By Barbara A. Preston for The Montgomery News | July 17, 2026 (Updated at 11 am)
Members of the audience chanted "speech," after the Montgomery Township Committee unanimously appointed Douglas Herring at its July 16 meeting to fill a seat recently vacated by former deputy mayor Vince Barragan.
Herring, who is a local attorney, photographer, and an active volunteer with the Montgomery Emergency Medical Services (MEMS), complied.
He recalled his days as a deputy district attorney in Los Angeles, where he was assigned to the gang unit.
"I was doing gang homicides straight through. And they almost all had the same tragic story. They were young men who hadn't belonged to anything, and so they belonged to something tragic," Herring said. "And then one day I woke up in Montgomery Township. Now there are cows at the end of my street. George Washington walked the Continental Army across this ground. And now there are people here from every corner of the earth. And they came together and made something special...a community."
"In today's world, we all need community," Herring said. "A lot of people have forgotten what that means, and some find it easier to tear down than to build up, easier to divide than unite. But not here."
"Community comes from a Latin word, communis, which means 'together' or common, which is ironic because the most uncommon thing in the world is a community. We have one," Herring said. His referenced one of the strongest communities within Montgomery — the ambulance company — a group who had attended the meeting to cheer and support Herring's nomination.
"My family couldn't be here tonight," Herring lamented, "so my other family is here, reminding us what a community is." Herring lives in Skillman with his wife, Christine Giviskos, PhD, who was curator of Prints, Drawings, and European Art - Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University. His daughters Virginia and Andria attend the Montgomery School District.
Herring serves MEMS as a crew chief, EMT, and driver. His daughter Virginia, who is a junior at Montgomery High School, was attending her EMT class as Herring was sworn into office.
Herring said he wants to be on Township Committee to help build community.
Herring cited retired Marine Corps four-star general James Mattis who commanded forces in the Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War.
Mattis followed the teaching of George Washington. Herring summarized his core leadership philosophy as: "Listening, learning, helping, and then leading." Mattis's servant-leadership approach means starting by understanding what others face and helping them first to build the credibility required to lead.
"This is what I want to do," Herring said.
Committeewoman Patricia Taylor Todd nominated Douglas Herring to serve on Township Committee. Dennis Ahn seconded the nomination. Committee members voted unanimously to appoint Herring to the seat vacated in June Vince Barragan.
Herring will serve until November, at which time he said he would run in the general election for a two-year term on Township Committee. Republican Chris Venis told The Montgomery News that he will run for the seat as well.
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