Attorney Jusun Yook Serves as Moderator for 2026 NJ Community Town Hall with Bergen County Officials
On September 3, 2026, Maggiano, DiGirolamo & Lizzi attorney Jusun Yook served as moderator of the 2026 New Jersey Community Town Hall Meeting, a bilingual forum that brought Bergen County’s elected leadership together with Korean American community organizations. The meeting was held at 263 Broad Avenue in Palisades Park and ran from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.
The town hall was organized by Korean American Civic Empowerment (KACE), where Mr. Yook serves as a board member and as a member of the organization’s legal task force. KACE has worked on civic engagement and community advocacy since 1996 and maintains offices in Palisades Park and Flushing, New York.
Four Bergen County officials participated and answered questions from the community:
- Steven A. Tanelli, Commissioner Chairman
- Tracy S. Zur, Commissioner Vice-Chairwoman
- Dr. Joan M. Voss, Commissioner Chair Pro Tempore
- John Hogan, Bergen County Clerk
The program was structured around nine agenda topics submitted in advance by participating community organizations, each paired with a written background brief in both English and Korean. Officials responded to the pre-selected questions for roughly an hour, followed by an open question-and-answer session from the floor. As moderator, Mr. Yook guided the discussion across all nine topics and managed the exchange between residents and officials.
The agenda covered:
- Public Safety
- Education
- Health Insurance
- Legal Services
- Small Business Support
- County Budget Allocation
- Language Access
- Voting Rights
- Immigration Enforcement
Several of the topics addressed barriers that Korean-speaking residents encounter when trying to access county systems. The public safety discussion focused on pedestrian and intersection safety along county corridors, including a request for traffic controls at Grand Avenue and Harwood Terrace and for consistent countywide standards on sight lines at corner properties. The legal services segment examined access to the Bergen County Community Mental Health Law Project, which has provided free civil legal services to eligible residents since 1977, and raised questions about application length, language support, and referral partnerships with community organizations. The language access and voting rights segments addressed whether translated materials alone are sufficient for residents with limited English proficiency, or whether in-person assistance and hands-on support are also needed.
Participating and sponsoring organizations included the Korean American Senior Citizens’ Association of New Jersey, Give Chances, the Asian Women’s Christian Association, Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York, the Korean American Association of New Jersey, the Korean American Sanctuary Church Network, the Korean American Nail Association of New Jersey, AAPI New Jersey, and Educate Together.
Full video of the town hall is available on the KACE YouTube channel. Coverage of the event also appeared on KB TV.
Maggiano, DiGirolamo & Lizzi represents injured people and their families throughout New Jersey and New York from offices in Fort Lee, Hackensack, and New York City. Mr. Yook’s participation reflects the firm’s ongoing involvement with the communities it serves in Bergen County.
