FOR THE LOVE OF BLOOMFIELD

Sarah Cruz is a lifelong public servant and community and youth advocate who has dedicated her career to children and families. She currently serves as Chief of Staff to Assemblyman Mike Venezia in New Jersey’s 34th Legislative District, overseeing legislative and constituent services for Bloomfield, Belleville, East Orange, Glen Ridge, Nutley, and Orange. Previously, Sarah led afterschool and summer programs for Newark Public Schools, Hanover Township Schools, and the Montclair YWCA. At the New Jersey Afterschool Professionals Network (NJSACC), she trained providers across the country, helping schools and community organizations align the school day with afterschool programs in states including Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, and California. Sarah is a National Afterschool Matters Fellow, a National Afterschool Ambassador, and the author of “Fantastic Finales,” a collection of activities for school-age children. She is a graduate of Douglass College at Rutgers University with a B.A. in Urban Planning and a certificate in Professional Youth Work. Elected in 2017, Sarah serves as the Township Councilwoman for Bloomfield’s Third Ward. She is the liaison to the Municipal Youth Guidance Council, the Civil and Human Rights Commission, and the Juneteenth Advisory Committee, where she helped launch Bloomfield’s Annual Freedom Day celebration, now in its fifth year. Sarah lives in Bloomfield with her husband, their three children, and the family dog.