L-R: Councilman Furmato, Mayor Sabosik, Administrator Pannucci, Councilwoman DePaola, Councilman Thulen

Borough of Point Pleasant – Every year at the New Jersey League of Municipalities Convention in Atlantic City, every town and government entity in New Jersey converge on the Convention Center for three days of networking, classes, seminars and awards.  This year was a special year for the Borough of Point Pleasant as it received for the second year in a row a major state-wide award, this time honoring Borough Administrator Frank Pannucci Jr.  In 2017, the New Jersey Municipal Management Association along with the Rutgers Center for Government Services honored Boro CFO Himanshu Shah with their Distinguished Service Award, in 2018 Borough Administrator Frank Pannucci was honored with the “Best New Professional to Local Government Award.”

According to Mayor Sabosik, “This award is given to a new city manager/administrator that has been practicing in the profession for no more than 5 years and has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in local government service.  Three and a half years ago we hired Mr. Pannucci based on his previous work as a Department Head in various government organizations along with his educational background and I can say we’ve never looked back.  His award this year and Mr. Shah’s award the previous year shows this Mayor and Council’s commitment to hiring strong leaders to serve our residents and to make sure our local government succeeds.  Our employees are being recognized as the best in the entire State of New Jersey and I couldn’t be prouder.”

According to Councilman Joe Furmato who was also in attendance at the awards ceremony, “A lot of hard work went into this award.  Mr. Pannucci was able to take the vision this governing body had and help make it a reality.  Our bond rating increased for the first time ever, we’ve re-built our parks and beaches, paved a record number of roads and have cleaned up our budgets and stabilized taxes all within just a few short years.”  Councilman Mike Thulen who also attended the ceremony echoed those sentiments by saying that “We’ve created a team in Point Pleasant and this award shows that.  Good things happen only when you have the right people and as a Council, we’ve made sure to hire quality individuals these last few years, we believe good management is key to a successful municipality.”

On his award, Mr. Pannucci said that “This award is really a reflection of the team we’ve created in Point Pleasant these last few years.  Mayor Sabosik and the Borough Council have a clear vision of what they want for The Boro and on their direction, we’re making good things happen.  Between myself, outstanding department heads, great employees and of course a terrific Mayor and Council, we’ve done a whole heck of a lot in a short period of time as Councilman Furmato stated.  It’s a pleasure to work alongside dedicated individuals at Borough Hall and to be able to work for a Mayor and Council like this who truly love and care for their community.  Point Pleasant is a great place to be and I’m grateful to be able to be a part of a team like this.”