don’t think that’s enough, especially when big decisions are about to be made that affect the community for years. We can do better,” she said.
McDevitt believes her education and work experience make her a quality candidate. She has owned two businesses, developed programs, handled logistics, managed national projects, worked with trade unions and written and administered grants to help adults get better jobs.
She also has administered an adult literacy program, training volunteers to help adults learn to read and handle math in their daily lives, and administered a program helping people enter appropriate training for jobs that were not traditional for their gender, such as nursing for men and construction for women.
“I have hands-on leadership experience, not just in one field but in four — business, government, non-profit and education. And I believe all that experience has given me the tools to be a good commissioner for West Cape May,” McDevitt said.
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Cape May Star and Wave
