During the qualifying period of April 2026, three Orchid residents submitted paperwork to run as candidates for the office of Councilmember. By the end of the process, they were unopposed for the three seats opening up in November.
Congratulations to Mr. Paul Stach, Mr. Bill James, and Mrs. Tracy Cornwell!
As of May 1, these residents are your Councilmembers-elect, who will take up the reins from current Mayor Bob Gibbons, and Councilmembers John Heanue and Jim Raphalian. This means that the local election for Town Council will not appear on the ballot in November.
If you have any questions about the election process, please reach out to Town Hall. Read on to familiarize yourself with the Councilmembers-elect, provided in order of qualifying.
Paul A. Stach and his wife Judy became members of Orchid Island in 1989, believing that such a beautiful property could only become more special over time. They built their first Orchid home in 1998 and moved into their current residence in 2014. Paul graduated from Williams College in 1969 and Stanford University Graduate School of Business in 1972. He pursued a career in Municipal Investment Banking, first with Smith Barney and later with Blyth Eastman Dillon, Goldman, Sachs and Kidder Peabody where he was Managing Director and Head of the Municipal Investment Banking Department. He left in 1993 to pursue a second career in investment management, where he specialized in fixed income management and economics, retiring in 2009. Paul and Judy live in Oceanport, New Jersey when not in Orchid. They raised two children, daughter Jennifer Biedinger and son Justin Stach. Jennifer and her husband Brian have given us two grandchildren, Brendon and Justin, who love visiting Orchid over Christmas
Paul has been active in many outside organizations, including Family and Children’s Service (Long Branch, NJ) as Board Chair, Monmouth Beach Bath and Tennis Club as Treasurer and the Church of the Nativity (Fair Haven, NJ) as Trustee and Finance Committee Chair. He currently serves the Town of Orchid as Chair of the Local Planning Agency (from which he must resign to serve on the Town Council). He is an occasional (and bad) golfer and an avid croquet player, and loves all things Orchid.
Paul has significant experience with municipal governments and their agencies and looks forward to serving our wonderful town.
William H. James III is a retired Wall Street executive. After receiving his B.S. from Syracuse University, he enjoyed a 42 year career in credit fixed income: trading, selling, and managing departments focused on all portions of the credit spectrum… first at The First Boston Corporation and then at Lazard Freres & Co. Bill splits his time between Orchid and Stamford, Connecticut. He is married to Debbie and together they’ve raised two children, a daughter Lindsay, and a son Will. Now their focus is on their granddaughter, Nora. Before joining the Orchid Town Council, he was President of the Ocean Residences at Orchid Island Condominium Association.
Tracy Cornwell and her husband Kevin moved to Orchid in 2020 having lived in Wyckoff, NJ for 30 years. They spend their summers in Breckenridge, CO and traveling to visit their 3 daughters, son in law and grandson, all in Chicago. Tracy graduated from Colgate University with a BA in Economics in 1981 and went to work in Corporate Banking in NYC for Manufacturers Hanover Trust and then onto The Bank of New York in London.
Her next challenging career move was to Domestic Engineering, which entailed wrangling 3 young girls, and actively volunteering in her community as; PTO president, feeding families at a local food pantry, Sunday school teacher, Meals on Wheels driver, Nursery school board president, and Habitat for Humanity builder. She also spent time teaching, working in a design business and a recycling business locally.
Tracy really enjoys our beautiful community here in the Town of Orchid and in Breckenridge and all the many things both places have to offer: golf, pickleball, kayaking, gardening, clubs, biking, skiing and hiking. She hopes to balance these fun activities with service to community and feels honored to serve on the Orchid Town Council.