Almost from the day Michael Gonnelli came to work for the town of Secaucus 28 years ago, he’s been known as a man who could get things done – and though numerous people have given him credit for his accomplishments as an employee and eventually the superintendent of the Department of Public Works, two weeks ago he got honored by the American Public Work Association as one of the best in the state.
Gonnelli, 45, will be presented with the New Jersey Chapter Superintendent Award for long-term dedication to the public works industry at a dinner on Nov. 16 during this year’s League of Municipalities Convention in Atlantic City.
Gonnelli, according to Robert Walsh, executive director of the state chapter of the APWA, was singled out for his professionalism during his career.
Each year, the New Jersey chapter of the APWA honors certain members who have reached special plateaus in their professional careers.
Walsh said the award is open to DPW superintendents who meet certain criteria.
“They have to have 25 years in the Department of Public Works and at least 10 years as a superintendent,” Walsh said. “Gonnelli has been with the Department of Public Works for 28 years and its superintendent since 1986, a tenured position since 1992. He is also certified as a public works manager.”
Walsh said applications for the award are mailed to the mayor of each of the towns, and it is up to the town to submit the name and credentials of the superintendent. Included with the application is a list of accomplishments. “Each application goes before our executive board, which passes judgement,” Walsh said. “The decision is based on what is written.”
Gonnelli was one of four selected out of more than a dozen candidates statewide.
Gonnelli didn’t know it was coming
“I didn’t know about the award until someone called to tell me I had won it,” Gonnelli said last week. Mayor Elwell had come across the application during routine opening of the daily mail and thought he would surprise Gonnelli by submitting his name.
“We didn’t even tell his wife, and she works in our office,” Elwell said. “I was sorting through the mall on my desk and found it and said: ‘Let’s fill this out.’ We wrote down everything Mike did. We didn’t have to exaggerate. With everything he’s done, we were sure he would win.”
While Gonnelli may have been shocked by the award, Elwell was not.
“Mike has earned it,” Elwell said. “He is out there every day, and people see all the things he does. By submitting his name and his being named, we’re telling the rest of the state to look at Secaucus and what a great town we have here. We’re very fortunate to have Mike here.”
Gonnelli is a member of the Flood Control Committee and serves as the HMDC’s liaison to the Meadowlands Municipal Committee. He is also a commissioner on the Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission, where he serves on the Parks Planning and Natural Resources Committee and the Solid Waste Committee.
As a superintendent of the DPW, Gonnelli manages all DPW operations within the town, including a full-time staff of 41 employee with a $4 million budget. He is the town’s recycling coordinator and a volunteer firefighter. He is a member of the Secaucus Environmental Committee, a delegate to the town’s Joint Insurance fund, the town’s Shade Tree Advisory Committee Tree Conservation officer, and a member of the Secaucus Planning Board, the New Jersey Public Works Association and the town’s Office of Emergency Management.
Gonnelli has been honored before. He was the United Way Community Hero Torch Bearer for the 1996 Olympic Games. He received a valor award from the 200 Club of Hudson County, heroism awards for rescuing an infant baby from a burning building, and awards for his handling of rescue efforts connected with two train crashes in Secaucus and a rescue on the New Jersey Turnpike.
Gonnelli is not only a certified road specialist and public works manager – as a result of studies at Rutgers University in New Brunswick – he is also a master gardener. He holds certifications in recycling, urban forestry, athletic field construction, park management and hazardous material handling.
“Mike deserves to be honored,” said Riverkeeper Bill Sheehan, who served on the Environmental Committee with Gonnelli for six years and has worked on numerous other projects with Gonnelli throughout the town of Secaucus. “I hold him up as an example of what a DPW Superintendent can be, and tell other people how helpful his DPW is. In many other towns, the DPW is a source of embarrassment. They run dirty operations and their facilities look, smell and operate like a dump. This is not the case in Secaucus. Michael is a pleasure to work with, even on unique projects such as the high school’s environmental walkway. He immerses himself in his projects, and that’s not typical of a superintendent of public works.”