Eric Munoz
Encyclopedia
Eric Munoz, M.D.
, MBA, FACS
(October 14, 1947 – March 30, 2009) was an American
Republican Party
politician
, who served in the New Jersey General Assembly
from 2001, where he represented the 21st legislative district, until his death on March 30, 2009. Munoz had served as the Deputy Conference Leader since 2006.
Munoz served in the Assembly on the Health and Senior Services Committee and the Human Services Committee.
Munoz was a practicing trauma surgeon and administrator at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
. He served on the National Institutes of Health
Committee since 2002. From 1990-2001, he served as Chairman of the New Jersey Medical Practitioner Review Panel, where he was first appointed by Governor of New Jersey
James Florio
in 1990 and reappointed by Governor Christine Todd Whitman
in 1995.
A longtime resident of Summit, New Jersey
, Munoz served on the Summit
Common Council from 1996-2001. He was a former Republican
Municipal Chairman in Summit. He was elected to an unexpired term as Assemblyman in the old 21st Legislative District in 2001 to succeed Kevin J. O'Toole
.
He was elected in 2001, and reelected in 2003, 2005 and 2007, to represent the new 21st District consisting of municipalities in Union
, Morris
, Essex
and Somerset
Counties. He served as Deputy Leader of the Republican Conference for the 2006-2008 term.
In 2006, Munoz was criticized by a Delaware judge for allegedly misrepresenting his credentials as an expert witness in a medical malpractice
case. According to the judge, Munoz testified in 2004 that he was certified in emergency medicine when he was only certified in general surgery. The state Supreme Court found that the judge had "abused her discretion" by dismissing the case on this basis but did not dispute her interpretation of the underlying situation.
Munoz graduated with a B.A.
degree from the University of Virginia
in Pre-Med and received an M.D.
degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine
. He did his general surgery training at Yale-New Haven Hospital
, and was also awarded his Master of Business Administration
in Finance degree from Columbia University
.
, defeated two opponents, Long Hill
Mayor George Vitureira and Long Hill School Board member Bruce Meringolo. The final tally was Munoz 174, Meringolo 34, Vitureira 16. Both Meringolo and Vitureira have filed petitions to appear on the June 2009 Republican primary ballot. Mrs. Munoz will fill the seat for the remainder of the term in January 2010.
The June 2, 2009 primary to fill the two Republican nomintions for Assembly in the 21st District will feature Assemblyman Bramnick, Assemblywoman Munoz, Mayor Vitureira and Mr. Meringlo.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
, MBA, FACS
Fellow of the American College of Surgeons
Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, often listed as "FACS", is a post-nominal title used to indicate that the surgeon's education and training, professional qualifications, surgical competence, and ethical conduct have passed a rigorous evaluation, and have been found to be consistent with...
(October 14, 1947 – March 30, 2009) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, who served in the New Jersey General Assembly
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
from 2001, where he represented the 21st legislative district, until his death on March 30, 2009. Munoz had served as the Deputy Conference Leader since 2006.
Munoz served in the Assembly on the Health and Senior Services Committee and the Human Services Committee.
Munoz was a practicing trauma surgeon and administrator at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey is the state-run health sciences institution of New Jersey, United States. It has eight distinct academic units...
. He served on the National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
Committee since 2002. From 1990-2001, he served as Chairman of the New Jersey Medical Practitioner Review Panel, where he was first appointed by Governor of New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
James Florio
James Florio
James Joseph "Jim" Florio is a Democratic politician who served as the 49th Governor of New Jersey from 1990 to 1994, the first Italian American to hold the position...
in 1990 and reappointed by Governor Christine Todd Whitman
Christine Todd Whitman
Christine Todd "Christie" Whitman is an American Republican politician and author who served as the 50th Governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001, and was the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in the administration of President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003. She was New...
in 1995.
A longtime resident of Summit, New Jersey
Summit, New Jersey
Summit is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 21,457. Summit had the 16th-highest per capita income in the state as of the 2000 Census....
, Munoz served on the Summit
Summit, New Jersey
Summit is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 21,457. Summit had the 16th-highest per capita income in the state as of the 2000 Census....
Common Council from 1996-2001. He was a former Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Municipal Chairman in Summit. He was elected to an unexpired term as Assemblyman in the old 21st Legislative District in 2001 to succeed Kevin J. O'Toole
Kevin J. O'Toole
Kevin J. O'Toole is an American Republican Party politician, who serves in the New Jersey Senate. O'Toole represents the 40th legislative district, which consists of parts of Bergen, Essex and Passaic counties....
.
He was elected in 2001, and reelected in 2003, 2005 and 2007, to represent the new 21st District consisting of municipalities in Union
Union County, New Jersey
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 536,499. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Elizabeth. Union County ranks 93rd among the highest-income counties in the United States. It also ranks 74th in...
, Morris
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
, Essex
Essex County, New Jersey
Essex County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the population was 783,969, ranking it third in the state after Bergen County and Middlesex County; Essex County's population has declined from 786,147 as of the bureau's...
and Somerset
Somerset County, New Jersey
Somerset County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In 2010, the population was 323,444. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Somerville....
Counties. He served as Deputy Leader of the Republican Conference for the 2006-2008 term.
In 2006, Munoz was criticized by a Delaware judge for allegedly misrepresenting his credentials as an expert witness in a medical malpractice
Medical malpractice
Medical malpractice is professional negligence by act or omission by a health care provider in which the treatment provided falls below the accepted standard of practice in the medical community and causes injury or death to the patient, with most cases involving medical error. Standards and...
case. According to the judge, Munoz testified in 2004 that he was certified in emergency medicine when he was only certified in general surgery. The state Supreme Court found that the judge had "abused her discretion" by dismissing the case on this basis but did not dispute her interpretation of the underlying situation.
Munoz graduated with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
in Pre-Med and received an M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Albert Einstein College of Medicine is a graduate school of Yeshiva University. It is a not-for-profit, private, nonsectarian medical school located on the Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus in the Morris Park neighborhood of the borough of the Bronx of New York City...
. He did his general surgery training at Yale-New Haven Hospital
Yale-New Haven Hospital
Yale-New Haven Hospital , Connecticut's largest hospital with 966 beds, is located in New Haven, Connecticut.The hospital is owned and operated by the Yale New Haven Health System, Inc...
, and was also awarded his Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
in Finance degree from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
.
Death
Munoz died from complications from a ruptured aortic aneurysm on March 30, 2009. He was 61 years old.Succession to Assembly Seat
On April 27, 2009, a special convention was held by Republican county committee members to fill the vacancy caused by Munoz's death. His widow, Nancy MunozNancy Munoz
Nancy F. Munoz is an American Republican Party politician who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2009, where she represents the 21st Legislative District....
, defeated two opponents, Long Hill
Long Hill Township, New Jersey
-Local government:Long Hill Township is governed under the Township form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for...
Mayor George Vitureira and Long Hill School Board member Bruce Meringolo. The final tally was Munoz 174, Meringolo 34, Vitureira 16. Both Meringolo and Vitureira have filed petitions to appear on the June 2009 Republican primary ballot. Mrs. Munoz will fill the seat for the remainder of the term in January 2010.
The June 2, 2009 primary to fill the two Republican nomintions for Assembly in the 21st District will feature Assemblyman Bramnick, Assemblywoman Munoz, Mayor Vitureira and Mr. Meringlo.
External links
- Assemblyman Munoz's legislative web page, New Jersey LegislatureNew Jersey LegislatureThe New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
- New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms:
- 2007
- 2006
- 2005
- 2004
- Curriculum Vitae
- Assembly Member Eric Munoz, Project Vote SmartProject Vote SmartProject Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States...
- District 21 Candidates Website Kean (Senate), Bramnick & Munoz (Assembly)
- New Jersey Voter Information Website 2003