President - Maria Z. Carvalho
Office Hours
Tuesdays 5:30pm-7:00pm (by appt only)
Term: January 3, 2024 through Reorganization meeting January 2027
Maria Z. Carvalho was born in Lisbon, Portugal and immigrated with her family to the United States and settled in Elizabeth at the age of 4. Her experiences of growing up in Elizabeth and graduating from Elizabeth High School in 1990 helped shape her life’s work and her commitment to the city that provided her professional and public life to uplifting the Elizabeth community and championing youth development programs and organizations in the spirit of a quote from Maya Angelou, “If you get, give. If you learn, teach.”
Maria has been employed by the City of Elizabeth for 36 years, during which she has served on the city’s Planning Board of Adjustment and is currently Director of Planning and Community Development. She has also made her mark within in the community both locally and regionally, including her service as Vice President of the Elizabeth Youth Soccer Club, a member of the Union County Open Space Trust Fund Advisory Board, Commissioner on the Union County Board of Taxation, a member of the Groundworks Elizabeth and the Elizabeth Portuguese Lions Club Board of Directors, and Sport Director of the Portuguese Instructive Social Club.
Maria’s tireless work in the Elizabeth community has led to significant personal achievements, including her selection as Grand Marshall of Elizabeth’s Portugal Day, her selection as a Women of Excellence by the Union County Commission on the Status of Women, being honored by the Boy Scouts of America (now Scouting America), and being the first female elected Democratic Chairperson of the City of Elizabeth.
Maria extends her gratitude to the members of the Elizabeth community who have entrusted her with serving as a member of the Elizabeth Board of Education as well as her fellow Board members who have graciously selected her to serve as its President for a second time during 2026. As President, some of her greatest priorities are to work closer with the children of Elizabeth Public Schools, to have more face-to-face conversations with them, to help build their courage, and to celebrate their hard work, dedication, and teamwork.