Making an Impact: Mikie Sherrill

by Chuck Cascio, Author and Former South Lakes Teacher

Mikie Sherrill

Stepping forward in today's dynamic political landscape would seem to be a difficult decision to make--scrutiny has never been higher, social media contribute to informational skepticism, and an increased public profile often results in individuals being targeted in unique ways. Still, dynamic leaders are needed and are arguably more essential than ever. Taking that major step forward is former Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), who grew up in Reston and was recently elected Governor of New Jersey.

For Mikie (aka Rebecca Michelle Sherrill), taking the step to move from Congress to the leader of her state, is rooted in her longtime commitment to public service. "I have always been motivated by service – to country, to community, and to those around me," she says. "Serving others has always been my focus, and I look forward to continuing to do that as Governor of New Jersey."

Mikie's dedication to service is reinforced by her personal history. After graduating from South Lakes High School in 1990, she attended the Naval Academy and then served for nearly a decade as a helicopter pilot and a Russian Policy Officer. "After leaving the Navy, I went to law school and eventually became the first outreach and reentry coordinator in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey," she says. "In that role, I was able to make sure the people leaving prison – and their families – were set up for success with a steady job, a safe place to live, and adequate healthcare."

Contributing to her impressive personal background is the fact that she also earned a Master of Science degree from the London School of Economics and a certificate in Arabic language from the American University in Cairo. Her military service deeply fed Mikie's awareness of differences that she feels need to be addressed: "The experiences I had serving in countries where women and minorities were second class citizens and where people often didn’t have equal rights or protections impacted my understanding of how important our Constitution and good government are. Those are certainly some of the experiences that led me to want to continue serving the country as an elected official, first as a member of Congress and now as Governor of New Jersey."

Her commitment to addressing those issues is at the core of Mikie's objectives as she moves into the role of Governor. In defeating her Republican opponent Jack Ciattarelli by 14.4% she ran on three main issues--"lowering costs, protecting our kids, and bringing transparency and accountability to state government in Trenton," she says, adding that "On Day One as Governor, I’ll declare a state of emergency on utility costs and freeze rate hikes to lower resident’s bills. I’ll cut through red tape to help reduce the time it takes to get projects into our energy grid."

Mikie's own energy has been apparent since her early days roaming around Reston, swimming for the Fox Mill Woods Swim team, and playing soccer for the Reston Rowdies. At SLHS, she was a cheerleader ("which was especially fun at basketball games with Grant Hill playing," she says) and a French horn player in the band as well as an outstanding student ("I still remember learning about the gene mapping project in Mrs. Cascio's biology class, and I would have considered a major in biology if the Naval Academy had offered it.").

Upon reflection, Mikie recognizes that spending her youth in Reston influenced her worldview and impacted a major decision in her own life. "Growing up in Reston with my two younger sisters, Megan and Mary, I took many of the experiences we had for granted," she says. "Reston was diverse, many families had also lived in other countries, and a lot of parents were public servants." As a result, after leaving the military, going into law, moving to New York, getting married, and starting a family of four children, Mikie says, "As my husband and I were living in New York and deciding where to raise our kids, I wanted them to grow up in the same kind of community. So Reston impacted one of the biggest decisions I made!"

From Reston to all over the world to New York and then to New Jersey, Mikie Sherrill has never backed away from taking the major step. She recognizes and embraces what that means, saying, "I’ll work to ensure that New Jerseyans know exactly where their tax dollars are going and that those programs are delivering for their community. When I’m Governor, the buck stops with me."