By Intashan Chowdhury

Even in a time of government shutdown and gridlock in our nation’s capital, local government is responsible for responding to the needs of the public at-large and the communities that benefit from steady services and sustained quality-of-life initiatives.

The buck stops at the municipal building, where the implementation of sound policy goals and management practices directly impacts the lives of those we serve.

With many longtime, Baby-Boomer employees retiring at increased rates across all sectors, municipal government has also had to fill those vacant seats. A new generation of adaptive and innovative talent has been steadily stepping into government at all levels and across the country. With this change in perspective comes a shift in the municipal narrative and management of changes in federal and state regulations, technology, cultural demographics, value trends — and the needs of citizens.

These changes call for young, energetic and pragmatic professionals ready and willing to get involved and take their seat at the table.

I’m 22-years-old and I’ve been afforded a seat at the table after Mayor Mohamed T. Khairullah gave me the opportunity to lead Prospect Park’s municipal operations as borough administrator, becoming the youngest person in New Jersey to ever hold such a seat.

Under Khairullah’s mentorship, I became involved with municipal government in Prospect Park, a small town niched in the heart of Passaic County. I first met Khairullah as a student in his financial literacy class at Passaic County Technical Institute. Little did I know, seven years later, I would be serving the borough under his leadership.

For three years prior to my appointment, he and I worked closely to meet the needs of the borough community, during which time I often filled multiple roles in multiple departments to achieve that end. My history with Prospect Park and background in government as a policy fellow and legislative intern has given me a unique perspective with which I serve the dynamic needs of the borough.

I oversee a staff of 26 dedicated men and women, as well as the borough’s $6.5 million budget, as borough administrator. The employees I oversee appointed by the mayor are representative of the various ethnic communities in and around Passaic County, and alongside them, I am proud to represent my Bengali community.

As a first-generation American of Bangladeshi descent, my worldview is largely informed by my upbringing in a modest working-class home in Paterson. My parents instilled in me a trait that is invaluable, especially today: self-determination and pride in one’s cultural heritage. I am thankful to have contributed to the culture of diversity and inclusion at Rutgers University in Newark, the most diverse college campus in the U.S. There, I was able achieve a holistic education in public and non-profit administration, which I leverage every day in service to Prospect Park.

My vision for Prospect Park is to provide a supportive and robust foundation for municipal departments as well as the community at-large through professional administration and efficient operations handling. Efficacy is often measured by execution, which is why I’m prepared to implement sound policy objectives and continue my service to the public despite stalemate elsewhere.

I’m proud to share a passion not only for public service but also for effecting progressive change in my community alongside other millennial leaders who have risen to the occasion and taken their seat at the table at all levels of government across the nation.

I hope the borough, with my help, becomes a model that fosters excellence and social responsibility in public service not only here but throughout the state and the country.

Intashan Chowdhury is borough administrator for Prospect Park. A 2019 candidate for a master’s degree in public administration at Rutgers University, he previously interned for U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, State Assemblyman Raj Mukherji, and served as a public policy fellow for Montgomery County, MD Department of Technology Services.

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