Women In Politics: Mona Montal - Ramapo Democratic Committee Chair

In a four-part series concluding today, Patch examines the impact on Rockland County of four female political leaders who are being honored by the Rockland Women’s Political Caucus today for their roles in the community.

These women keep a low public profile and do not get their names in the news very often. Their common goals are working on issues that impact the residents of their areas and helping their party’s candidates get elected to office. They are all honored to be recognized together. Patch finds out what motivates them.

Today: Meet Mona Montal who has returned as the Ramapo Democratic Committee chairwoman.

Mona Montal first got interested in political campaigns in college. She was elected class president and was active in student government and organizations while attending Yeshiva University Stern College for Women. She earned a degree in Psychology and Computers was her minor course of study. When she moved from Livingston, NJ, to Wesley Hills in 1987 she found herself quickly getting immersed in local politics.

Her road to becoming Ramapo Democratic Committee chairwoman got its start when she was asked by then town Supervisor Herb Reisman and Ramapo Democratic Committee Chair Rhoda Friedman to assist with a community night program. At the time, she owned a kosher restaurant. She described Reisman as her political mentor and both Reisman and Friedman as “titans of politics in Ramapo.”

“They asked me to help run a Jewish Life night. It was one of the most successful events they had,” Montal said. It attracted about 800 people.

She continued to help as a committee member and assist with elections. In September 1997, Montal was elected as Ramapo Democratic Committee chair, an office she remained in for three terms. During the same period, she was the director of purchasing for the Town of Ramapo, a position she held until 2001. Then she returned to private industry and worked at a school and concentrated on raising her 10 children with her husband, a gourmet chef.

In 2003, Montal ran unsuccessfully for mayor in Wesley Hills. More recently she returned to both of her prior positions in Ramapo. In September 2010, she was elected again as the committee chair and shortly afterwards resumed working as the town’s purchasing director. She is a certified professional public buyer and is working to be re-certified at the next level as a certified public procurement officer.

Montal acknowledged there are challenges ahead of her. Ramapo’s 340 members make it the largest Eemocratic committee in the county. Those members hold different ideas and opinions.

Montal, 49, plans to work on bringing organization and structure to the table. “I want to rebuild the committee so it functions like it used to,” she said. “We have to listen to other Democratic opinions in a more respectful manner.”

She has already sat down with the executive committee. She has begun meeting with committee members in groups of 20 determined by their legislative district. The ongoing sessions will be held in their districts or a central location. She wants to have continuing dialogues.

“I’m reaching out to everyone on the democratic committee to bring some sort of peace and harmony to what are difficult economic times,” she said. “There are things we can agree on and look for ways to build bridges. We can agree to disagree. Moving forward let’s find things we can agree on.”

Montal said the entire committee is required to meet four times yearly but she plans to gather members more frequently than that. “I do feel I have the leadership skills," Montal said. "I do feel I have the energy. My goal is to hear what people have to say. People are the essence of what we should be worrying about.”

The female political leaders, Mona Montal, Toni Fallon, Kristen Zebrowski Stavisky and Nicole Doliner, are being honored at the Quisqueya Sports Club in Haverstraw at 3 p.m. today. For more information about the event, which also features keynote speaker CBS Correspondent Nancy Giles, contact Emily Dominguez at emilydominguez@mac.com or 845-947-8532.