Planning Board Chair Brian Bauerle Appointed to Cherry Hill Council

When Brian Bauerle began his professional career in Cherry Hill in the late 1990’s, one of the first people he met was former Councilman N. John Amato.

That’s what made Thursday night so bittersweet for Bauerle.

“He was a mentor to me,” Bauerle, 39, said shortly after being unanimously appointed to succeed Amato on Council at Thursday night’s special meeting. “He did everything with Cherry Hill in mind.”

Amato died at the age of 82 following a bout with Cancer on Sept. 18. Elected in 1983, he was the longest serving member of council and an icon in the community.

Following his death, the Cherry Hill Democratic Committee nominated three people to fulfill the rest of Amato’s unexpired term, which lasts through Dec. 31, 2015.

Of the three names submitted, council appointed and approved Bauerle.

“For as long as I’ve known Brian, he has been committed to making Cherry Hill and the entire South Jersey region a better, stronger place to live and work, be it through his work on the Township’s Planning Board, in his professional capacity, or through his involvement in Cherry Hill youth sports,” Council President David Fleisher said. “As a member of Council, I know that Brian shares in our commitment to efficient, effective and transparent government, and will be a strong advocate for our residents and our neighborhoods.”

The reaction from the rest of council and the Township’s residents at Thursday’s meeting was similar.

“This was one of the last things I spoke to John about,” Councilwoman Carole Roskoph said. “He said to pick someone who was good and to go with out gut. John would be very proud and very honored that you’re sitting in his seat.”

“This was a wise decision,” former Mayor Susan Bass-Levin said, speaking as a resident during the public portion of the meeting. ”He will serve with distinction and he will be a unique asset.”

Bauerle realizes it will be tough to live up to the expectations set by the man referred to as “Mr. Cherry Hill.”

“When I first came here, I spent time with John, and he gave me his guidance and direction,” said Bauerle, who works as Director of Community Development for The Cooper Foundation at Cooper University Health Care. “I’m coming into a great situation. … Council passed a budget with no tax increase for the third straight year and the administration is doing a great job.”

If Amato was Mr. Cherry Hill, Bauerle is certainly no stranger to the Township.

He was appointed to the Planning Board in 2012, and in February was named Chairman.

“We were busy on Planning Board, but it was a good busy,” Bauerle said. “We had a lot of businesses that wanted to come here. That’s a testament to what the administration is doing. Not only the number of businesses, but the quality of businesses we were seeing was great to see.”

Bauerle, a father of three, is active in Cherry Hill youth sports, volunteering as a coach and serving on the Board of the Cherry Hill Soccer Club, and is a member of the Barclay Farm Swim Club.

He and his wife, Kira, are actively involved in their children’s school and extracurricular activities. They live in the Township’s Knollwood section with their three children, who attend Kilmer Elementary School.

Bauerle previously worked as Chief of Staff at the New Jersey Department of Transportation, and as Director of Government Relations for the State’s Department of Community Affairs. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from York College of Pennsylvania.