Who We Are
Our Club was founded in mid-2021, when a small group of passionate Democrats gathered in a living room to discuss the upcoming General Election. United by shared concerns about the national political climate, they sought meaningful ways to engage in political activity at the local, county, state, and national levels.
As interest grew, so did our community. By November 2021, the group had outgrown its original meeting space and began holding meetings at the Lakehurst Community Center. Since then, we have met monthly, building a strong and active organization dedicated to political and civic engagement.
Over the years, the Club has hosted a wide range of guest speakers, organized candidate forums, and celebrated important cultural and historical events such as Juneteenth, Cinco de Mayo, Black History Month, and National Women’s History Month. Our programs are open to the public and reflect our commitment to education, inclusion, diversity, political activism, and community involvement.
We also proudly participate in local events, including Manchester Day at Harry Wright Lake, the Toms River Pride Day Festival, and the Ocean United Festival in Manahawkin. These efforts allow us to connect with residents and promote civic participation throughout the region. Supporting like-minded organizations—such as the Ocean County Chapter of NOW, the Ocean County Democratic Committee, and local Democratic clubs—remains central to expanding our reach and impact. In the lead-up to Governor Mikie Sherrill’s 2025 gubernatorial campaign, we were proud to host her at two events in Manchester.
On May 24, 2022, the Club adopted its first set of bylaws and elected its inaugural Executive Board. As membership and impact have grown, so too has our organizational structure. On March 16, 2024, Members in Good Standing approved updated bylaws, expanding the Executive Board from seven to nine members to better support our mission and future growth.
Today, our Club continues to thrive as a space for collaboration, advocacy, community-driven action, and promoting the values and ideals of the Democratic party.
Currently, the MTDC Executive Board is comprised of:
President – Gloria Adkinson
Vice President – Kathy Frisch
Treasurer – Sandy Lewis
Secretary – Phyllis Scharago
Director of Membership – Christy Cavanaugh
Director of Programming – Adriann Denis
Director of Political Affairs – Wendy Petrowsky
Director of Fundraising – Bruce Polsky
Member At-Large – Bob Lanik
Additionally, numerous committees support the work of our very active Club. Those committees include:
Membership ~ Hospitality ~ Programming ~ Fundraising ~ Political Affairs ~ Nominations and Elections ~ Communications
Meetings are held monthly, usually on the the third Saturday of every month.
For information on our meetings and updates on Club activities, please subscribe to our newsletter, HERE
Our Strategic Plan
Vision Statement
The Manchester Township Democratic Club is committed to promoting and fostering the Democratic Party’s principles
and its spirit of dedication in support of the rights, liberties, and dreams
of all American society, with equality, and without exclusion.
Mission Statement
To inspire and empower the residents of Manchester and Lakehurst to promote and advance Democratic ideals and values.
To develop an inclusive and active grassroots organization that will carry out Democratic Party activities.
To increase active participation in local, county, state, and national elections, and to foster open dialogue with our local elected officials through education, voter registration, and personal participation in the political process.
To provide a collegial environment for the sharing of ideas and the discussion of issues important to our voters.
To recruit, train, support, and elect qualified Democratic candidates for public office, in partisan and nonpartisan elections.
To raise the funds necessary to complete this mission.