By PETE WALTON
Bradley Beach Borough Administrator Kim Humphrey is leaving to take a position in Keyport.
Mayor Larry Fox announced Humphrey’s departure at the most recent meeting of the Borough Council.
“When Kim was hired in 2021, I remember she stated she would like to retire from Bradley Beach,” Fox said. “She had already gained an affinity toward our community, which we all can understand.”
“Unfortunately, that hasn’t played out,” the mayor continued. Fox said he was “concerned about the work environment and warned about her frustration in this environment.”
“We all need to reflect on this and make changes as we find appropriate,” the mayor said.
He said Humphrey “is probably the most qualified, productive and effective business administrator in Monmouth County.”
Fox said he interviewed more than 30 candidates for the Bradley Beach position in 2021.
“Kim was a full head above all others,” he said. “Our tremendous loss is Keyport’s gain and I wish her the best.”
Humphrey was hired in June of 2021, a month after David G. Brown II of Long Branch left to become township manager of Ocean.
Bradley Beach Councilman Al Gubitosi, who was president of the council at the time, took part in interviewing the finalists for the job.
Gubitosi said Humphrey was “awesome, at least [from] my perspective.”
“She’s going to be a great addition to the borough and I look forward to having her join us,” Gubitosi said at the time of Humphrey’s hiring. “She had an answer for every question and seemed very confident and very assured that she could really help us in moving forward.”
Humphrey served a brief stint as deputy finance director of Monmouth County before coming to Bradley Beach. She was borough administrator of Highlands from 2018 through 2020 after a short time as interim administrator.
For four years before that, Humphrey was the qualified purchasing agent and senior account clerk in Highlands. She spent 3 1/2 years as purchasing agent in nearby Atlantic Highlands after more than 14 years of service to Keansburg in various finance department roles.
Bradley Beach, like Highlands, holds nonpartisan municipal elections. Humphrey cited her ability to work with all sides on the challenges facing local governments in a 2019 interview.
“I always make sure my council knows I represent them,” she told The Monmouth Journal newspaper. “I am a neutral party who will always give the most facts I can to assist them with their governing decisions.”
