Hudson County Community College Welcomes Edward DeFazio to Board of Trustees
March 2, 2023
Former Hudson County Prosecutor and Superior Court Judge Edward DeFazio was sworn in as Hudson County Community College’s newest Trustee on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.
March 2, 2023, Jersey City, NJ – Hudson County Community College (HCCC) has welcomed longtime Hudson County Prosecutor and Superior Court Judge Edward DeFazio as the newest member of the HCCC Board of Trustees (BOT). Judge DeFazio was sworn in at the Board’s regular meeting on February 21, 2023.
“On behalf of the entire HCCC community, we are very happy to welcome Edward DeFazio to the College’s Board of Trustees,” said HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber. “Judge DeFazio has a long and outstanding record of public service and leadership in Hudson County and will be a great asset to the HCCC family.”
A Jersey City native, Edward DeFazio is a lifelong Hudson County resident who has more than 40 years’ experience in public service. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Fordham University, and his Juris Doctorate from Seton Hall University Law School.
DeFazio began his career as Assistant Hudson County Prosecutor and rose through the ranks to become Homicide Unit Chief. He then served as Chief Judge of the Jersey City Municipal Court before returning to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office as First Assistant Prosecutor. A decade later he was appointed New Jersey Superior Court Judge. DeFazio left the bench in 2002 to serve as Hudson County Prosecutor for two five-year terms.
In 2012, DeFazio was appointed to the Superior Court bench where he served for seven years before entering private practice at the law firm of Bruno and Ferraro. He is licensed to practice law in New Jersey, New York, and before the United States Supreme Court.
Edward DeFazio’s professional affiliations include the New Jersey State Bar Association; member, Past Officer and Trustee of the Hudson County Bar Association; member and past President of the North Hudson Lawyer’s Club; member of the New Jersey Death Penalty Study Commission; and State Director to the National District Attorney’s Association. He was named the 2006 “Lawyer of the Year” by the New Jersey Commission on Professionalism in the Law.
“We look forward to working with Judge DeFazio and utilizing his extraordinary knowledge of Hudson County and the law as we continue to provide our students – and our entire community – with the very best educational opportunities,” said HCCC Board of Trustees Chair William J. Netchert, Esq.
The HCCC Board of Trustees is the governing body of Hudson County Community College and is responsible for leading, advocating, and supporting the College’s mission; ensuring fiduciary responsibility; establishing overarching goals and policies; and hiring, supporting, and evaluating the President.
The HCCC Board of Trustees is comprised of eight individuals appointed by the Hudson County Board of County Commissioners; and at least two individuals appointed by the Governor. Trustees maintain their trustee status until they are reappointed or replaced by the appointing authorities. The HCCC President serves as an ex-officio member, and the College’s student body elects a representative from the graduating class to serve one year as a non-voting student alumni representative.
“I am honored to have been chosen as a Hudson County Community College Trustee,” Judge DeFazio stated. “The College is a treasure, an incredible resource for our community, and together with my fellow Board members, Dr. Reber, and the entire HCCC team, we will continue accomplishing great things here.”