Politics & Government

Township Public Works Director Named Leader of the Year

Stephen Stanziano received the honor from the New Jersey chapter of the American Public Works Association

Manchester's director was recently honored for his leadership role. 

Stephen Stanziano was presented with the Richard Rohrbach Public Works Leader of the Year award during a ceremony at the 2011 New Jersey League of Municipalities Conference in Atlantic City on Nov. 17.

The honor was given by the New Jersey chapter of the American Public Works Association to Stanziano, "a public works official that has distinguished himself in one or more areas" and "inspire(s) excellence and dedication in public service by recognizing the outstanding achievements of individual public works officials," according to a statement by the organization. 

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"This one was extra special," said Stanziano, who has been recognized twice in years past for his work. "It's a pretty big honor. It's the one that I cherish the most.

"He deserves it," said Mayor Michael Fressola of the man who leads about 80 township public works employees. "He does an outstanding job."

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The Association said that Stanziano, who has worked in Manchester for 16 years, "played a critical role" in the township's acquisition of the Crestwood Water and Sewer Companies from United Water in February of 2010, a project that was envisioned by the director about nine years ago. 

On July 1, 2011, in a move that is expected to save $100,000 in the first year, the township also took control of the eastern service area from United Water. At the time, Stanziano said that residents should not notice any change in service as he pointed to the smooth transition of the Crestwood area last year.

The utility takeover, Stanziano said, was possible because of the his staff.

"I've just got some really talented people," he said. 

Fressola also considered the switch as one of the director's most important achievements. 

"It's been a smooth transition for taking over something as large as that and something with that many accounts," he said. 

Manchester, a township of about 83 square miles, has seen its fair share of cleanup operations. Last winter, township public works crews worked to after a sizeable snowfall. Workers also dealt with the aftermath of that downed numerous trees in June.

Even though he is a leader, Stanziano said that to get the job done "you also need people to walk beside you."

"I know a lot of people disagree with me, but you need that select group," he said. 

This includes everyone under his watch, from the engineers, blue collar employees and secretarial staff. 

"No one ever said, 'no, we can't do that,'" Stanziano said. "It's easier to be a leader when you've got people like that."

Stanziano also serves as the administrative advisor for the township's Veteran's Advisory Committee, a role to which he was appointed in 2003 after township officials decided to erect a flagpole at the municipal complex and requested help from public works. It is also a position that he greatly values.

"I'm sitting there with history," he said. "It's been such an experience."

After visiting a veteran in the hospital last week, Stanziano reflected on the importance of honoring those who served. 

"I can never do enough for him or the other guys on the committee," he said, adding that he enjoys coordinating Veteran's and Memorial Day ceremonies in honor of their service. "I love all these guys."

Recipient of the APWA's Distinguished Service to the Public Award for 25 years of service, Stanziano also authored an article entitled "Empowering Your Workforce," which was published in Public Works Magazine

The article, which outlined how Manchester uses in-house crews rather than contractors in an effort to cut costs, garnered Stanziano emails from other directors across the country asking for further advice on how they could improve their operations. 

"That was the biggest form of flattery," he said. 


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