Dave Ruhlig became involved with the BTDC with all his heart. He jumped in, feet first, by volunteering with the Hodges and Tompkins campaign last year, intent on supporting local candidates and strengthening community engagement.

The father of two, who’s lived in Basking Ridge with his wife and two children since 2021, says, “I believe we all have a responsibility to help build the world we want to live in. Local politics seemed like a natural way to continue my service after retiring from the military.”

Ruhling recently retired from the United States Coast Guard after 24 years of service, where he held a variety of operational and leadership roles, including overseeing large-scale response operations and strategic initiatives. He has since transitioned to the private sector, where he works in program management. He is particularly interested in effective governance, community resilience, and building organizations that deliver real results. 

When speaking about our community, he says, “My hope is that Bernards Township continues to create opportunities for every resident to succeed. My concern is that extreme voices make it harder to do the real work of preserving what makes our community special.”

When he’s not working or volunteering, Dave enjoys reading and discussing the issues of the day (especially during family dinners!), finding the best restaurant in a ten-mile radius, and trying to live up to his “World’s Greatest Dad” coffee mug. And in his new role as VP of Events on the BTDC Executive Committee, he’s in a great position to spread his infectious energy and organization and community wide.

Keep your eyes and ears open for a shout-out from Dave. There’s no doubt he’ll be building a strong cohort of volunteers to move the BTDC, and the McCarthy Bannan and Rebecca Bennett campaigns, forward this year.

– Jen Aaron