New Hope Council Welcomes Newest Members

There will be a few new faces at New Hope council meetings. 

Newly-appointed council members Tobie Grama and Joseph Kassick participated in their first borough council meetings last month.

In January, New Hope Borough Council accepted the resignations of former Vice President Louise Feder and member Dan Dougherty.

Feder served as the parks and rec liaison and zoning hearing boards. She joined the council in January 2020 and was re-elected as council vice president in November 2023. Feder works as a cultural consultant, writer and curator. 

Dougherty, who served on council for eight years, was a liaison to the Historical Architectural Review Board (HARB). A 1994 graduate of Temple University, Doughtery majored in actuarial science and joined council after a long and successful career in human resources at Independence Blue Cross, per Patch.com. 

Grama and Kassick bring a wave of experience to borough council. 

Grama is a psychotherapist with over 30 years of experience. She attended college in New York City, receiving her master’s in social work form The Hunter College School of Social Work and The Training Institute for Mental Health. She  holds certificates in EMDR and postpartum depression, anxiety and perinatal mood disorders treatment. She specializes in EMDR, trauma, anxiety and depression.

Grama is also a facilitator at The Parnell Institute and a clinical supervisor at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy. 

Kassick is a reading recovery teacher in the Flemington-Raritan School District and has taught there since 2006. He also taught at Manville School District. 

After earning his bachelor of arts in sociology at Rutgers University, Kassick went back to earn his master’s in education. He received a certificate in reading recovery at New York University in 2013. 

Kassick was an adjunct education professor at The College of New Jersey and Rutgers, his alma mater.

He is also a member of the New Jersey Education Association and the Reading Recovery Council of North America, joining both in 2003. 

Even though they just joined council, both new members are already settling in and getting busy. Grama is the newly appointed parks and rec liaison. Meanwhile, Kassick has been appointed as the shade tree commission liaison.

One of Kassick’s first objectives is hosting a workshop on the potential of the borough constructing two electric vehicle charging stations.

Member Michele Becci replaced Feder as council vice president. 

Both new council member’s terms will end on December 31.