By Lori Anne Oliwa
A prominently displayed photograph sits in Sheriff Kim Guadagno’s office. The subject matter is a graduation. The photograph bears the image of thirteen county corrections officers. “What do you notice in this picture?” Guadagno asks deliberately, traces of her background as a crime-fighting U.S. Attorney present in her voice. The answer is obvious; every uniformed graduate in that photograph is a man. Guadagno is quick, however, to point out that the sheriff’s office is not about gender. “Being a corrections officer is totally selfless and is a perfect form of public service,” Guadagno noted. “I am looking forward to seeing diversity based on qualifications,”
Sworn in this past January after a long and arduous campaign, Guadagno acknowledged some concern over voters’ perception of her gender. “I wondered when walking into a room if the audience would feel a woman could be sheriff. I used humor and explained my qualifications. I always walked out of the room feeling like I had won them over,” she stated. Guadagno always encourages more women to run for office and readily offers guidance. “There is a group of people who believe that women can’t multi-task, so just disregard those people. Women are certainly capable of multi-tasking. Women and men are able to balance their daily lives quite well,” she noted, emphasizing the word “and.” Her eyes blazing, Guadagno offered additional insights. “Don’t be afraid to get out there,” she said, remembering her successful campaign for Monmouth Beach commissioner.
More alarming to Guadagno is the poor perception that young people have of politics and public service. “According to the Council for Excellence in Government only one in ten young people want to run for office, and that is a shame,” she added. “I believe in the system; it works and is the best in the world,” Guadagno added. While she acquiesced that the system is not perfect, Guadagno wants more people to take action. “If you have the background, go do it. Be one of the honest ones, and stop complaining about dishonest politicians,”
The first female sheriff in Monmouth County and only the third in the state, Guadagno said that everyone has been very cooperative, supportive, and respectful during her transition into office. “There is a structure, a chain of command, and everyone needs to follow the rules,” she stated. Guadagno enthusiastically credited her family as her strongest system of support. “My husband is completely supportive, and so are my kids. They love it that I am the sheriff,” she said. Guadagno’s husband, the Honorable Michael Guadagno, is an Ocean County judge. They have three children, all boys, ages 15, 12, and 7. Guadagno also teaches legal writing at Rutgers University. “You juggle and just make it work,” she added. Conjecturing on her future as a role model for other women, Guadagno said she views herself as a vehicle to “push, support, and instill confidence in women who can do more. I want to get out and push those who need to be pushed,” she added.
According to Guadagno, the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office is one of the most highly accredited of any sheriff’s office in the country. “I will continue the accreditation process and support anything that enhances the safety and security of our citizens,” she said. “My legacy will be a continuation of that protection,”
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