Lisa Bender to run for Somers Point city council, ward one

Somers Point, NJ--Lisa Bender who is an active volunteer in Somers Point is now seeking to become a member of City Council. Bender announced her candidacy for Somers Point City Council representing Ward One (East of Route 9) on July 13, 2021 at the city’s landmark fishing pier at Morrow Beach.

Bender has served Somers Point as chairperson of the City Council-appointed Green Advisory Committee since 2014 and Mayoral-appointed Environmental Commission since 2015 and continues to hold these positions. She was also a den leader and volunteer with Cub Scout Pack 87 for five years and currently supports her two sons as they seek to become Eagle Scouts with Somers Point Boy Scout Troop 55. Besides being a busy mother of two and wife of an Ocean City Firefighter, she is a real estate agent, so knows the community very well. 

Her candidacy was decided at the June meeting of the Somers Point Democratic County Committee. She shared her desire to run when a vacancy opened up after Dan Myers who was previously on the ballot took on the role of municipal co-chair for the Somers Point Democratic Committee with Levi Fox.

Bender’s passions for volunteering and caring for the environment are what brought her to New Jersey full time. She moved here in 2002 when she joined AmeriCorps—Corporation for National and Community Service as an NJ Dept. of Environmental Protection Watershed Ambassador. Her service territory was Great Egg Harbor River Watershed which includes Somers Point. 

Her role brought her into schools to teach, and into the field with students and community groups to measure the health of our local waterways. It was in this role that she started attending Environmental Commission and City Council meetings throughout southern New Jersey. She continues to go into classrooms and the field today as a volunteer to teach geology, oceanography, and the importance of caring for watersheds. She also volunteers as room mom and more at St. Joseph Regional School where her younger son is entering 8th grade. Her older son graduated from Saint Joseph’s and is a rising sophomore at Holy Spirit High School. Bender is a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Somers Point.

Through the years of her boys playing baseball and hockey through Somers Point recreation in addition to scouting, she has met many wonderful families and made great friends in Somers Point. If she hasn’t met you, yet, she hopes to do so on the campaign trail. 

Bender has a Master of Science degree in Marine Science from University of South Florida, College of Marine Science and a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from Vanderbilt University.

---