Issue link: http://tcnj.uberflip.com/i/1468619
27 SPRING 2022 BILL CARDONI Mark Freda '82 Mayor, Princeton, New Jersey Mark Freda '82 government and residents, Freda has embraced new levels of transparency, posting regularly on social media and hosting a podcast about local people and goings-on, shedding light on grassroots efforts to advance affordable housing, the arts, LGBTQ issues, and more. But still, there's nothing like the one-on-one connections he gets to experience with community members, he says, though adjustments may be needed for lengthy, unscheduled discussions. "I've learned when I'm grocery shopping not to pick up anything perishable until the last minute," he says, "because you never know what aisle you're going to get stopped in." After 13 years on the Princeton council, Mark Freda stepped away from politics in 1999. With a job in New York City and two kids at home, it had become too much. But two decades later, Freda says he saw what he perceived to be "some shortcomings in the way decisions were being made" about emergency services. As a lifelong borough resident who'd joined the fire department at age 18, that chafed him. "I thought, 'do I moan and groan, or do something about it?'" he says. With his kids grown and the commute a thing of the past, he ran again in 2020, this time for mayor, and won a four- year term. Bringing a fresh perspective on the relationship between municipal Lynn Azarchi '98 Acting director of the New Jersey Office of Management and Budget Born to serve: Been in OMB for 22 years. Good trouble: During the pandemic, when so many people lost jobs and were living in fear, having their lives turned upside down, I was proud to be a part of New Jersey's recovery effort directing a budget that helped those most in need. Marita Sciarrotta '89 Deputy director, New Jersey Division of Taxation Paying her dues: Money we collect helps to pay for lights on our streets, incubators in neonatal clinics, parks and recreational areas, housing, and education. Part of the whole: Government is a behemoth institution. But it's the people, the individuals, the public servants, that are it.