On July 3, 2001, Council President Donald J. Ruschman was appointed and sworn-in as the borough’s 33 Mayor following the resignation of Mayor Richard Mancinelli, effective June 30^th.  In November of 2001 Don was elected to fill the unexpired term of Mayor Mancinelli, which ran to December 31, 2003.  In November of 2003, he was re-elected to a four year term expiring in December 2007.

            A former Republican Councilman, Don Ruschman was appointed to the Governing Body in January 1995.  In November 1995, Don was elected to fill a one-year unexpired term.  He subsequently was elected to two consecutive three year council terms. Previously, Don served on the Park Ridge Board of Education for nine years and was its President for three of those years. He also served on the Pool Commission for 12 years, serving nine years as its President.  Don formerly served as the liaison to the Mayor’s Business Advisory Committee, liaison to the Board of Education, liaison to the Board of Health, a member of the Finance Committee, Deputy Fire Commissioner and as a member of the Planning Board.

            A resident of Park Ridge for 43 years, Don and his wife, Vi, have three children, all graduates of Park Ridge High School.  The Ruschmans are members of Our Lady of mercy parish.  Don served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University, where he earned a BA in Political Science.  In 1994, Don retired from Bell Atlantic of New Jersey where he served as the External Affairs Regional Manager.

            Don also serves as Trustee to the Pascack Valley Hospital Board of Directors and is the Chairman of the Board of Pascack Community Services, an affiliate of Pascack Valley Hospital.  He is Past President of the Pascack Chamber of Commerce, a member of the park Ridge Rotary Club, in which he also served as its President.  Don is a member of PKRG Cable TV Committee, the park Ridge Emergency Management Committee, and was a member of the PEP Players.

            In addition to his Park Ride voluntary organizational work, Mayor Ruschman has served in many other county organizations including as Trustee of the Bergen County United Way, Bergen County Urban League, Bergen County Boy & Girl Scout Councils, and the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey.  Don’s other volunteer work has been in the field of education where he has been a member of the Bergen Community College Foundation Board of Directors, Ramapo College Board of Governors and the Felician College Board of Regents.