MORRIS COUNTY — Tayfun Selen of Chatham Township has taken his oath of office as Morris County’s newest member of the Board of Freeholders, and participated in his first meetings on Monday, joining in a county governing board work session and public meeting.
Selen, a 19-year resident of the Chathams, is a Turkish immigrant who came to the U.S. in 1996 and worked his way up from pumping gas in Madison to serving as a successful business executive, mayor and now county freeholder.
He was elected by the County Republican Committee on February 1 to replace Freeholder Heather Darling, who stepped down at the end of the year after winning election as the new Morris County Surrogate.
“Morris County has been a great place to live and raise a child and, eventually, a place to retire,’’ said Freeholder Selen. “I want to continue giving back to the nation that gave me the greatest opportunity of my life. I am ready to work hard as your freeholder.’’
Freeholder Selen is married with one daughter and has lived in the Morris County for the past 23 years.
He quietly took the oath of office for freeholder on February 10 so he could participate in this week’s meetings. He will have a ceremonial swearing in on February 26 at the Freeholder Board meeting in Morristown, where Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce will administer the oath of office.
Freeholder Selen is Senior Vice President of Administration for Lincoln Educational Services, which is the leading vocational training school group in the nation, with a presence in the 15 states. He is a member of the company’s Executive Team.
Prior to his role at Lincoln, he served as Global Director of Project Management for CB Richard Ellis, which is the largest real estate development company in the nation. In that role, he oversaw real estate functions for Hertz Corporation and Bank of America.
He also was Vice President of New Store Development for CB Richard Ellis and served as Assistant Managing Director at Montclair State University.
The new freeholder says he strongly believes in community engagement. He has served as a member of the Chatham Zoning Board of Adjustment, and a member of the Chatham Township Committee and Mayor of Chatham Township.
He also is a member of the Morris County Republican Committee and Chairman of the Chatham Township Republican Committee.
As mayor, Selen said he was responsible for reducing municipal property taxes, helping the township maintain a AAA credit rating, and helped reduce municipal spending by more than $200,000.
Selen has a seat on the Montclair State University School of Business Advisory Board, New Jersey Board of Nursing, and is President Elect of Madison Rotary Club. He holds Bachelor of Science in Architecture Degree from Istanbul Technical University and an MBA from Montclair State University, and he has achieved certification as a Six Sigma Black Belt from Rutgers University and Lockheed Martin.
In addition, he is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited professional certified by U.S. Green Building Council, a certified public accountant (CPA), and a certified Six Sigma Black Belt from Rutgers University and Lockheed Martin.
