Christie Reappoints McDermott, Cockren to Kean Board

Gov. Chris Christie has reappointed a Westfield resident and a Scotch Plains resident employed by the town government to seats on the Kean University board of trustees.

Christie's nominations, released Monday, include the reappointment of former state Senate President Frank McDermott of Westfield to the Kean board. McDermott, who served as Senate president in the 1960s was first appointed to the Kean board by former Gov. Jim McGreevey.

He served in both the Asembly and Senate in the 1960s and 70s and was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for governor in 1969. He started his political career as a delegate to the White House Conference on Education in 1955. McDermott was the county Republican Chairman for most of the 1990s and was appointed by former Gov. Christie Whitman to serve as chairman of the state turnpike authority. Professionally he is the senior partner at Apruzzese, McDermott, Mastro & Murphy

McDermott is the father of former Mayor Greg McDermott.

Also reappointed to the Kean board is Town Attorney Robert Cockren, a resident of Scotch Plains. The longtime Westfield attorney, Cockren has served on the Kean board since 1998. He is the managing partner of Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal's office in Short Hills and has been legal counsel to Union Township and the Union County Utiltiies Authority in addition to his work for Westfield.

Cockren also was the longtime county representative to the state Republican committee, a post he gave up last year in favor of Fourth Ward Councilman Jim Foerst.

Christie's actions come as part of a slew of appointments and reappointments made by the governor to higher education governing board. The nominations are subject to the advice and consent of the state Senate.