Yolanda Garcia Balicki

Yolanda Garcia Balicki was elected to the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners in November 2025 and began her three-year term on January 2, 2026. A resident of Millville since 2016, Yolanda’s roots run deep in South Jersey. She grew up in Woodbine, Cape May County, and moved to Vineland in 1975, graduating from Vineland High School in 1978.

As a proud Puerto Rican, Latina, and first-generation college student, Yolanda earned her bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University–New Brunswick in 1982. Shortly after graduation, she began her career with the New Jersey State Parole Board, where she served with distinction for 33 years. While working full-time, Yolanda pursued her lifelong dream of becoming an attorney, graduating from Rutgers Law School–Camden in 1990. Her career at the Parole Board included numerous leadership roles, culminating in a gubernatorial appointment as Deputy Executive Director. For her leadership and commitment to excellence, Yolanda received the 2005 Recognition Award and the 2011 Chairman’s Award for Supervisory Excellence from the State Parole Board.

After retiring from state government in 2015, Yolanda embarked on a second career in private practice. Since 2017, she has served as an associate attorney with Helmer, Conley & Kasselman, P.A., working in the firm’s Bridgeton and Vineland offices. Yolanda focuses on immigration law, representing individuals and families in pursuit of lawful immigration status.

Yolanda is a member of the NJ State Bar Association and the NJ State Bar Association Immigration Law Section. She is the Immediate Past President of the Cumberland County Bar Association and the first Latina ever elected as President in its 125-year history. She has also served as a trustee for the Board of Trustees for Rowan College of South Jersey, was a past member of its Hispanic Advisory Board, is a Lifetime Member of the NAACP, and a former Vice President of the Gloucester County NAACP.
Yolanda is proud of her Puerto Rican heritage and loves the Spanish language, maintaining fluency in her first language with native proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing. She is married to Robert Goodale (Balicki) and is the proud mother of three young adult sons, all graduates of Vineland High School and New Jersey universities (Rowan, Rider, and Rutgers). She has lived in Cape May County, Middlesex County, Gloucester County, and finally returned to Cumberland County in 2002, where she raised her children. 
Yolanda hopes to advocate for law enforcement, correction officers, firefighters, and emergency 
responders to ensure they have resources and safe working conditions, promote smart growth 
strategies to attract businesses, create jobs, and strengthen Cumberland County’s economic base, 
advance rational and responsible planning, to reduce costs and improve efficiency, and ensure all
voices are heard and represented, fostering inclusion and celebrating cultural heritage.