Bergen County Executive

Biography

James J. Tedesco, III, currently serving his third term as County Executive, is only the second person in the history of county government to be elected to the role three times. Since taking office in 2015, County Executive Tedesco has focused on improving quality of life and services for county residents while also creating greater efficiency and effectiveness throughout county government.

Under his leadership, Tedesco’s administration restored $6.5 million in education funding and has continued to expand the County’s investments in education initiatives at Bergen Community College and the county’s Technical and Special Services School Districts for 12 years in a row. He has also spearheaded initiatives to expand shared services, revitalized Bergen New Bridge Medical Center – the 4th largest public hospital in the nation –  and increased services and support for U.S. military veterans and their families. Bergen County earned national recognition as the first county in the United States to end veteran homelessness and is one of only three communities to reach functional zero for both chronic and veteran homelessness. 

In his third term, Tedesco has continued his work advocating for the most vulnerable by establishing the Office of Food Security and expanding support services and educational programs to combat domestic violence. He also created Bergen County’s first countywide Emergency Medical Service to address volunteer shortages and improve response times—a program that answered more than 18,000 calls in just its first two and a half years of operation and contributed to Bergen being named the 9th safest county in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in 2024. At the same time, he has focused on the modernization of the Bergen County Parks System in order to promote year-round recreational opportunities for generations to come, as outlined in the 2019 Parks Master Plan.

A volunteer firefighter for almost 50 years, Tedesco previously served as both Fire Chief and Mayor of Paramus, embodying his continuous call to serve through civic duty. A lifelong Bergen County resident, Tedesco is the father to three adult children, Koren, James J. Tedesco IV, and Holly, and the proud grandfather to six grandchildren. He lives in Paramus with his longtime partner Connie and family dog named Bergen.