2026
Rumson St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Grand Marshal
Grace Hanlon
A proud Monmouth County resident from childhood to today, Grace Hanlon’s roots trace back to when her parents moved to Rumson while in college, where her father, Anthony “Buddy” Hanlon, still resides. Now living in Fair Haven, she is the Executive Director of The Jersey Shore Partnership, the state’s leading advocate for beach replenishment and restoration to protect New Jersey’s coastline — a national treasure and vital driver of the state’s billion-dollar tourism industry.
Hanlon is the former Executive Director of the Division of Travel & Tourism for the State of New Jersey. During her tenure, Hanlon served on committees supporting major state events, including New Jersey’s first Super Bowl and 2014 Special Olympics USA Games. She also led the tourism industry’s recovery following Superstorm Sandy. An accomplished executive, Hanlon is widely recognized for her expertise in public speaking, marketing, crisis communications, public affairs, and media production. She has shared her insights on national and regional television programs, including Good Day New York, Fox News, and numerous morning news shows across the tri-state area.
Hanlon also serves on the OceanFirst Community Advisory Board and was named JerseyMan/PhillyMan Magazine’s 2023 Woman of the Year. In addition, she has been nominated to the board of the national American Shore & Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) and selected as a finalist for the prestigious Monmouth Regional Chamber of Commerce 2026 Athena Award, which honors women who exemplify professional excellence, community service, and mentorship, and who serve as role models making a lasting impact in their communities.
A committed philanthropist, Hanlon has served as President of the Board of Trustees for Prevention First and Preferred Behavioral Health, and as a Board Member of Oakes Integrated Health Care and the Red Bank Tourism Center. She has also supported fundraising for the Cancer Ball, Fulfill, the Fair Haven Historic Society Garden Party, and the Dynamite Youth Center. Currently Chair of Clean Ocean Action’s 40th Anniversary of Beach Sweeps Gala.
A graduate of Rosemont College and the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her master’s degree, Hanlon is a dual citizen of Ireland and the United States and the proud granddaughter of immigrants from County Donegal. Featured in the Irish Echo and honored during Monmouth County Irish American Heritage Month, she has returned to Ireland since childhood to visit family, explore the countryside, and keep her Donegal roots alive for the next generation.
She is married to Dr. Robert McCaig, Vice President of Monmouth University, and is the proud mother of her adult sons, Patrick and Jack, and her daughter Mary, age 10, who attends Holy Cross Academy, is a proud finalist of the Irish Soda Baking Contest for 2024–25, and has dabbled in Irish dance.
Grace Hanlon proudly traces her roots to Ireland on both sides of her family tree. On her mother’s side, she is the granddaughter of Joseph and Grace Harkin Quinn (her namesake), who came to America in the early 1900s. Her grandmother, Grace Harkin, was just 14 when she arrived in Philadelphia, working for an Irish family in conditions not far from indentured servitude. While never one to complain, she once confided the unforgettable story of caring for a “wee baby” with Down syndrome, the family kept hidden away in the attic. From those humble beginnings, young Grace Harkin built an inspiring life—becoming a proud U.S. citizen, buying her own home, and raising two wonderful children. Along the way, she worked as a housekeeper for actress Audrey Meadows and her husband, “Mr. Six,” the owner of Continental Airlines, and even served tea to President John F. Kennedy at Gracie Mansion.
Hanlon has been attending Irish parades with her grandmother since she could walk—from 5th Avenue in New York City to Belmar, New Jersey. Her grandmother’s final parade was in Rumson, New Jersey, a joyous last hurrah at Briody’s. Grace adored hearing her grandmother pray in Gaelic, and through these shared experiences, she received her deep Catholic faith, lovingly passed down from her grandmother.
On her father’s side, the Hanlons had immigrated a few generations earlier. Her great-grandfather was known for his love of the horse races and, during Prohibition, as a successful businessman who made sure spirits were never in short supply.
Hanlon has always carried her Irish heritage with pride, gratitude, and a bit of sparkle, considering her grandmother not only a role model but one of her very best friends.
Hanlon is the former Executive Director of the Division of Travel & Tourism for the State of New Jersey. During her tenure, Hanlon served on committees supporting major state events, including New Jersey’s first Super Bowl and 2014 Special Olympics USA Games. She also led the tourism industry’s recovery following Superstorm Sandy. An accomplished executive, Hanlon is widely recognized for her expertise in public speaking, marketing, crisis communications, public affairs, and media production. She has shared her insights on national and regional television programs, including Good Day New York, Fox News, and numerous morning news shows across the tri-state area.
Hanlon also serves on the OceanFirst Community Advisory Board and was named JerseyMan/PhillyMan Magazine’s 2023 Woman of the Year. In addition, she has been nominated to the board of the national American Shore & Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) and selected as a finalist for the prestigious Monmouth Regional Chamber of Commerce 2026 Athena Award, which honors women who exemplify professional excellence, community service, and mentorship, and who serve as role models making a lasting impact in their communities.
A committed philanthropist, Hanlon has served as President of the Board of Trustees for Prevention First and Preferred Behavioral Health, and as a Board Member of Oakes Integrated Health Care and the Red Bank Tourism Center. She has also supported fundraising for the Cancer Ball, Fulfill, the Fair Haven Historic Society Garden Party, and the Dynamite Youth Center. Currently Chair of Clean Ocean Action’s 40th Anniversary of Beach Sweeps Gala.
A graduate of Rosemont College and the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her master’s degree, Hanlon is a dual citizen of Ireland and the United States and the proud granddaughter of immigrants from County Donegal. Featured in the Irish Echo and honored during Monmouth County Irish American Heritage Month, she has returned to Ireland since childhood to visit family, explore the countryside, and keep her Donegal roots alive for the next generation.
She is married to Dr. Robert McCaig, Vice President of Monmouth University, and is the proud mother of her adult sons, Patrick and Jack, and her daughter Mary, age 10, who attends Holy Cross Academy, is a proud finalist of the Irish Soda Baking Contest for 2024–25, and has dabbled in Irish dance.
Grace Hanlon proudly traces her roots to Ireland on both sides of her family tree. On her mother’s side, she is the granddaughter of Joseph and Grace Harkin Quinn (her namesake), who came to America in the early 1900s. Her grandmother, Grace Harkin, was just 14 when she arrived in Philadelphia, working for an Irish family in conditions not far from indentured servitude. While never one to complain, she once confided the unforgettable story of caring for a “wee baby” with Down syndrome, the family kept hidden away in the attic. From those humble beginnings, young Grace Harkin built an inspiring life—becoming a proud U.S. citizen, buying her own home, and raising two wonderful children. Along the way, she worked as a housekeeper for actress Audrey Meadows and her husband, “Mr. Six,” the owner of Continental Airlines, and even served tea to President John F. Kennedy at Gracie Mansion.
Hanlon has been attending Irish parades with her grandmother since she could walk—from 5th Avenue in New York City to Belmar, New Jersey. Her grandmother’s final parade was in Rumson, New Jersey, a joyous last hurrah at Briody’s. Grace adored hearing her grandmother pray in Gaelic, and through these shared experiences, she received her deep Catholic faith, lovingly passed down from her grandmother.
On her father’s side, the Hanlons had immigrated a few generations earlier. Her great-grandfather was known for his love of the horse races and, during Prohibition, as a successful businessman who made sure spirits were never in short supply.
Hanlon has always carried her Irish heritage with pride, gratitude, and a bit of sparkle, considering her grandmother not only a role model but one of her very best friends.
