Ridgewood's new village manager, former mayor of Woodland Park, digs into his job

Marsha A. Stoltz, NorthJersey.com
·2 min read

RIDGEWOOD — New Village Manager Keith Kazmark likens his job to conducting an orchestra.

"Once in a while I have to pick up a trumpet and play myself, but for the most part I direct others where to come in, how loud to play," he said.

Kazmark, 44, arrived July 10 and is among four village administrators to take the helm since January, with Mayor Paul Vagianos, Police Chief Forest Lyons and Schools Superintendent Mark Schwarz.

"Technically we are separate from the school district, but we interact," Kazmark said. "For example, we're in the middle of road resurfacing right now, but I'm pushing to get that done before school starts in September to be out of their way."

New Ridgewood Village Manager Keith Kazmark assumed the post July 10.
New Ridgewood Village Manager Keith Kazmark assumed the post July 10.

It took seven years to name a successor after the previous manager, Roberta Sonenfeld, resigned in September 2016. Until then, the village manager and village clerk were separate positions, but Clerk Heather Mailander was tapped to assume both posts.

Vagianos declined to speculate on the thinking of the previous council, under then-Mayor Susan Knudsen, saying only that keeping the manager seat vacant was "penny-wise and pound-foolish."

"Not that Heather didn't do great work," Vagianos said. "She was named Municipal Clerk of the Year by the Municipal Clerks' Association of New Jersey at their annual meeting in March. But you don't save money by combining jobs. These are top-level management positions, and we don't want to shortchange either one of them."

Former Woodland Park mayor

Kazmark knows something about shared posts, having most recently served as both mayor and administrator of Woodland Park in Passaic County. He previously served as business administrator for Parsippany-Troy Hills and clerk/administrator for Elmwood Park.

"I served with Heather on the Municipal Clerks' Associaton of New Jersey," Kazmark said. "We have a great professional relationship."

The Woodland Park native is a Passaic Valley Regional High School graduate. He has an undergraduate degree from Syracuse University and a master's from the New York Institute of Technology.

Ridgewood Village Clerk Heather Mailander, who served for seven years as both clerk and manager, with newly-installed Village Manager Keith Kazmark.
Ridgewood Village Clerk Heather Mailander, who served for seven years as both clerk and manager, with newly-installed Village Manager Keith Kazmark.

He was elected to his first council term in 2001 while still in college. He spent three years as council president before he was elected mayor in 2011. He has resigned from his elected office but remains Woodland Park's Democratic municipal chair.

Kazmark says his focus will be getting an early start on Ridgewood's next municipal budget.

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"The withdrawal of COVID federal relief money after two years is a challenge to all municipalities," he said.

Vagianos praised Kazmark's experience and expertise as "unparalleled."

"Great leadership is hard to come by, and Ridgewood has found a true leader in Keith," Vagianos said.

Kazmark will be holding a "Meet the Manager" night at Village Hall on Monday, Sept. 18, from 7 to 9 p.m.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Ridgewood's new village manager digs into role