New Maplewood Mayor Frank McGehee Takes Helm

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Former Maplewood Deputy Mayor Frank McGehee was sworn in as the township's new mayor on Wednesday, Jan. 1. Dean Dafis was sworn in as deputy mayor.

The pair were nominated to the positions by the Maplewood Township Committee in November. Under Maplewood's form of government, voters elect three to five town committee members, who choose the mayor for a one-year term.

McGehee replaced longtime Mayor Vic DeLuca, who stepped away from the role after 14 years.

McGehee works for TIDAL, the music and video streaming service. He moved here in 2013 with his wife, Marie, and daughter, Madison.

Dean Dafis is an attorney and LGBT advocate who moved here in 2015 with his partner, Frank.

According to McGehee's bio on the Township Committee website, "Originally from the Hyde Park section of Chicago, Frank graduated from the University of Notre Dame and received his MBA from the University of Wisconsin Graduate School of Business. He is an analytical marketer with experience managing the strategic and day-to-day logistics for million dollar marketing budgets, staffs of up to 32 people with accountability for generating multi-million dollar annual top line revenue. Currently, as the Head of Global CRM for TIDAL, Frank oversees the retention of the subscriber member base, the core revenue stream of the business."

McGehee also lists "fun Frank facts" about himself on the town website, including that he loves barbecuing, reading books (in print, not Kindle), and enjoys running with his neighbors. He also owns a labradoodle dog named Sunshine.

The Township Committee meets at Maplewood Town Hall, 574 Valley St.

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