Riletta L. Cream Freeholder 520 Market Street 12th Floor Camden, NJ 08102 (856) 225-5453 rcream@camdencounty.com Term - January 2009 through December 2011

Educator, public official, human rights activist, community volunteer - these are just some of the roles that Freeholder Riletta L. Cream has played in her lifetime of dedicated service.

A native of Camden City, Freeholder Cream has devoted her time, talents and energy to improving the educational system in her community. A graduate of Rowan College and Temple University, Mrs. Cream was a teacher, supervisor and elementary school principal until her appointment as principal of Camden High School in 1972. She retired in 1987 after devoting 37 years and 8 months of her life to the children of Camden.

Mrs. Cream has continued to give to the children of Camden City with the establishment of her Scholarship Fund in 1989. She has expanded her scholarship to include all four high schools in Camden City. One student from Camden, Woodrow Wilson, Brimm Medical Arts and Creative Arts High Schools will now be the recipient of a $1,000 scholarship from the Riletta L. Cream Scholarship Fund, Inc.

Retiring from teaching, however, did not mean retiring from caring for the community. She became an Administrator for the BPUM, Inc. Day Care Centers located in Camden City. Then, continuing in her most cherished role as an educator, Mrs. Cream became Adjunct Professor at Rowan and Rutgers Universities as a Supervisor for Student Teachers.

In 1994, Riletta Cream was appointed to the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders and has since been re-elected three times to that position. In her capacity as Freeholder, she serves as liaison to the Department of Buildings and Operations, as well as the Camden County Department of Education. Under the Department of Education, she is responsible for the Camden County College, Camden County Technical Schools, Camden County Library System, Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission, and the Camden County Superintendent of Schools.

Freeholder Cream's accomplishments include, but are not limited to, the restoration of Camden City Council Chambers, the renovation of Kennedy Plaza, and the continued improvement and upgrading of county buildings, especially those located in the county seat. In her quest to beautify the City, she has incorporated public artwork in many of these projects. Mrs. Cream is committed to the county's educational initiatives by implementing such projects as the construction of new libraries, the recently opened South County Regional Branch in Winslow Township, the new Camden City library located at 9th and Ferry Avenue, along with future proposed libraries. The Tech 2000 Program has accomplished its mission of placing computers in every classroom, Distance Learning equipment and providing technological training for teachers. Camden County College has seen continued expansion with the opening of the William G. Rohrer Campus in Cherry Hill and the Technology center at the Camden Campus. Finally, the Blackwood campus of Camden County College is currently undergoing an $83 million expansion.

Along with Freeholder Cream's many awards and accolades, too numerous to mention, one demands acknowledgment. On January 3, 1991, the Riletta Twyne Cream Family School opened its doors to the next generation of Camden's children. Named in recognition of her dedication and commitment, the school is a fitting tribute to a woman whose contributions to the education of children have impacted the lives of so many.

Freeholder Riletta L. Cream has lived her life by the philosophy: "Where there is education, there is power".

In the backyard garden at the Walt Whitman house in Camden, after the home was named a "Literary Landmark", are Camden County College President Dr. Raymond Yannuzzi, left, Renee Becker Swartz, center, Chairperson of the NJ Center for the Book, and Camden County Freeholder Riletta Cream
(Press Release)

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