West Orange Swears In First Female Chief Judge, Adds To List Of Local Trailblazing Women

WEST ORANGE, NJ — West Orange welcomed its first female chief judge during a swearing-in ceremony last week, adding to a growing list of trailblazing local women who have notched milestones in recent years.

Dawn Donohue took the bench as chief judge of the municipal court in front of a room packed with family, friends and supporters on Sept. 3.

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According to the township, Donohue has been a member of the West Orange community for 36 years and has served the court for the past nine years.

During the ceremony, Donohue expressed her gratitude to both her family and her court family, noting that the demands of the bench are truly a "24/7 commitment."

Mayor Susan McCartney, who was elected as the town's first female mayor, congratulated Donohue on her achievement and thanking her for her "dedication to the community and service to the municipal court."

"For many of our residents, their experience in municipal court may be their most direct interaction with our judicial system," McCartney said. "That means the manner in which justice is administered matters—not only in the outcome of an individual case, but in the confidence our residents have in the fairness, integrity and independence of our institutions."

In August, another milestone ceremony took place when the police department promoted its first female sergeant, Karen Mango.

• Related: West Orange Police Promote First Female Sergeant In Town History

Another landmark for the local government took place in 2024, when West Orange swore in its first-ever female town engineer. Zayibeth Carballo became the first woman to hold the position since West Orange created an engineering department in 1916.

• Related: Carballo Blazes Trail As West Orange's First Female Town Engineer

Also that year, West Orange High School graduate Vanessa Sofia Lettman blazed a trail as the first woman from the township – and the first woman of color from Essex County – to graduate from West Point.

• Related: West Orange High School Alum Graduates West Point

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