New Township Administrator Named In Hazlet

HAZLET, NJ — The Township Committee has appointed Robert Bengivenga as township administrator, starting Sept. 1.

Bengivenga, who has experience in the private and public sectors, won unanimous support in a vote by the four Township Committee members present at the Aug. 2 meeting, according to the township website.

As the top executive, Bengivenga will oversee the general management of the town, its business functions and its activities. He succeeds Dennis Pino, who has served since 2013 and will continue as Hazlet’s Construction Code Official, the announcement said.

The Township Committee approved an annual salary of $163,000, prorated beginning Sept. 1.

“Hazlet appreciates Dennis Pino’s hard work and commitment to making Hazlet a great place to live all these years, and he has paved the way for the new administrator,” said Committeeman Pete Terranova. “Rob Bengivenga’s experience and knowledge will help take Hazlet to another level. It’s a great time to be a resident of this town.”

Committeeman Skip McKay added, “The Township Committee was happy to approve a wonderfully talented business administrator to lead us through very challenging times ahead, as we deal with inflation, supply chain and storm water issues.”

Bengivenga, 39, will leave his post as business administrator in Phillipsburg, a town of 15,000 in Warren County, where he helped develop a $19 million municipal budget, oversaw all departments, negotiated union contracts, supervised purchasing, advised the Redevelopment Committee and was involved in flood hazard mitigation.

Bengivenga is a lifelong resident of South Plainfield, where he is currently serving in his sixth term as a Borough Councilman. He was first elected at age 23. He has hands-on experience working with the community, budgets, personnel, purchasing, public works, capital improvement projects and labor contracts, the Hazlet website said.

He has helped develop a $30 million municipal budget, as well as a $6.8 million sewer utility budget and a $300,000 pool utility budget. He is the chairman of the Administration, Finance & Public Information committees. He is also a member of the Economic Development, Shared Services and Public Works committees.

Bengivenga earned a bachelor's degree in marketing from the Kania School of Management at University of Scranton (Pa). He also has taken municipal administration and management courses through the Rutgers University Center for Executive Leadership in Government. He is a Qualified Purchasing Agent.

He is married to Priscilla. They have two children, Matthew and Nora, and are expecting a baby boy in January 2023.