By Julia Train
In 2022, Dr. Thelma Witherspoon made local history as the first Black woman to serve on the Hamilton Township Committee. This year, she’s running for the position again.
Born and raised in Atlantic City, Witherspoon’s path to politics was inspired by the work of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black congresswoman, whom she admired during her high school years.
“I never dreamed that I would be in politics at this end, but that’s where it started,” she said.
Witherspoon’s first political role was on the Atlantic City Board of Education for two years, where she served as vice president and president. Under her leadership there, along with the board members, ground was broken for two new elementary schools — New York Avenue School and Sovereign Avenue School — and renovations were started for the Uptown Complex, Chelsea Heights and Martin Luther King schools.
The seed for her political involvement, however, was planted when she worked for the City of Atlantic City and helped with Mayor Mike Matthews’ grassroots campaign, where she knocked on doors and made phone calls.
After a 35-year career in Atlantic City government, including roles in revenue, finance and the police department, Witherspoon retired and moved to Mays Landing in 2016. A few years later, she was back to work at the Atlantic County Special Services School, which she retired from on Feb. 28.
When Witherspoon moved to the county seat, her passion for civic engagement continued as she became involved in township meetings and local committees, including the Historical Preservation Commission.
Frustrated by unreturned calls to local leaders, she decided to run for office herself, determined to ensure other residents’ voices would be heard.
In 2018, she was elected as Atlantic County committee person-at-large of Hamilton Township. In June 2022, she was elected as the vice chair of the Atlantic County Democratic Party.
Leading with integrity and collaboration
Now in her role as a Hamilton Township committee woman, Witherspoon serves on the Planning and Public Works subcommittees. Her duties include attending bimonthly meetings, studying proposals and engaging with community concerns.
Despite being the only Democrat among four Republicans on the committee, Witherspoon emphasized the importance of working collaboratively.
“I have to say that we do work together. We don’t always agree on everything, but I’ve learned how to agree to disagree respectfully, and I vote my conscience. For the most part, we collaborate, because we have a lot of redevelopment, we have a lot of things that are going on in the township,” she said. “It takes everybody working together in order to get things done in the township, and that’s what I wanted the residents to see, that it didn’t matter if I was the only Democrat and they were all Republican, my responsibility was to those who elected me.”
Witherspoon’s approach to leadership is listening to her constituents. Whether through social media, public appearances or direct conversations, she makes it a priority to understand residents’ perspectives.
One of her proudest achievements has been the construction of a new concession stand and restroom facilities at the Liepe Field, replacing portable toilets that had been in use for 16 years.
“To see that coming to fruition, I was just so excited about that, so I was able to talk about that and speak up about that,” she said. “[That] was something that I saw, that I felt needed to be done, and it happened, but it didn’t happen with me alone.”
Celebrating community and diversity
One of Witherspoon’s key initiatives has been celebrating women’s contributions during Women’s History Month. During the month of March, the township committee honors local women who have made significant impacts with proclamations recognizing their achievements. This initiative, now in its second year, reflects Witherspoon’s commitment to inclusivity and community recognition.
Witherspoon’s vision for Hamilton Township centers on responsible development, fiscal accountability, and continued community engagement. She is particularly excited about new projects, including the upcoming arrival of Amazon, which will bring economic growth to the area.
As Witherspoon prepares for re-election in November with her running mate, Yvette Soto, her focus remains on maintaining Hamilton Township’s status as one of the best places to live in New Jersey.
Julia is a recent Rider University graduate, where she studied multiplatform journalism and social media strategies. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, trying new coffee shops, photography and the beach. She can be reached at juliatrainmedia@gmail.com or connect with her on Instagram @juliatrain
