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A Life in Motion Interrupted

Mayor. Mentor. Actor. Father. Husband.

Jim Van Arsdale has built a life centered on staying active and involved in the community he calls home.

The Green Brook Township, New Jersey, mayor volunteers in his community, mentors graduate students at the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business, and appears as a background actor in television and film productions around the New York region.

“If something’s interesting and I have the time,” Jim says, “I’m all in.”

A Life of Service and Curiosity

Community service has long played a central role in Jim’s life.

Shortly after graduating from the University of South Carolina, he became involved with United Way and eventually served on its board. He also volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters.

At home in Green Brook Township, Jim was active in leading his son’s Scouts BSA troop. His commitment to the community eventually led to public service.

He was appointed to the township’s Land Use Board, where he served for about 10 years. During that time, Green Brook Township residents encouraged him to run for elected office.

Once his daughter left for college, Jim devoted more time to the community. He ran for the township committee in 2018, served as deputy mayor during his second term, and is now in his fourth year serving as mayor of Green Brook Township.

His professional life was equally active.

Jim spent 20 years running the wealth management banking business at UBS AG NY. Near the end of that career, his alma mater reached out about mentoring students in the Master of International Business program.

Jim said yes.

Soon his involvement expanded to guest lecturing and mentoring undergraduate students. In the summer of 2024, he was appointed a Sonoco Visiting Fellow in International Business at the Darla Moore School of Business.

Around the same time, he decided to explore another interest.

Jim registered with Central Casting in July of 2024 and soon found himself appearing in television and film productions shot around the New York area. In little more than a year, he appeared in more than 70 productions.

Then came news he never expected.

A Life-Changing Brain Tumor Diagnosis

A few years ago, Jim’s shoulder began bothering him. His primary care physician ordered an MRI to rule out a tear.

The scan showed his shoulder was fine.

It also revealed something no one expected: a brain tumor.

Doctors identified the growth as a frontal parasagittal meningioma, a type of brain tumor that develops in the membranes surrounding the brain. Fortunately, the tumor was benign.

Jim had no symptoms.

When he first heard the diagnosis, Jim recalls thinking calmly, “Well, this could be an interesting journey.”

Because he had no symptoms, his neurologist recommended monitoring the tumor with MRI scans every six months.

During that time, Jim continued living normally. He worked, mentored students, acted in television productions, and served as mayor.

Eventually, however, the tumor reached a size that prompted the neurologist to refer Jim to Atlantic Brain and Spine (ABS), a New Jersey neurosurgical practice focused exclusively on complex brain, spine, and neurovascular conditions.

There, he met Dr. Yaron A. Moshel, a neurosurgeon who specializes in meningiomas.

Questions, Answers, and a Plan

Jim arrived at the consultation with a list of questions.

“Dr. Moshel was very calm,” Jim recalls. “He took his time and walked me through everything.”

Dr. Moshel explained the tumor had grown to a size where it needed to be removed before symptoms like seizures or paralysis began, but he told Jim he had some time to plan the surgery. “You don’t need to manage your life around this,” said Dr. Moshel. “Ideally, we do the procedure within the next six months.”

The timeline allowed Jim to prepare for surgery and schedule the procedure for the start of the new year.

“I never felt pressured,” Jim says. “But I understood why it needed to be done.”

Advanced Brain Tumor Surgery

In January of 2025, Dr. Moshel performed a craniotomy and microsurgical resection at Overlook Medical Center in Summit, New Jersey, to remove Jim’s tumor.

The growth was a parasagittal meningioma located near the brain’s midline and close to the superior sagittal sinus, a major vein that drains blood from the brain.

Tumors in this area can be challenging to remove because of their proximity to brain regions that control movement and sensation.

“These tumors sit close to critical structures in the brain,” Dr. Moshel explains. “The goal is to remove the tumor while protecting the brain’s functional pathways so patients can return to their normal lives.”

During the procedure, the surgical team used intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring to track brain activity in real time and help preserve motor function.

The surgery went well, and pathology confirmed a WHO Grade I benign meningioma.

A Temporary Setback

Less than 24 hours after surgery, Jim experienced paralysis in his right leg caused by temporary swelling and pressure from the surgery.

Dr. Moshel adjusted his medication, and the paralysis resolved within a day.

Jim returned home and focused on recovery. Physical therapy helped him steadily regain strength and mobility.

“The team was phenomenal,” Jim says.

Within two weeks, he was cleared to drive.

He had missed only one mayoral meeting.

A Setback at Sea: Care from Afar

The following month, Jim and his wife, Connie, were preparing for a long-planned cruise to Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao.

The night before boarding the ship, he suddenly experienced paralysis on his right side.

Because of the upcoming trip, Dr. Moshel had already given Jim his personal cell phone number.

Jim reached out immediately.

Confident this was a minor setback, Dr. Moshel prescribed the same medication Jim had taken following surgery.

Connie rented a wheelchair, and Jim boarded the cruise as planned.

Dr. Moshel remained in close contact with Jim throughout the trip to make sure he was responding to the treatment.

Within two days, the medication began working. Jim moved from a wheelchair to a cane. By the midpoint of the cruise, he was walking independently again.

“You’re going to dread giving me your number,” Jim joked in a message to Dr. Moshel. “Because now I’m going to fill it up with pictures from my trip.”

Dr. Moshel didn’t mind.

“It was great getting pictures of Jim on the white sand beaches of Aruba while it was the dead of winter here in New Jersey,” he says.

Back to the Life He Loves

By March, Jim was off all medications and feeling fully recovered.

Follow-up imaging showed no evidence of residual tumor, meaning radiation treatment was not necessary. His care team recommended routine annual imaging.

Today, Jim has returned to the life he enjoys. He continues to serve as mayor of Green Brook, mentor students at the University of South Carolina, and appears in television productions filmed around the region.

“I feel like myself again,” he says.

“It’s great to see Jim back to the life he enjoys,” Dr. Moshel says. “That’s always the goal.”

Looking back, Jim says the diagnosis became an interesting journey that ultimately returned him to the life he loves.

Dr. Moshel says cases like Jim’s reflect the philosophy of care at Atlantic Brain and Spine.

“This surgery exemplifies how innovation and experience converge to transform outcomes,” he says. “Our goal at ABS is not just to remove the tumor, but to protect the brain’s intricate networks so patients can return to their lives with minimal disruption.”

About Atlantic Brain and Spine

Atlantic Brain and Spine is a New Jersey neurosurgical practice specializing in complex brain, spine, and neurovascular conditions.

The practice provides care for conditions including brain tumors, aneurysms, epilepsy, and complex spine disorders.

Atlantic Brain and Spine serves communities across northern and central New Jersey, with offices in Morristown, Summit, New Brunswick, Manalapan, and Toms River, with a new location coming soon to Edison.

Learn more at AtlanticBrainAndSpine.org or call 973-993-7772.