Livingston Councilwoman Honored By Essex County Commissioners

LIVINGSTON, NJ — Livingston Councilwoman Rosaura Bagolie was among five people honored last week by the Essex County Board of County Commissioners during its third annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration.

This event is held yearly to celebrate the accomplishments of and "honor outstanding Hispanic men and women of Essex County for their unique contributions to the Essex community and society as a whole," the board said.

The board recognized Marcia Almeida, a community leader from Montclair, Rosaura Bagolie, Livingston councilwoman; Nelson Barrera, a business and education leader from Bloomfield; Amiris Perez, a humanitarian leader from Newark; and Griselle Ponce of Newark, president of the Puerto Rican Day Parade, Inc.

“Today we celebrate Hispanic Americans and Hispanic culture,” said Commissioner Vice President Carlos Pomares. “Our honorees exemplify and are a reflection of the outstanding people in our Hispanic community who have done great things here in Essex."

“As a Hispanic American, I am certainly proud to take part in today’s ceremony. The Hispanic community is defined by our culture, history, pride, and diversity,” said District 1 Commissioner Robert Mercado.

Reverend Leslie A. Ramos, Senior Pastor of La Hermosa Christian Church in Newark, delivered prayers during the occasion, and the audience was captivated by the musical talents of singer Angelina Martinez.

They gave this biography of Bagolie:

The Honorable Dr. Rosaura “Rosy” Bagolie earned her master’s degree in Elementary Education and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership at Seton Hall University. She earned a second master’s degree in special education at Rutgers University. Rosaura has dedicated her life to education, starting as a public-school teacher, advancing to Director of Special Education and Principal, and now serving as Superintendent/Principal of the East Newark public school district.

In 2022, she successfully ran for Livingston Town Council in a fiercely contested race, becoming the first-ever Latina-Jewish woman to serve on the council. She is now running for Assembly on the Democratic Line in New Jersey's 27th Legislative District.

If she wins, she will become the second Dominican American to serve in the New Jersey Legislature and the only one sitting come January. She would also become the Legislature’s first Jewish Latina member.

Her family’s history of resilience, escaping Nazi persecution as Dutch Jews to find refuge in the Dominican Republic, inspired her throughout her life.