Nancy Adams elected Maplewood mayor for 2024

Nancy Adams was elected Maplewood mayor for 2024 on November 21. She will be the second female mayor. The first was Ellen Davenport who served as Maplewood mayor from 1994 to 1997.

“It’s going to be very busy,” said Adams who is taking on more responsibility, as she’s also a Board member of Downtown New Jersey and has served on the Maplewood Planning Board since 2010.

Maplewood residents don’t vote for a mayor. Adams was selected, unanimously, by the five members of the Maplewood Township Committee. She will take office Jan 1. Dean Dafis, the current mayor, will retain the position until then.

Former mayor and long time committee member Victor DeLuca said he supported Adams for mayor.

“I’ve backed Nancy in every one of her primary elections and look forward to her taking on the role as chair of the Township Committee,” DeLuca said. “I am excited that for the first time in Maplewood’s 100 plus years, we’ll have two women leading the town; Nancy Adams as mayor and Jamaine Cripe as deputy mayor.”

Adams, who works as the executive director of Summit Downtown, is a specialist in downtown revitalization. She founded a Business Improvement District and worked with Pier Village in Long Branch and the downtown area of Red Bank.

Adams moved to Maplewood in 1989 with her now ex-husband and three small kids. She wanted a walkable school district and loved the character of the town.

“Homes were similar, but not identical,” she said. “It’s just a beautiful town to live in.”

That is how she felt originally because she didn’t know anyone at the time. Now, it’s all about the people.

She served as president for the League of Women Voters of Maplewood and South Orange, and as a district leader with the Maplewood Democratic Committee. She co-founded the College Hill Neighborhood Association and co-founded the Springfield Avenue Partnership. Since 1996 Adams has been director of Downtown Management.

Adams has been serving on the Maplewood Planning Board since 2010, regularly pushing applicants for better projects and improved design advocating for what’s best for the Township. She’s spearheaded several environmental initiatives like banning gas-powered leaf blowers and plastic bags, along with her advocacy for replenishment of town trees on the streets and in the parks, plus fighting for the inclusion of green infrastructure in all road projects.

“Working in and within municipal government has given me a lot of insight of how municipal governments should run,” she said.
Adams’ main experience is downtown revitalization.

“My experience on Planning Board gave me insight of projects that come before you; the perspective of looking at what’s good for the town of Maplewood and the people who live here.

As for the future of Maplewood, Adams says, “The future is now, really. We are always actively working from a financial perspective, ways to increase revenue from taxes. Marijuana sales tax has been a nice boost.”

Adams feels that the town of Maplewood prides itself in being an inclusive and welcoming community—making sure everyone feels at home in the town.

“We talk about those things very openly,” she said. “I think that’s why people move here. They feel welcome and included. And nobody’s meant to feel they’re not welcome here. We’ve made a lot of strides in the last 10 years to make sure that’s the way people feel.”

Adams wants to make sure that everyone is heard: “I hope to serve the community with diligence and careful thought on decisions before us; make sure our perspectives are all heard, my colleagues’ perspectives are heard.”

  Maplewood, Mayor