Sean Byrnes - Representative For Township Committee

Committeeman Sean F. Byrnes was elected to the Middletown Township Committee in 2007. He was elected in a year which was favorable to Republicans.  Despite having veteran Republican politician, State Senator Joe Kyrillos on the ballot, Sean still won the Republican leaning Middletown with decisive numbers.

Sean is a Monmouth County native having grown up in Red Bank.  He attended Red Bank Regional High School, graduating in 1981.  He entered the Coast Guard Academy shortly thereafter, completing a rigorous training and academic program.  He also rowed on the Varsity Crew Team for three years, winning a Small College National Championship in the Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia, PA.  He graduated from the Coast Guard Academy cum laude with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Government. 

Sean retired as a Commander from the United States Coast Guard after 22 years of service. Over the years his duties have included serving as an Operations Officer on Coast Guard Cutter Gentian, preparation of operating budgets for Coast Guard units, serving as a staff attorney, and most recently as an Assistant Chief of Staff for the Coast Guard in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Sean holds a Juris Doctor degree from the Georgetown University Law Center, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Government from the United State Coast Guard Academy. During his military service, he also graduated from the Coast Guard's Maritime Law Enforcement School and received numerous awards, including two Commendation medals.

After completing law school in 1992, Mr. Byrnes retired from the active duty Coast Guard, and accepted a position with the prestigious law firm of McCarter & English in Newark.  For the next four years, he worked as a trial lawyer litigating matters involving products liability, premises liability, automobile liability and other tort claims. 

Anxious to practice where he grew up, Mr. Byrnes took a position in 1996 with a local Red Bank law firm.  He continued his litigation practice in state and federal court, trying cases and developing a specialty in employment law.  Sean, who has served as the Prosecutor in Atlantic Highlands, opened his own general law practice in 2004, and currently is partner with the firm of Byrnes, Kirkwood in Red Bank.

Throughout the 1990’s, Mr. Byrnes also continued his public service in the Coast Guard Reserve.  From 1992 until 1996, he worked on Governors Island, New York as a staff procurement law attorney with the Coast Guard Maintenance & Logistic Command, Atlantic.  During this time he completed Contract Law Officers course at the U.S. Army JAG School in Charlottesville, VA.  In 1996, Mr. Byrnes accepted a position as a staff attorney for the First Coast Guard District in Boston, Massachusetts.  For seven years, he commuted one weekend per month and two weeks per year to Boston, Massachusetts. During that time, he was chosen to serve on the Coast Guard Roles and Missions Council and returned to active duty for a period of time in Washington, D.C in 2000.  He returned to active duty at the Coast Guard’s Activities New York Command following the invasion of Iraq in 2003.  More recently, he was recalled to active duty to serve as the Assistant Chief of Staff for the Coast Guard Sector in New Orleans for a period of 30 days.  Upon his retirement from the Coast Guard Reserve in April 2004, he was serving as the Reserve Logistics Officer, Coast Guard Sector New York. 

As a local resident, Sean has placed a high priority on public service.  He has served as a member of the Red Bank Board of Education, Red Bank River Center and as a founding Board Trustee with the Parker Clinic. He served five years as Chairman of the Board of the Red Bank Branch of the YMCA, and two years as their Chief Volunteer Officer. Over the years, he has coached basketball and soccer in Red Bank and Middletown. He also serves as a minister and lector at the Church of St. Leo the Great, Lincroft

While on active duty with the Coast Guard, Mr. Byrnes met and married his wife, Anne Clabby Byrnes, who grew up in Middletown, graduating from Red Bank Catholic High School in 1981.  Anne attended Rutgers University and was a Certified Public Accountant before leaving her job to raise her five children.  She now works as a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker.

Sean will not be up for re-election until next year.  However, the Monmouth County Democratic Party has nominated him to run for Freeholder this year.  If he wins that election, he will be replaced on the Township Committee by another Democrat.