Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad Names BOE Member As Executive Director

PRINCETON, NJ — The Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad has named Ari Meisel as its first executive director, the 87-year-old all-volunteer emergency medical services organization announced.

This caps a competitive search that drew more than 25 applicants and included six finalists.

The appointment comes as outgoing PFARS President Mark Freda — who is also Princeton's mayor — steps back from a 51-year career with the squad, warning that the organization's leadership transition is happening against a sobering backdrop for volunteer EMS statewide.

Meisel, 42, a Princeton resident, current PFARS vice president and member of the Princeton Board of Education, will oversee day-to-day operations, fundraising, community partnerships and organizational development.

A Wharton School of Business graduate, he is the founder of Less Doing, a productivity consulting firm, and has written several books on systems thinking and operational efficiency. He is also a father of five children enrolled in Princeton Public Schools.

"PFARS is more than an EMS organization," Meisel said. "It is a cornerstone of this community. My focus will be on empowering our incredible volunteers, modernizing our systems, and ensuring we have the resources and infrastructure to serve Princeton at the highest level."

The hire marks a structural shift for the organization, which is moving to a professional executive leadership model intended to support its volunteer workforce and expand its capacity to serve the greater Princeton area.

Meisel's deep roots in Princeton's civic life — spanning the school board, the rescue squad and the business community — position him as an unusually connected figure to take on the role.

When he ran for the Board of Education in 2024, he cited his EMS experience as training for high-stakes, collaborative decision-making.

Freda, who has served as PFARS' paid president since 2018, said the board was unanimous in its confidence in Meisel.

"PFARS has an extraordinary legacy of service, and this appointment reflects our commitment to maintaining and growing an organization that can meet the needs of our community for the next 90 years," Freda said. "After a rigorous and thoughtful search process, the Board is confident that Ari is the right person to lead PFARS into this next chapter."

Freda will remain in an advisory role during the transition.

The PFARS Board of Trustees approved Meisel's appointment unanimously.

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