Cumberland County Mayors Take “Greatest American Cleanup” Pledge to Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday

MILLVILLE, NEW JERSEY. (May 20, 2026) – To celebrate America’s 250^th Birthday, the New Jersey Clean Communities Council, in collaboration with Keep America Beautiful and the Greatest American Cleanup, is encouraging mayors throughout the Garden State to take the “Greatest American Cleanup” pledge. The Authority and the Cumberland County Clean Communities program are proud to support this initiative and hosted a Pledge Ceremony on Tuesday, May 12.

Mayors, Committee Members, and Municipal Clean Communities Coordinators joined together to celebrate the Pledge Ceremony with Executive Director of the New Jersey Clean Communities Council, JoAnn Gemenden. Five of Cumberland County’s municipalities were in attendance, with representatives from Deerfield Township (Mayor Abigail O’Brien, Ronald Shinn, Public Works Supervisor/ Deerfield Clean Communities Coordinator), Hopewell Township (Tom Tedesco, Deputy Mayor and Rosa Brambila, Municipal Clerk), Lawrence Township (Mayor John Tisa and Chris Davis, Public Works/Lawrence Clean Communities Coordinator), City of Millville (Mayor Dan Dixon and Christopher Finch, Millville Recycling and Clean Communities Coordinator), and City of Vineland (Bob Dickenson, Business Administrator and Sharon Flaim, Director of SW, Recycling Coordinator/ Vineland Clean Communities Coordinator).

“The New Jersey Clean Communities Council’s collaboration with Keep America Beautiful continues to grow thanks to the effort of our Cumberland County partners,” said JoAnn Gemenden, NJCCC Executive Director. “The Authority’s May SWAC meeting provided a great opportunity to interact with Mayors and learn about their commitment to litter prevention activities.”

The “Greatest American Cleanup” pledge reads: “Today, I join the NJ Clean Communities Council’s commitment to a cleaner, greener and prouder NJ and pledge to join the Greatest American Cleanup. By working together, we can make our neighborhoods more beautiful in time for America’s birthday on July 4, 2026.” 

With this pledge, mayors promise to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary through action by conducting a litter cleanup. These towns joined thousands of communities across the country committed to reducing litter and promoting environmental stewardship in honor of this historic nationwide event. With the help of the New Jersey Clean Communities Council and the Cumberland County Clean Communities Program, many municipalities in Cumberland County have already achieved this goal!

“The Authority and the Cumberland County Clean Communities Program is proud to support the New Jersey Clean Communities Council and its initiatives,” said Samantha DeFrancisco, Cumberland County Recycling and Clean Communities Coordinator.

“Thank you to NJCCC Executive Director, JoAnn Gemenden, as well as Cumberland County’s Mayors and Clean Communities Coordinators for joining us to take the pledge.”

“The Authority continues to prioritize NJ Clean Communities initiatives in its everyday efforts to keep Cumberland County beautiful. In 2025, the Cumberland County Clean Communities removed 60.1 tons of litter (120,200 pounds) from our roadsides. This pledge is another opportunity to showcase our county’s commitment to a litter free New Jersey,” said Dale Jones, President.

In addition to its environmental related initiatives, The Authority is responsible for the development, financing and project management of projects and programs most vital to sustaining the economic and environmental future of Cumberland County and the state of New Jersey. The Authority works in tandem with the Cumberland County Board of Chosen County Commissioners to foster greater economic growth, business development and quality of life for all Cumberland County residents.