Ex-Montclair Planning Board Chair Earns Commendation From County

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A Montclair resident who served on the planning board for decades recently got a round of applause from the Essex County Board of Commissioners.

During the board’s last meeting, John Wynn earned a commendation from the commissioner board for his years of dedicated service to the township.

Wynn stepped down from his seat as chair of the Montclair Planning Board in May. He was first sworn in as a member in 1995. See Related: Longtime Chair Of Montclair Planning Board Steps Down

“I will miss doing this,” Wynn said, who added that the pressure of the job stopped being a burden after so many years, eventually turning into something that he looked forward to as a way of contributing to his community.

Wynn got another round of applause on the county level when Brendan Gill presented him with a commendation on behalf of his fellow board members.

The board offered some background about the longtime local resident – and his contributions to Montclair:

“John Thomas Wynn, a longtime Montclair resident, retired from his role as board member and chair of the Montclair Township Planning Board on May 20, 2024, after 29 years of dedicated service. John is a lifelong resident of Montclair, and was born at Mountainside Hospital. He is a graduate of Essex Catholic High School, the Johns Hopkins University, and New York Law School. John is admitted to the bar in New York and New Jersey and has been engaged in the practice of law for the past 43 years. In addition to periods of private practice, he mostly worked for large corporate organizations, including Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, Pathmark Stores, Inc. and LG Electronics USA, Inc., handling a wide variety of matters for his employers including litigation, commercial transactions, corporate operations, regulatory compliance and employment law. He retired from LG earlier this year. John’s community work includes serving as board president for over 35 years for Montclair Senior Housing Corporation, a non-profit running a senior housing development; as board member and vice chair for the Montclair chapter of the American Red Cross; as a trustee for the Montclair YWCA; and as board member and chair of Montclair Planning Board for the last 29 years. John has been married for 39 years to his wife, Caryl. Together, they have two adult children and one grandson.”

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