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It is with heavy hearts that the Highlands Council expresses its condolences to the family and friends of Judge Michael R. Dressler who passed away Thursday, December 4. Judge Dressler became a member of the Highlands Council in 2011 and served for 14 years. 

“We are all deeply saddened by the passing of Mike Dressler,” said Highlands Council Chairman Carl Richko.  “He was an active and dedicated member of the Highland Council.  Mike had a life of public service to his town, county and state.  He'll be missed by all who knew him.” 

Nominated to the Council by then-governor Chris Christie in 2011, Dressler was already an accomplished public servant when appointed to fill one of eight ‘elected official’ positions on the Council. At 22, Dressler was elected to the Cresskill Council and in 1983 he was elected as the Borough’s Mayor. He served as counsel to both the Bergen County Commissioners and the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority.  In 1997 he was elected as the Bergen County Surrogate, a role he held until his passing.

As a member of the Highlands Council, Dressler was a vocal advocate for landowner equity and served on the Landowner Equity and Land Preservation committee from the time it was formed in 2014. Member Dressler also encouraged the formation of and served as Chair on the Roxbury Water Quality Committee, created in 2014 to address concerns regarding the former Fenimore Landfill site. His other committee responsibilities included Audit Evaluation, Bylaws Review, Personnel, Plan Conformance (Chair beginning 2018), and RMP Amendment. Over the years, Member Dressler became known for his thoughtful consideration of all matters before the Council, frequently asking questions of staff and relying on their professional input to help inform his decisions.

“Judge Dressler has been a fixture on the Council for the past 14 years," said Highlands Council Executive Director Ben Spinelli. "Despite his physical challenges, he rarely missed either a public meeting or a committee meeting.  He was a man of great integrity and intelligence and lived a life defined by decency, public service and resilience that can serve as an example to all of us.”

Additional biographical information about Dressler is available on the Bergen County Surrogate webpage. In a 2021 interview with Insider NJ, Dressler shared details about his life, career and philosophy of public service.