All Around Pennsauken

By Frank Sinatra, AAP Editor

During the Jan. 5 Pennsauken Township Committee reorganization meeting, the governing body’s leadership was selected for 2024. Marco DiBattista is the town’s newest mayor; and Jessica Rafeh is this year’s deputy mayor. The duo last served Pennsauken in this capacity in 2021.

“As a guy who grew up in Pennsauken and is raising my family here, I could not be more proud to once again be mayor of this great town,” said Mayor DiBattista. “Township Committee accomplished a lot last year; I thank Vince Martinez and Patrick Olivo for their leadership in 2023. Jess and I are ready to take those next steps to help further grow our community.”

“I am so excited to once work again with Mayor Marco to serve our Pennsauken community,” added Deputy Mayor Rafeh. “As this year’s deputy mayor, I promise to be a strong voice for all of our residents, as our entire Township Committee strives to make Pennsauken an even greater place to work and live.”

Marco DiBattista, a lifelong Pennsauken resident, is serving a second three-year term on Township Committee after winning re-election in November 2021. He also previously served as the town’s Director of Public Safety for several years.

Marco is a member of Pennsauken High School’s graduating class of 1994. He lives in the home he grew up in with his wife of 16 years, Nitsa, and their daughters, Sophia and Juliana. DiBattista formerly volunteered as a coach for PYAA Soccer, as well as a coach for his daughters’ soccer teams at school.

Mr. DiBattista has worked for the Pennsauken Sewerage Authority for over 20 years, currently serving as executive director.

Re-elected to Pennsauken Township Committee for a second term in 2021, Jessica Rafeh was the first person of Hispanic and Middle Eastern descent to serve as a deputy mayor (2021), then mayor (2022), in the history of the Township.  

Jessica moved from Venezuela to the United States at a very young age and has lived in Pennsauken for over 20 years with her husband, Husan. They have a daughter, Karina, who was born in 2020. Jessica and her family own several small businesses in Pennsauken.

Previously, Rafeh was an adjunct professor at Rowan University, teaching courses in English as a Second Language; she has also earned her Master of Arts Degree in Higher Education from Rowan. She is fluent in Arabic, English, and Spanish. The reorganization meeting for Pennsauken Township was live streamed on YouTube and can be found at YouTube.com/PennsaukenTelevision. A more detailed recap of the night’s proceedings will be published in the February edition of All Around Pennsauken.