COUNTY PARTY CHAIR

Essex County

Chairman Philip Thigpen

Philip Thigpen is Chairman of the Essex County, New Jersey Democratic Committee. He coordinates elections and Democratic Party -related activities in the 22 municipalities in the county. In his capacity as Chairman he selects candidates to run for county and state elective offices. He manages the Committee’s budget and fundraising activities. He has held this position since 2001 and has been elected 3 times. Mr. Thigpen has also been an elected official, serving as an Essex County Freeholder and as a City Councilman in East Orange, New Jersey. Mr. Thigpen was also director of the Essex County Department of Planning and Economic Development where he had overall responsibility for the development and implementation of fiscal and administrative policy in issues such as economic and physical planning and solid waste disposal.

From 1980 to 1987 Mr. Thigpen was Vice President of Urban Data Systems, Inc., of Newark, New Jersey, a computer forms manufacturer. His responsibilities included sales, and acquisition of raw material related to the production of computer forms.

Prior to joining Urban Data Systems, Inc, Mr. Thigpen was Executive Vice President of Leon N. Weiner & Associates, Inc., a real estate development firm based in Wilmington, Delaware. Mr. Thigpen ran a joint venture with Campbell Soup and RCA to develop low and moderate – income multifamily properties in other locations in the east and Midwest. He was a member of the National Association of Homebuilders ad was Chairman of its Affirmative Action Committee.

Mr. Thigpen was a graduate from Seton Hall Prep and Seton Hall University, where he received a B.S. degree in Business Administration. He also received an M.A. from St. Louis University in St. Louis Missouri, and was an Urban Fellow at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

At Seton Hall Prep, Mr. Thigpen was a two- time national champion in the 880 yard run. In college, Phillip Thigpen was national champion in the half –mile and was three –time national champion in the 1000 yards. He is a member of the Seton Hall Prep Athletic Hall of Fame and Seton Hall University Athletic Hall of Fame.