HAMILTON – As far as marching goes, this year’s Grand Marshal for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade at Hamilton comes from a long bloodline of proud procession-goers.
Thomas J. O’Reilly’s great grandfather, Thomas, an Irish immigrant, served both as a Civil War cavalry officer for the Union Army and as Grand Marshal of the Memorial Day Parade in New York City.
Keeping with the family’s patriotic cadence, his father, an active member of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post, also organized the local Hightstown Memorial Day Parade.
“I think it’s an honor to be the Grand Marshal for the Hamilton Parade, particularly when you look at who has served as prior Grand Marshals – a long list of distinguished individuals from the greater Mercer County area,” O’Reilly said.
A better fit for Hamilton’s Grand Marshal would be hard-sought for the 2017 theme: A Salute to Public Servants.
This year, O’Reilly, a longtime Mercerville resident, marks his 45th year in public service, directing the Police institute at Rutgers University. Under his leadership, the organization supports a collaborative effort among law enforcement agencies.
“I truly believe that public safety is the core factor in making our community vibrant,” O’Reilly said, applauding the many ranks of hard-working military, fire and police personnel. “You can’t have economic growth or quality-of-life activities unless people feel safe…It’s something that’s critical to our vitality as a nation and vitality as a community.”
O’Reilly is nationally recognized as a community-policing authority for the U.S. Department of Justice, lending his expertise to improve urban developments like Baltimore and Newark. He dually acts as a trusted advisor to the office director of National Intelligence.
The Hightstown native’s career began with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the Boston-based Northeastern University. He went on to earn a master’s in administration from Rider University and holds a certification in public management from Rutgers University.
He first broke into the law enforcement field as a planning officer for the Trenton Police Department.
Over the decades, O’Reilly has held titles like administrator of the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety and assistant director to the state’s Division of Criminal Justice, as well as chief of police programming for a New Jersey law enforcement-planning agency.
Officially, he retired in 2006 and was subsequently tapped by the U.S. Attorney General for the appointment of director to the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative. There, he led a team of federal, state and local law enforcement specialist in implementing counterterrorism programs that filled in the gaps for the 9/11 Commission Report.
O’Reilly’s accolades are many, as the 67-year-old has been recognized for his service by the U.S. Department of Justice and Homeland Security several times over and is a two-time recipient of a Federal 100 Award.
As for his civic involvements, he’s held the roles of assistant scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America Troop 63 of Hamilton, vice president for the George Washington Council of the Boy Scouts of America and member of The 200 Club of Mercer County.
All the while, his Irish roots have kept O’Reilly grounded as a family man and active in various community endeavors.
Among his many associations, O’Reilly has been a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and The Friendly Sons and Daughters of St. Patrick of Mercer County, a chair of the Irish Famine Curriculum Committee in relation to the Jeanie Johnston Famine Ship Committee and a coordinator with the Trenton and Hamilton St. Patrick’s Day parade committees.
Accompanied by his wife Jane, O’Reilly made several pilgrimages to Ireland, where he visited his surname’s clan gathering in County Caven and trekked to his ancestral origins of Westmeath and Limerick.
The 1.5-mile St. Patrick’s Day Parade at Hamilton, scheduled for March 11, which will commence at the Nottingham Fire House, 200 Mercer Street, with the open ceremony beginning at 12:30 p.m., followed by the 1 p.m. procession.
