He was the Mayor of Haddonfield for what seems like forever…chairs the new Community Foundation of South Jersey and has worked on behalf of virtually every charitable cause in the region…is known universally for his signature e-mail sign-off (‘Every day is a gift’)…grew up on Long Beach Island and sold clams from a wagon as a kid…and believes that South Jersey would be better off if it became its own state.
  By virtually every measure, Jack Tarditi is a “lifer.” There’s simply nothing short term about the man. He never lets go. And never stops.
  Case in Point #1: he has spent virtually his entire 40-year professional career in the insurance and benefits industry. And that includes a two-decade stint as Chair and Commissioner of the Camden County Municipal Joint Insurance Fund—representing 33 Camden County municipalities—for good measure.
  Case in Point #2: he served his hometown for more than a quarter century as a Commissioner and for 16 of those years as Mayor and Director of Public Safety.
  Cases in Point #3 thru #8: he has led Haddonfield’s First Night program since day one. Almost single-handedly made the new Community Foundation of South Jersey a reality. Served on the Board of the Haddonfield Symphony/Symphony in C and the Markeim Art Center forever. Ditto for his work as Vice President, Haddonfield Celebrations Association.
  Cases in Point #9 thru #14: add in his chairmanship of the South Jersey Tourism Corporation, the Camden City Schools Education Foundation, and the Dean’s Development Council, University of Medicine & Dentistry of NJ, School of Osteopathic Medicine, and his work on the Cooper Foundation Board, on behalf of the Salvation Army, and as a member of the New Jersey State Council on Local Mandates.
  And there’s more. A whole lot more.
  So much more, in fact, that it makes you wonder where this man—who is legendary for his slavish devotion to his family—finds time for his wife of 39 years, Barbara.
  Or his three remaining children—Aimee, 38; Daniel, 35; and Matthew, 28, (daughter Sarah passed away after along illness three years ago).
  Or his 10 grandchildren.
  But he does.
  It’s a little less surprising when you know that Tarditi has been working—and working hard—since he was 13. Or when you hear that his business philosophy has just two components: “1. Work hard. 2. Recognize that the customer is the reason you’re there.”
  In fact, even Tarditi’s summer jobs read like the prologue to a Business 101 textbook:
  •  clam digger, selling his catch from his wagon,
  •  amusement park boat ride operator,
  •  trash truck driver, and
  •  mailman.
  The oldest of five, Tarditi graduated from Lycoming College in Williamsport, PA in 1963 and picked up his MBA from Drexel 10 years later.
  Tarditi was born in Philadelphia, but his family moved to Beach Haven when he was five.
  He’s lived in his adopted hometown of Haddonfield since 1971 and it was in Haddonfield that he started Associated Management, inc., in which he was principal shareholder for more than 20 years—before selling out to Commerce Bank (in what some of the cognoscenti glibly refer to as a “liquidity event.”). AIM specialized in the design and administration of employee and executive benefit plans.
  Prior to founding AIM, Tarditi was a corporate officer with PennMutual Life Insurance Company in Philadelphia where he held positions of Assistant Controller and Director of Special Markets.
  Today, Tarditi is responsible for new business development and client relations for the Employee Benefits Division of Conner Strong Companies, Inc.
  Prior to becoming Vice Chairman of Conner Strong, Tarditi was Executive Vice President with management responsibilities for the Employee Benefits Division.
Conner Strong is the successor firm to Commerce Insurance Services, which was one of the largest insurance brokerage firms in the region and a subsidiary of Commerce Bancorp, Inc., the largest bank headquartered in New Jersey until its sale to TD Bank.
  Tarditi is also Chairman of Benefit Pathfinders Associates, which specializes in the marketing and management of partially self-funded and pooled medical plans for governmental entities (Conner Strong owns 50% of BPA) and Chairman of the Advisory Board of Magellan Hill Technologies.
  Asked how to measure success, Tarditi responds that “at the end of the day, I want to leave whatever it is that I’m working on in better condition than it was when I started.”
  As for what might constitute his “greatest fear,” Tarditi says that it would be the possibility of “being untrue to the people I care for.”
  Although he is an outspoken admirer of former President Bill Clinton, Tarditi says that his “mentor” and “idol” was his maternal grandfather who was a commercial stationery broker in the Philadelphia Bourse. He was “very generous,” says Tarditi, “and he showed me that there’s more to life than just being successful.”
  His favorite thing to do is spend time with his family and friends, but he also loves to sail, and play golf and tennis. And “raise money for charity.”
  His favorite vacation spot is Avalon, where he and his wife have a summer home. And if he had a “do-over,” it would be to have gone to high school in his adopted home town.
  Tarditi’s trio of entertainment favorites may catch you a little off guard. His favorite book is the Bible, his favorite TV show is Seinfeld, and his favorite move is Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles.
  What he feels most people might be surprised to know about him is that ”I’m really very sensitive.”
  Tarditi has been a Fellow of the Life Management Institute (FLMI) since 1979 and a fellow of the Life Underwriters Training Council since 1990.
  He is the Chair of the Camden County Solid Waste Advisory Council and Past Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Helene Fuld School of Nursing in Camden County.
  He is also a member of the Executive Committee and Past Chairman of the New Jersey Municipal Excess Liability Fund and served on the Regional Red Cross Blood Bank of South Eastern Pennsylvania, served as a member of the Spiritual Emphasis Committee of the YMCA of Camden County, as Vice Chairman of the New Jersey Pinelands Development Credit Bank, as Commissioner of the New Jersey Municipal Residual Claims Fund and as Executive Committee Chair of the New Jersey Municipal Environmental JIF.
  As one of Tarditi’s friends puts it, “Jack has led and served on important organizations that most of us don’t even know exist.”
  That includes his stints as Co-Chair of the Legislative Committee of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities and as a board member of Interfaith Caregivers of Haddonfield, the Historical Society of Haddonfield, Haddonfield Free Library, and the Haddonfield Planning Board.
  He has also served as Vice Chairman of the Virtua Health and Hospital Foundation, as Chairman of the Camden County Chapter of the American Red Cross, on the board of the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey, as a member of the Camden County Commission on Women, as Board President of the New Jersey Conference of Mayors, as General Chairman of the Camden County United Way Campaign, and as President of the Camden County Mayors Association.
  Makes you wonder if there’s an organization out there that Tarditi has not been a part of at some point in his career.
  But, surprise, there’s actually a whole lot more…Haddonfield Lions Club, Tavistock Country Club, Union League of Philadelphia, Haddonfield Civic Association, Order of Sons of Italy in America, Ankokas Regional Antique Car Club, Avalon Yacht Club, and Haddonfield-Cherry Hill Lodge No. 15, Free & Accepted Masons. To name just a few more.
  But you get the idea. Like we said, the man never stops.
  His honors include selection as Philanthropist of the Year (with wife Barb) by the Haddonfield Foundation, plus recognition by the Camden County Mayors Association as Mayor Emeritus of the Year, induction into the American Red Cross 34 Gallon Club, and selection as Kaleidoscope Honoree by the Alzheimer’s Association, Delaware Valley Chapter.
  The host of other awards that have comes Tarditi’s way include the Camden County Freedom Medal, the United Way Camden County Alexis de Tocqueville Society Award, the Heart of our Community Award from the American Heart Association, the Alfred E. Driscoll Award from the Haddonfield Civic Association, and the selection—early in his career—as Haddonfield Citizen of the Year 30 years ago.
  Again, there are more. And, again, you get the idea. If there’s an award for getting the most awards, Tarditi will get that, too.
  And, if along the way, he gets the chance to push for South Jersey to secede from its cousins in the North, that would make Tarditi a very happy guy.