COS to the Grand Marshal
Kathe Conlon
Kathe Conlon, Chief of Staff to Grand Marshal Jack Doll
Kathleen (Kathe) M. Conlon, BSN, RN, CEM, MSHS, serves as Director of Burn Community & Disaster Programs for The Burn Center at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center. She also serves as Director of the Eastern Regional Burn Disaster Consortium, a collaboration of 27 burn
centers located throughout the northeastern United States.
Ms. Conlon was a charter member and Senior Medical Nurse Specialist with New Jersey Task Force One (NJ-TF1), an Urban Search & Rescue team under the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, deploying nationally to major emergency incidents. She has served on
numerous state and national committees, was a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Burn Association, and continues to serve as national faculty for the Association. She
has authored and co-authored multiple publications on burn care and disaster preparedness.
Ms. Conlon earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Bachelor of Arts in Education from
Seton Hall University, a Certificate in Emergency Management from Kean University, and a Master of Science in Homeland Security from Fairleigh Dickinson University, where she was the first woman to graduate from the program.
The eldest of five siblings, Ms. Conlon is a proud aunt to six nieces and nephews and four great-nieces and great-nephews. She resides in Union, New Jersey.
In 2019, Ms. Conlon proudly served as Deputy Grand Marshal of the 84th Annual Newark St. Patrick’s Day Parade. She is honored to now serve as Chief of Staff for the 2026 Grand Marshal,
John (Jack) Doll.
“An áit a bhfuil do chroí is ann a thabharfas do chosa thú.”
(Your feet will bring you to where your heart is.)
COS to the Deputy Grand Marshal
Michael Hamilton
Michael Hamilton Chief of Staff to DGM Chase Hamilton
Michael Hamilton was born in Newark, New Jersey, to the late James “Skipper” Hamilton and Mary “May” Hamilton. He grew up on South 11th Street before the Hamilton family relocated to
Kearny in the aftermath of the Newark Riots of 1967.
A 1980 graduate of Kearny High School, Michael began his working life at the iconic
McGovern’s Tavern under the mentorship of legendary owner Bill Scully and alongside his father, Skipper Hamilton. He remained at McGovern’s until 1999, when he opened the Hamilton
Pub, later returning once again to McGovern’s. In 2004, Michael and his brother Jimmy opened
Skippers Plane Street Pub on University Avenue in Newark. After many years in the bar
business, Michael embarked on a new professional path, becoming an Operating Engineer with Local 68. He currently serves as an Engineer for Macy’s Inc. and Bloomingdale’s.
A lifelong supporter of the Newark St. Patrick’s Day Parade and many Newark-area Irish organizations, Michael has remained deeply rooted in the Irish community. He proudly served as Grand Marshal of the Nutley St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 2001 and has been a steadfast supporter of his children’s participation in parade traditions. Michael proudly supported his son Chase as the 2022 Deputy Grand Marshal of the Nutley Parade and his daughter Rachel as the 2025Parade Queen. He is honored to serve as Chief of Staff to the 2026 Newark St. Patrick’s Day
Parade Deputy Grand Marshal—his son, Chase Hamilton.
Above all, Michael treasures time spent with his family, especially his children and
stepchildren—Chase, Samantha, Rachel, and Rocco. He cherishes holidays surrounded by the entire Hamilton clan, whether sharing a bottle of Skipper’s homemade Baileys or raising their voices together in a traditional Christmas Eve sing-along
COS to the Deputy Grand Marshal
Sr. Georgette Gavioli
Sr. Georgette Gavioli, SSJ Chief of Staff to Sr. Jane McKenna, SSJ
Sr. Georgette Gavioli, SSJ, was born on September 25, 1943, in Washington, D.C., to Simone
and George Gavioli, a U.S. Marine. She and her twin sister were joined by three siblings—
George, Michael, and Diane—and raised in Philadelphia, surrounded by a close-knit extended
family. Growing up in Corpus Christi Parish in North Philadelphia, Sr. Georgette experienced
the values of faith, family, and community that would shape her life’s work.
In 1962, Sr. Georgette entered the Sisters of St. Joseph. Her ministry has been devoted largely to
inner-city communities, where she taught students from first through eighth grade before serving
as a pastoral associate at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Newark, New Jersey. Newark has been her
home for more than 40 years. Following 29 years of service at St. Aloysius Parish, Sr. Georgette
retired and now continues her ministry as a volunteer at St. John’s Soup Kitchen in Newark,
where she has served for the past five years.
COS to the Deputy Grand Marshal
Yesica Castillo
Yesica Castillo – Chief of Staff to DGM Father Bill Reilly
Yesica Castillo Muñoz was born on August 4, 1995, and comes from a family of Mexican heritage deeply rooted in faith, service, and community. She spent her early childhood in Passaic,
New Jersey, and was raised in Garfield, New Jersey, where she developed a strong connection to parish life and community involvement. She currently resides in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, where
she continues to be active in church and community life.
Yesica’s lifelong connection to the Church began at a young age. Before receiving her First Communion, she met Monsignor William Reilly, whose kindness, compassion, and welcoming
spirit made a lasting impression and inspired her enduring commitment to service. Following her
First Communion, Yesica became actively involved in altar server ministry under Monsignor Reilly’s guidance.
Over the years, Yesica served not only as an altar server but also as a mentor and leader, training new altar servers and coordinating their schedules. Her service extended beyond the sanctuary, as she organized bake sales to benefit children in need and led altar servers in Christmas caroling at a local nursing home for five consecutive years—initiatives that fostered compassion,
outreach, and a strong sense of community among parish youth.
Yesica is a graduate of Bergen County Technical High School, where she studied Visual and Graphic Design and was honored as Salutatorian of the Class of 2014. She earned an Associate Degree in Mathematics from Bergen Community College, followed by a Bachelor of Science
from William Paterson University, combining analytical skills with creativity.
Professionally, Yesica has developed a strong foundation in administrative support and operations. She currently serves as an Accounting Assistant and manages Monsignor Reilly’s
digital outreach through his YouTube and Facebook platforms (Rev. William Reilly), supporting
continued communication and engagement with the broader community. Known for her organization, adaptability, and attention to detail, Yesica remains deeply committed to service, leadership, and supporting the mission of the Church—both behind the scenes and through active ministry.
COS to the Deputy Grand Marshal
Pat Yorke
Pat Yorke Chief of Staff to DGM Frank Yorke
Pat Yorke is one of seven children born and raised in Newark to Patrick and Anna May (Nicklas) Yorke. His father immigrated to America from Ballymahon, County Longford, Ireland, during the
historic Blizzard of 1947. His mother, Anna May, was a proud native of Newark. The two met at McGovern’s through Anna May’s lifelong friend, Teresa Owens Durek. Pat and Anna May married
and raised their family in the Vailsburg section of Newark, where they remained until Patrick’s untimely passing in 1983.
Pat’s father proudly served as General Chairman of the Newark St. Patrick’s Day Parade for several years, when the Newark Parade was the only St. Patrick’s Day parade in the State of New Jersey. He left a lasting legacy of leadership, dedication, and love for Irish heritage.
Pat’s parents instilled in all their children a deep pride in their Irish roots. Each attended the Peter J. Smith School of Irish Dancing, which led to a lifelong involvement in Irish music. Three of the Yorke siblings became accordion players, Frank mastered the tin whistle, and one sister played the fiddle. This strong musical foundation inspired Pat to continue the tradition as a member of one of
New Jersey’s most beloved Irish bands—the Willie Lynch Band—where he has played the accordion for over 47 years and counting. Pat, along with his brother Frank and sisters Mary, Peggy, Kathleen, Anna May, and Suzie, is a graduate of Sacred Heart Grammar School in Vailsburg and Our Lady of the Valley High School in
Orange, New Jersey.
While performing with the Willie Lynch Band at Morley’s and McGovern’s in Roselle Park, Pat met
his wife, Colleen Wade. Colleen is an accomplished bagpiper with the renowned St. Columcille United Gaelic Pipe Band and has competed in the World Championships in Scotland with the band.
Pat and Colleen have been happily married for 36 years and are the proud parents of Erin, Bridget, and Patrick. They reside in Edison, New Jersey.
Continuing the family’s Irish traditions, their daughters studied Irish dancing with Deirdre Shea, while their son Patrick learned the tin whistle from Martin Mulvihill’s granddaughter.
Pat served with distinction as a police officer in West Orange, rising to the rank of Lieutenant and commanding the afternoon tour. After 26 years of dedicated service, he retired and currently serves
as a Special Deputy with the United States Marshals Service, stationed in downtown Newark. Pat is also deeply committed to his faith and community. He serves as a Eucharistic Minister at St. Helena’s Parish and, along with his brother Frank, is a Fourth Degree member—the highest degree— of the Knights of Columbus, Elizabeth Council 253. Both were proudly inducted into the Fourth
Degree by Pat’s father-in-law, Robert F. Wade, who served as Deputy Supreme Knight at the time.
Pat is immensely proud of his brother Frank for his many accomplishments and for continuing the Yorke family’s legacy within the Newark St. Patrick’s Day Parade—an institution their father so
meaningfully helped shape. Pat’s parents and his sisters Mary, Kathleen, and Suzie look down from heaven with pride, as does the entire Yorke family, as Frank is honored to serve as 2026 Deputy Grand Marshal of the Newark St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Sláinte!