Four Elected to Mountain Lakes Council

MOUNTAIN LAKES — A total of 10,664 votes were cast for the four available seats on the Mountain Lakes Borough Council.

Current Mayor David Shepherd did not seek re-election and his term ends on December 31, 2020. Janet L. Horst elected to Borough Council in 2016 also did not seek re-election.

Lauren Barnett receiving the highest amount of votes was elected to Borough Council in 2016.  She has been an active member of the Mountain Lakes community since moving here in 2008 with her husband Dan and three children.  Lauren served on the board of the Home & School Association and the Mountain Lakes Sailing Association.  She chairs the Briarcliff Book Fair and has been active in coaching travel soccer and Destination Imagination, a youth program that celebrates innovation and teamwork.  Lauren has over a decade of experience in management consulting.  She was a Senior Engagement Manager for the Strategy & Change consulting practice of IBM Global Services and also served as the Business Operations Manager for the practice.  Lauren has a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.

Cynthia Korman was elected to Council in 2016.  She has lived in Mountain Lakes since June 2000 and has been a long time member of the town’s League of Women Voters.  Cynthia has been a Junior Track coach and is a member of the town’s Garden Club and Mountain Lakes Professional Womens’ Forum. She and her husband are the proud parents of three Lakers. Cynthia has owned a small healthcare-industry-focused consulting practice since 1993 and has served on the boards of several professional associations.  She has a BA in Political Science and an MS in Public Policy Analysis from the University of Rochester, and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Khizar Sheikh<  has called Mountain Lakes home since 2007 with his wife Nadia and two sons and brings his legal, business, and community service skills and experiences to Council. He has served as Zoning Board vice-chair, Environmental Commission Chair, Economic Development Committee member, and Little League executive board member and coach.  He has built a successful law practice that provides cybersecurity, privacy, and technology services to sophisticated companies and has led community non-profits that protect families and children.

Says Sheikh, “Mountain Lakes is a wonderful home for my family. I am running to preserve what makes Mountain Lakes great and help it thrive. My goal is to unify different views to find common ground as one community, and make the complex understandable so each resident – regardless of background or belief – has a voice in our community’s priorities and the management of the borough.” He is a graduate of Hamilton College (BA, 1996, Biochemistry), Rutgers University (JD, 2003), Leadership New Jersey (Class of 2010), and Leadership Morris (Class of 2013).

Christopher Richter is a 30-year resident of Mountain Lakes holding a BS in Civil Engineering, University of VT and a Masters in Civil Engineering & Construction Management, Stevens Institute of Technology. He is married for 31 years with three children. Richter has 35 years of professional civil engineering, land planning, and real estate project management and development and is an NJ-licensed professional engineer and planner. He is a Member of the Mountain Lakes Board of Adjustment (17 years); Chairman of the Mountain Lakes Board of Adjustment (8 years); Member of the Mountain Lakes Economic Advisory Commission; Member of the Board of Governors at Rockaway River Country Club; Member of the Facility Committee of Interfaith Food Pantry (Prior Board Member); Volunteer coach for youth softball, baseball, football and basketball and a Member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.

Khizar Sheikh and Christopher Richter are newcomers.

Lauren Barnett, Cynthia Korman, and Khizar Sheikh ran on the same platform “One Community Mountain Lakes.” Kelly Holliday was also on that ticket but came in the last place.