About Council Member
Carlos M. Gonzalez

Contact: (973) 733-6425

Council Member Carlos Gonzalez is a dedicated leader with an international background in the financial and legal sectors. Sworn into office in July 2006 as a council member at-large, Gonzalez is committed to public service and community development and proud to serve the diverse communities of Newark. He also has traveled extensively throughout the world, including to France, Holland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Spain, and Singapore, as well as to 11 countries in Central and South America and most of the Caribbean nations.

 

Born in Clayey, Puerto Rico, in 1949, Gonzalez is one of 10 children born to humble parents who understood first hand the difficulties of working the sugarcane fields. Overcoming all odds, Gonzalez graduated cum laude from the University of Puerto Rico in 1969, receiving a bachelor's degree in business administration with a major in accounting. He went on to gain 10 years of experience in the area of public accounting as an auditor with two international accounting firms. In 1979, Gonzalez graduated magna cum laude from the International Institute of the Americas, receiving a Masters of Science of Accounting (MSA). While pursuing his master's degree, Gonzalez also became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Full of self-determination and ambition, Gonzalez used his savings to become a full-time law student. In 1992, he earned a Juris Doctor from Rutgers University and went on to work with a Wall Street law firm, where he specialized in public finance (municipal bonds).

An entrepreneur with strong roots in Newark, Gonzalez opened his law office in 1996 on Bloomfield Avenue in Newark. He has established a reputable firm specializing in real estate, bankruptcy, and family matters while also serving on the board of trustees at Essex County College. Gonzalez is an active member of the following professional organizations:

• American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
• New York Bar Association
• Hispanic Bar Association

A proud father of two, Gonzalez lives with his wife, Margarita Muñiz, in Newark. The two are members of Saint Michael's Church, Concerned Hispanics In Search of Progress and Advancement (CHISPA) and Criollos Athletic Club.