Brick MUA Appoints Maser Engineer As Executive Director

BRICK, NJ -- An Ocean Gate man who has been the Brick Township Municipal Utilities Authority's consulting engineer has been appointed as executive director of the authority, the Brick MUA announced.

Chris A. Theodos of Ocean Gate, an engineer with Maser Consulting, was appointed May 23, according to a news release from the MUA. He replaces former Ocean County Freeholder James Lacey, who was not reappointed by the MUA board as executive director after eight years in the position and retired in December.

Theodos was appointed after months of reviewing resumes and a pair of special meetings to interview the top five candidates, the MUA said.

“Mr. Theodos possesses a unique blend of engineering and management expertise that the Board of Commissioners feel will fit nicely with the Authority’s current organizational structure,” MUA Chairman George Cevasco said.

Theodos has been a professional engineer for more than 30 years with a background in municipal engineering, site development, facilities engineering, and water and sewer project management. Theodos also has expertise in business administration, contract management, and the supervision and management of technical staff, the MUA said.

He is licensed as a professional engineer and planner. His certifications include Floodplain Management, Public Works Management, Municipal Engineering, and Forensic Engineering. In 2014, the NJ Society of Professional Engineers honored Theodos with the NJSPE Distinguished Engineering Service Award.

Theodos had been the MUA's consulting engineer with Maser Consulting for several years, and was overseeing projects for the MUA prior to being appointed as executive director, according to MUA meeting minutes.

“The Authority is excited about welcoming Mr. Theodos on board to complement our already highly-skilled and dedicated staff of professionals,” Cevasco stated.

Theodos also has made a name for himself in political circles. As an Ocean Gate councilman and Democratic mayoral candidate, Theodos repeatedly criticized Ocean Gate Mayor Paul Kennedy during the 2014 mayoral election in Ocean Gate over Kennedy holding four other job titles and drawing a stipend.  Kennedy, who was fined by the state over the issue, narrowly won re-election in that campaign.

Lacey, upon learning he would not be reappointed, retired from his position as executive director and resigned his freeholder position in order to be able to collect a pension; state law required him to resign all of his paid public positions invested in the state Public Employees Retirement System, Freeholder John C. Bartlett Jr. said at the time of Lacey's freeholder resignation.