Contributors

MATT ROONEY – Save Jersey’s Founder & Blogger-in-Chief

Matt Rooney

Then a 23-year old law student looking to make a difference in his home state, Matt Rooney launched The Save Jersey Blog in August 2008 without any fanfare, a $0 budget and a homemade Facebook group page. He began to write about both trending and under-the-radar topics in New Jersey politics. He had recognized a critical need for an independent, pro-taxpayer voice in the New Jersey media.

Over the next few years, Matt’s one-man blogging operation quickly blossomed into the primary online gathering place for New Jersey’s long-beleaguered conservative movement with thousands of weekly visitors (and some very vocal detractors, too). Since May 2008, Save Jersey has been repeatedly recognized in recent years as a force in New Jersey politics; most recently, Matt was named a “Rising Star” in state politics by Gannett’s New Jersey newspapers, a top politics and policy tweeter by NJSpotlight, and as #12 on Chasing New Jersey‘s ‘Chasing Power’ 2014 list for his work at Save Jersey. In 2012, he received the nationally-recognized Independence Hall Tea Party Association’s (IHTPA) 2012 Benjamin Franklin Award for Courageous Journalism.

Matt is a life-long New Jersey resident born at Camden City’s Cooper Hospital in 1984. When he’s not fighting for a freer and more prosperous Garden State, Matt is a practicing attorney at the South Jersey-based law firm of DeMichele & DeMichele, P.C. in Haddon Heights, Camden County, focusing on New Jersey family, personal injury, civil litigation and municipal court matters. He earned his Juris Doctorate in 2010 from the Rutgers University School of Law – Camden; in 2007, he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree and as a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. where he was an active College Republican leader.

Follow Matt: Facebook – Twitter – Email – Law Offices

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ALYSSA LAFAGE

Alyssa is a young professional from southern New Jersey and self-described constitutional conservative who writes on a variety of topcs.

In addition to contributing to Save Jersey, Alyssa has written for conservative sites including PolitiChicks, Right Wing News and NewsNinja. Her activism has also landed her appearances on NewsMax TV, One America News, Breitbart News on SiriusXM and other national media outlets.

Follow Alyssa on: Twitter

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MATTHEW GILSON

A young man with a strong passions for all things local politics and all things North Jersey, Matt Gilson is a life-long resident of Bergen County, a student at Rutgers-Newark Law, the former chairman of the Seton Hall College Republicans, a former candidate for the Rutherford school board, and the current vice-chair of Bergen Young Republicans.

He takes commitment to his community very seriously and when not campaigning for anyone and everyone, he can usually be seen patrolling the sidelines of a basketball court or sitting in a dugout, even recently taking charge of the minors for his local Little League. When he finishes his legal education, he hopes to pursue a career in the legal field while still continuing his community work and his fight for smaller and smarter government.

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DAN CIRUCCI

Dan Cirucci, the founder and editor-in chief of the Dan Cirucci Blog, is one of the most widely honored public relations professionals in his field and a public relations consultant to numerous organizations and individuals.

For many years he served as a Lecturer in Corporate Communication at Penn State University. A former President of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) he has lectured at Rowan University, Temple University, The College of New Jersey and Arcadia University. He has conducted workshops on public relations for thousands of participants throughout the nation and has taught countless others the art of public speaking. He has also advised numerous lawyers, judges, public officials and political candidates. Cirucci is a prolific writer and his op-ed pieces have appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier-Post and other publications.

A native of Camden NJ, Cirucci is a former President of the Philadelphia chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. Cirucci served as Associate Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association for nearly 30 years. He currently serves as Chair of Penn State University’s Professional Advisory Board for the Corporate Communication major at Penn State Abington.

He received his MA degree from Rowan University and his BA from Villanova University. He has been named a Distinguished Alumnus of Rowan’s public relations program and was inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Hall of Fame in 2003. He received the E. A. “Wally” Richter Leadership Award from the National Association of Bar Executives’ Communications Section. The Award is the Section’s highest honor. He has also been honored by numerous other local, state and national groups.

Cirucci’s passions include politics, the popular culture, books and authors, art, communication, music, theatre, movies, dining and travel.

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