Livingston Set To Appoint New Town Manager: Gregory Bonin

LIVINGSTON, NJ — Livingston is preparing to welcome a new township manager and bid farewell to its acting manager, who “stepped up” to hold down the fort during the transition process.

According to a township news release, on Monday, the members of the Livingston Township Council will consider a resolution for the appointment of Gregory J. Bonin as Livingston’s new Township Manager.

Assuming approval of the resolution, Bonin will take over the position effective Aug. 7, officials said.

• See related article: Livingston Council Wants To Fire Town Manager Michele Meade

According to town officials:

“Bonin comes to Livingston from the Township of Branchburg, NJ, where he has been the Administrator for 18 years. He has also been the Borough Clerk for the Borough of Millstone for the past 15 years… A Registered Municipal Clerk and a Qualified Purchasing Agent, he has been the President of the NJ Municipal Managers Association since 2014 and is a member of both the International Institute of Municipal Clerks and the Municipal Clerks Association of New Jersey. He has a Master of Public Administration degree from Rutgers University and is an adjunct instructor in the Mini-MPA Program at the Rutgers University Center for Executive Leadership in Government.”

Livingston municipal officials continued:

“The appointment is the result of a thorough search process conducted by a third-party consultant. The search firm, Government Management Advisors, interviewed the Council members individually at the beginning of the process to identify characteristics that were universally desired by the Council members.

“The Township Council went through two separate search processes: one that included candidates from New Jersey and Pennsylvania and one done nationally through the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). More than 70 resumes were received, and over a dozen people were interviewed.

“Five sets of interviews were then conducted by the Council members, and two sets of interviews each were conducted by a selected group of community representatives and a group of Township department heads, each of which was chosen by the Council.

“The screening interviews and final interviews included a review of writing samples and background investigations. There was a great deal of emphasis throughout the interviews on getting to know the person and whether they would fit into the community.

“During the process, the Council members met or contacted the candidate at least three to four times before making a decision to assess the potential for a positive working relationship. The process allowed for complete evaluation of the strengths and challenges of each candidate.”

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THANKS, RUSSELL JONES

Livingston town officials thanked Acting Township Manager Russell Jones Jr. for stepping up to temporarily fill the role during the HR search.

According to officials:

“Many residents know Russell A. Jones, Jr., as an active volunteer and community member, a dedicated public servant, or an unofficial Township historian – and most recently as Livingston’s Acting Township Manager. Jones and his trusty camera have been around as long as anyone can remember, serving the Township he grew up in, and acting as Livingston’s unofficial historical photographer.

“It all started in the summer of 1970, three years after Jones was graduated from Livingston High School. Jones got his first job with the Township in June of that year, working for the Department of Health and Welfare’s Ragweed Program.

“He continued as a seasonal employee during the summer of 1971, while studying during the rest of those years to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science from High Point University in High Point, North Carolina. In September of 1972, after his third summer, Jones was hired full time as a Field Representative of the Department of Health and Welfare.

“Soon after, Jones was reassigned to the Department of Planning and Building as the Assistant Building Inspector. In 1975, he took on the additional role of Planning Assistant. While working in these positions, Jones was also attending graduate school, and received a Master of Business Administration degree in Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, NJ, in 1979.

“Soon after receiving his MBA, Jones was appointed to the position of Assistant to the Township Manager. He remained in that position for eleven years, while also being appointed by the Township Council as the Township Recycling Coordinator in 1987 – a position in which he continues to serve. Recognizing the value of Jones’s experience, knowledge, and dedication to Livingston, the Council also appointed him to the additional position of Finance Director/CFO in October 1989.

“In 1990, Jones was appointed as Deputy Township Manager and Director of Finance for the Township. For the next 18 years, Jones continued in that capacity, holding dual titles – all the while participating in numerous volunteer committees and activities, and continuing to photograph and visually document the story of the town in which he grew up.

“In January 2008, Jones was promoted to the full-time position of Deputy Township Manager.

“On November 8, 2016, Jones was appointed as Livingston’s Acting Township Manager.

“While serving in these various capacities over the years, Jones has held various licenses and certifications, participated on a variety of committees, and held numerous memberships in professional organizations. Currently, he holds a number of State of NJ Licenses and certifications: Certified Municipal Officer, Construction Code Official, Building Subcode Official, Building Inspector ICS, NJ Certified Recycling Professional, and Sustainable Resource Management Professional.

“In Livingston, Jones currently serves on the following Township committees: Green Team, Recycling & Reclamation Committee, Ad Hoc Deer Management Committee, Open Space Trust Committee, 9/11 Memorial Committee, and Technology Committee.

“He also serves on a number of non-Township committees – Commissioner on the Garden State Municipal Joint Insurance Fund (GSMJIF), Garden State Municipal Joint Insurance Fund Safety Committee, Essex County Community Development Representatives Committee, Essex County Solid Waste Advisory Council – and holds memberships in the NJ Municipal Management Association, International City/County Management Association, and Government Finance Officers Association of NJ.

MONDAY ICE CREAM

“Everyone is invited to join us for ice cream on Monday, July 10, at 7 p.m., at Town Hall, to celebrate Russ Jones and to help us thank him for his willingness to step in as our Acting Township Manager during the past year, and for his dedicated service to our great community,” Mayor Shawn Klein said.

“Through both his volunteer work and his employment, Russ Jones has been a part of keeping Livingston running for 45 years, and he seems to know just about everyone in town,” continued Klein. “Who better to provide stability and continuity as our Acting Township Manager during our recent search for a new Township Manager than the man who has been such a consistent force in Livingston for so long?”

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File Photo: Livingston Township