The Town of Kearny, in partnership with the Kearny Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ), invites residents, business owners and community stakeholders to participate in a new community survey focused on shaping how Kearny presents itself to the world.
This effort is about creating a clear and consistent way to tell Kearny’s story — highlighting what makes the town special and making it easier to promote local businesses, attract visitors and encourage investment. A unified brand helps ensure that whether someone is visiting, opening a business or moving to Kearny, they get a strong and positive impression of the community.
“Kearny is a community with a rich history and a strong sense of pride,” Mayor Carol Jean Doyle said. “This initiative is about bringing our community’s voice to the forefront and ensuring that how we present ourselves reflects who we truly are. We encourage everyone to take a few minutes to participate.”
The branding initiative will explore what makes Kearny unique — its culture, businesses, public spaces and overall experience — and translate that into a cohesive identity that can be used across marketing, events, economic development efforts and communications.
Importantly, this effort is not intended to replace the Town of Kearny’s official seal. The seal will remain unchanged and continue to represent the town’s history and governance. The branding initiative is focused on creating complementary visuals and messaging that can be used to promote Kearny in a modern and consistent way.
Community input is a key component of this effort. The survey provides an opportunity for participants to share their perceptions, experiences, and ideas for the future of the town. It takes approximately 5–10 minutes to complete.
As an added incentive, participants who complete the survey will be entered for a chance to win a $100 gift card. The deadline to complete the survey is May 15, 2026.
This project is funded by the Kearny Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) and was approved as part of the UEZ’s Five-Year Zone Development Plan, which prioritizes initiatives that support economic growth, business development, and community revitalization.
Take the survey now at: https://bit.ly/KearnyBrandingSurvey
For more information, contact Linda D’Isa, Coordinator for the Kearny Urban Enterprise Zone Program, at ldisa@kearnynj.org or (201) 283-5668.
Learn more about the writer ...
Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.