Meet the Candidates
Jim Van Arsdale
Jim is a lifelong resident of New Jersey. He and his wife Connie have lived in Green Brook for nearly 30 years. Both of their adult children, Kathryn (Kat) and James, attended IEF, GBMS and graduated from Watchung Hills. Jim served on Green Brook volunteer boards (primarily Land Use and Open Space) for 10 years prior to being elected to the Township Committee in 2018. He was re-elected in 2021. During his time on the Committee, he has served as Deputy Mayor and is in his third year serving the community as Mayor.
He graduated from The University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business, where he received his BS in Finance. He received his Master of Public Administration from Kent State University in May 2024. Jim has worked in the banking/finance/wealth management field for over 35 years and recently retired from UBS after a 20-year career. He is currently the managing member of JR Van Arsdale Consulting LLC.
Jim serves on Green Brook Troop 129’s Operating Committee and works with many of our local Boy Scouts as a merit badge counselor. He enjoys mentoring Master of International Business students at The Darla Moore School of Business and serves his high school alma mater as a member of the Board of Trustees of Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, GA. He was recently nominated to join the Board of Advisors of Kent State’s Master of Public Administration program. Jim’s nonprofit work has also included serving on local and statewide United Way boards. In addition, he is a former President of the McCarter Theatre Center’s Associates Board, located in Princeton.
Mayor
Bruce Martins
Bruce Martins has been a long time resident of Green Brook for almost 50 years and has been actively involved in the community through various forms of service. Bruce currently serves as a member of Green Brook’s Land Use Board, but his involvement in town service has spanned over two decades.
Bruce and his wife Tina have raised their two sons in Green Brook, where they attended school in the district and participated in town sports. Bruce coached Little League for several years during the time their sons played baseball, but also participated as a volunteer and coach for other sports and events offered in town. Additionally, Bruce was a member of the Green Brook School District Board of Education for twelve years. During this time, he held various roles, including chair of the Finance committee and key participant in the teacher contract negotiations. He was also appointed as the Green Brook liaison to the Watchung Hills Regional High School Board of Education, representing the Green Brook students in attendance. Bruce also held the position of President for the Green Brook School District Board of Education, for three years.
Bruce works in the power generation and gas transmission business and has been employed by Solar Turbines, a subsidiary of Caterpillar, for 30 years. He is currently the Principal Fleet Manager for the Northeast region. Bruce holds a Bachelors Degree in Engineering from Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, Maine, and a Masters of Science in Management from NJIT located in Newark, NJ.
Our Vision
Our vision for Green Brook is to strive for stable taxes and renewed focus on economic development. Green Brook is a great place to live, work and play. We pledge to continue doing the things that made it that way!