Commissioners

Pennsville, New Jersey

term expires July 1, 2029

Debra S. Behnke

Commissioner

Occupation

  • Real Estate Professional – McCann Realtors (more than twenty-five years of experience in the real estate industry)
    • Working with a power company in Utah to create solar farms in South Jersey

Education

  • Gloucester County College
  • Salem Community College
  • Salem High School, Class of 1978

Professional Experience 

  • Resources for Independent Living - Oversee the Salem County portion of the grant, advocate for all people with disabilities, partner with Habitat of Salem County for home access, oversee the Salem County Center for Autism.
  • Published Author – Guidepost Magazine, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and Angels on Earth
  • Salem County Department of Social Services, Department Head

Civic and Community Affiliations

  • Delaware River and Bay Authority Commissioner
  • Member, Salem County Tax Board
  • Former member, State of New Jersey’s Association of County’s Disability Services.
  • Former member of the Homeless/Housing Task Force
  • Former member, State of New Jersey’s SNAP (Special Needs Advisory Panel).
  • Former member, Salem County Transportation Advisory Board.
  • Former member, Friends and Family Sub-Board of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
  • Former member, Friends and Family Sub-Board of Cooper University Hospital
  • Past Member of the Salem County ARC Board.
  • Past Chairperson, Salem County Center for Autism Board.
  • Past Chairperson, Salem County’s Continuum of Care.
  • Charter member of the Salem Health and Wellness Foundation.
  • Charter member of the Salem Sunrise Rotary.
  • Former member of the United Way Vision Council

Awards

  • 2013 N.J. State TRIAD Person of the Year

Personal

  • Member, Hancock’s Bridge United Methodist Church