The City Council unanimously endorsed the mayor’s choice for a new director of human services on Wednesday, appointing former Board of Education President John Pope.
City Hall is divided into four major divisions, each with a director – human services, community development, administration, and environmental services (otherwise known as public works).
The human services position opened up when Director Carmelo Garcia, who also serves on the Board of Education, announced he was leaving City Hall to become the assistant director of the federally funded Hoboken Housing Authority projects (see sidebar below).
Prior to accepting the mayor’s offer, Pope was temporarily unemployed, having formerly been the Hoboken school district’s business administrator until his contract was not renewed last year. Before that, he had served in managerial positions in private companies such as Lucent Technologies.
As director of human services, Pope will oversee eight separate departments within the city, which are: the Health Department, Rent Control, Department of Senior Services, Transportation, Department of Cultural Affairs, Housing Inspection, Department of Recreation, and the Public Library.
Pope will manage a budget of over $2.8 million and will earn an annual salary of $89,000 – approximately $26,000 less than his predecessor. Pope attributed the reduction in salary to Mayor David Roberts’ “tough bargaining skills.”
‘Always room for improvement’
“I’m honored that the mayor offered me the opportunity to advance the city’s programs,” said Pope last week. “I guarantee this department will be more efficient and more effective, and that I will leave the department of human services in a better position that I found it.”
Pope added that he was not suggesting that anything was wrong with the current department, only that “there is always room for improvement.”
When asked for a reaction to Pope’s appointment to his old position, Garcia refused to speculate as to how Pope would do, saying only, “I’ve set the bar pretty high for that department. It’s a well-oiled machine, and I hope there won’t be any reduction of services or reduction in the quality in which those services are carried out.”
Pope’s resume and politics
The mayor selected Pope based on his experience with him, rather than advertising the position and interviewing various candidates.
“I’ve known John for 25 years,” Roberts said last week. “He is a professional with a sharp analytical mind who has executive-level experience. I’m convinced he will prove himself as director and do an excellent job for the city and residents of Hoboken.”
Roberts acknowledged that Pope had worked on his first election campaign in ’85, for City Council. When asked why no selection process was conducted, the mayor refused to provide a concise answer, saying only that as mayor he has executive needs which require him to have a high level of confidence in members of his cabinet, which he has with Pope.
Pope has spent over 30 years in managerial roles in various companies. He was primarily charged with improving the process and organizational design of existing personnel departments in companies. For which he worked.
In the past, Pope also assisted 3rd Ward Councilman Michael Russo as well as his father, former Mayor Anthony Russo, in their campaigns. Both Roberts and Russo denied that politics had anything to do with Pope’s hiring, and the mayor refused to comment further on the issue.
In fact, currently, Roberts and Russo are on opposite sides of many issues politically.
Last week, Michael Russo said, “I’ve known John personally and professionally for a long time. He’s a very competent man, and having talked to him about his goals, I’m confident he will have a positive impact in the department as well as the city overall.”
Russo added that one of Pope’s goals will be to reduce spending in the department.
The man and his position
Pope, a product of Hoboken public schools who graduated from Hoboken High in 1965, went on to earn a Bachelors of Science in Management and a Masters of Business Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University, as well as a certificate in executive management from Penn State.
From 1975 to 1986 and again from 1997 to 2002, Pope served on the school board, of which he was president from 1983 to 1986.
Over the years the new director has held an array of managerial positions with Lucent Technologies (formerly AT&T) which included System Planning Director, Service Management Director, and Director of Business Operations for the entire South American region.
Michael Mullins can be reached at mmullins@hudsonreporter.com. SIDE BAR Garcia hired as HHA Assistant Director
On Thursday, Sept. 13, Hoboken Housing Authority Executive Director Robert DiVincent officially announced the appointment of Carmelo Garcia to the position of assistant director of that federally funded agency, which oversees Hoboken’s 1,383 federally funded housing projects.
The decision was unanimously supported by the Authority’s seven-member unpaid Board of Commissioners. The crowd in attendance applauded the appointment.
Garcia had been eyeing the position for over two years and is the most likely choice to eventually replace DiVincent as executive director, though the commissioners say there will be a lengthy selection process when the time comes to select a new executive director.
The position is an important one in town, as it involves overseeing one of the few patches of affordable housing in the city, as well as the coveted wait list for housing. The public housing projects also have also been prone to drug activity, something the new assistant director has said he wants to crack down on.
Garcia, who was born and raised in the HHA, is currently receiving an annual salary of $105,000, which is a $10,000 pay cut from his former position with City Hall.
In an interview earlier in the month, Garcia said his goal as assistant director would be to improve the quality of life for residents in the authority, with a particular focus on eliminating the drug element. – MM