NJMMA members have abundant resources to turn to among their peers when they have a question, but they don’t usually call them “Dad.”

That privilege belongs to West Windsor Township Administrator Marlena Schmid, who says she still reaches out to her father, retired long-time Teaneck Township Manager Werner Schmid, whenever she feels she could benefit from his experience and wise counsel.

“I am lucky that he has been such a tremendous mentor,” says Marlena, the only one of Schmid’s five children to follow in his footsteps. “There’s such a value in having him not only as my dad but as a resource that to this day, I can bounce things off of.”

Schmid, who retired in 1989 after 30 years as Teaneck’s top executive, deflects the praise. “At this point, she’s had so much experience, I’d have to ask her for advice,” he says modestly.

This year, Schmid marks his 60th anniversary with NJMMA – one of the longest continuous members in the organization. He joined in 1955 while serving as Teaneck Township Manager James T. Welsh’s assistant. 

Four years later, Welsh left to take a job in Ohio, and Schmid, then 29, was appointed township manager – the youngest ever to hold the post in Teaneck and likely the youngest town manager in the state. An article in the local paper noted that Schmid’s salary “jumped overnight to $9,500, an increase of $3,230.”

A 1951 graduate of Rutgers with an MPA from Syracuse, Schmid was a U.S. Air Force veteran who saw service in Korea and Japan. He initially sought a career with the federal government in Washington, but became disenchanted when he saw he’d probably be “a small fish in a big pond.” “I enjoy being a bigger fish in the pond,” he says.

Schmid spent the next 30 years in Teaneck, where he and his wife Irene raised their family. In a town that had adopted the strong manager form of government in 1930, Schmid had considerable executive authority. His daughter says he always wielded it with integrity and respect for the law.

“In the summer, I would go to meetings and observe how things got done in local government,” she recalled. “He always listened before he spoke or responded to a question … he always was respectful and civilized with his officials and those in attendance at meetings.”

She recalled that Schmid would not allow his children to hold a paying job with the town.  “My dad is extremely ethical, and I’ve received that gene,” she said.  “He taught me that my ultimate responsibility is to enforce the state and municipal laws.”

But even though they never worked for the town, Schmid’s children were schooled in the quality-of-life issues that mattered to him. Every Sunday morning after church, recalls Marlena, the family would ride around town looking for things that needed attention, like potholes and garage sale signs on utility poles. “I learned about getting out in the field and paying attention; trying to stay ahead of things that really matter,” she said.

In Teaneck, Schmid was confronted with serious, headline-making issues, including the integration of Teaneck’s schools and racial unrest in the late 1960s that paralleled the situation in larger cities around the state.  He recalls dashing out of Englewood Hospital right after his wife had given birth to their youngest child in order to be at the scene of a street disturbance.

“The greatest challenges were the integration of the school system and town itself,” he said.

He worked closely with the school superintendent on busing to achieve integration, and also helped to establish regulations to prevent panic selling in the real estate market. “We established a human relations council and were able to achieve a large degree of integration.” He credits the leadership of the town’s police chief with managing some of the tensest moments.

Despite his considerable authority as town manager, Schmid defers when asked about his biggest accomplishments.

“I wasn’t one man,” he said. “Anything we accomplished in Teaneck was a team effort. We were, and still are, a full-service municipality.  I was able to find all top-notch people to head those departments, and I think we provided excellent municipal services.”

During his tenure, Schmid saw several of his assistant managers go on to become administrators or managers. They include Dan Jaxel, Raritan Borough administrator, Helene Fall, retired Teaneck manager; George Haeuber, retired Maple Shade manager, and Bob DiTomasso, retired Essex Fells administrator . 

“Not only did they become managers, but they had long tenures in their towns, so I was always very proud that they had worked with me. It was 99 percent their own ability; I just gave them a springboard.”

Now a resident of Plainsboro, Schmid serves on the township’s zoning board and does mediation for the Mercer County courts. He is also on the governance committee for Princeton Landing, where he lives, and works out at the local gym when he can. 

In 2012, he proudly held the Bible when Marlena was sworn in as West Windsor’s administrator.  She previously served in Cranford and other communities outside the state.

He acknowledges that she and her contemporaries face different challenges than he did, such as budget caps and the constraints imposed by the more common administrator form of government. But asked if he’d still choose the same profession, Schmid doesn’t hesitate.

“Oh, yes,” he declares. “Absolutely.”

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This article originally appeared in the February issue of the New Jersey Municipal Management Association (NJMMA) Newsletter.  It was written by Sandra Lanman, and is reprinted with permission.