Eldridge Hawkins Jr.

This article is an autobiography or has been extensively edited by the subject or by someone connected to the subject. It may need editing to conform to Wikipedia's neutral point of view policy. There may be relevant discussion on the talk page. (December 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Eldridge Hawkins, Jr. (born July 25, 1979) was Mayor of Orange, New Jersey, a city of 33,000 residents in Essex County, New Jersey with an annual $53 million operating budget. As Chair of the Management Reform Committee of the N.J. League of Municipalities, Hawkins was a leader in the campaign to reform the state's civil service and arbitration laws to give cities more power in collective bargaining with public employee unions.^[1] His adversarial managing style and combative relations with the workers of Orange received national attention. After leaving municipal office, Mr. Hawkins spent several years working for the New Jersey Department of State in a Community Outreach capacity and as Director of Policy, Operations & Governmental Affairs/Legislative Liaison. Hawkins served as President of the New Jersey United States Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) and is also a law enforcement professional and businessman.^[2] In addition, he is a martial arts expert with over 30 years of experience and a member of the USA Unified Martial Arts Hall of Fame.^[3] Accordingly, Shihan Eldridge Hawkins, Jr has earned the rank of 5th Degree Black Belt in United States Ju-Jitsu,^[4] Fusion Kenpo, and 7th Degree Black Belt in American Style Nunchaku.^[5] As such, Hawkins has been recognized as a national leader in the martial arts by the United States Ju-Jitsu Federation.^[6]