The Morristown Parking Authority (MPA) has named Nicole S. Fox as its new executive director.
Fox, 42, is executive director of the Passaic County Improvement Authority, that county’s bonding authority. She succeeds Michael Fabrizio, who died in June.
Fox’s enthusiasm, her ability to interact with a variety of agencies, and her experience helping finance a $29.6 million parking garage at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson made her stand out in a field of 30 applicants, MPA Commissioner Linda Stamato said on Monday.
In a statement on Tuesday, Fox said she is “excited about the prospect of serving in this significant role to help contribute to Morristown’s vitality and future,” adding she “looks forward to meeting the full Board and staff of the Morristown Parking Authority as well as Mayor Dougherty and other key officials.”
MPA Chairman Richard Tighe thanked Stamato and fellow Commissioner Anthony Lucia for leading the search, and said the board “looks forward to the beginning of an important new relationship with Ms. Fox.”
Established in 1956, the Morristown Parking Authority is a semi-autonomous agency that built parking facilities that helped drive the downtown’s redevelopment.
It operates garages on Cattano Avenue, DeHart Street and Ann/Bank streets; several surface lots, and 700 metered spaces. It also enforces neighborhood permit parking. In June, the MPA began offering pay-by-phone parking in to make street parking more convenient.
When Fabrizio took the helm in 2017, the MPA had a $3.3 million operating budget, more than 30 employees, and annual debt service of $2.5 million on $35 million of total debt.
The parking authority has covered its bond obligations and averted layoffs during the pandemic, despite steep declines in revenue as corporate employees have worked from home and shops and restaurants have closed.
Fox will face big decisions regarding a $17 million parking deck proposed for municipal lot 10, behind the post office. The project has been postponed until the MPA determines if more parking is needed after COVID.
She also may be expected to stand up to developers, said Stamato.
“We didn’t want someone who only knew parking. There is a lot of pressure from private developers who want to reserve space in public parking. We want to put the public first. She understands that principle, because she functions under a similar arrangement” in Passaic County, said Stamato.
Fox is a Morris County native. The mother of three lives in Parsippany, where she is secretary for the Littleton Elementary School PTA. She was married a few blocks from the parking authority’s Maple Avenue office, at Assumption Church in Morristown.
She has a political science degree from the University of Delaware, and a certificate in Business District Management from Rutgers. Before joining the Passaic County Improvement Authority in 2007, she was a consultant to the Morris County Improvement Authority.
She will start her Morristown job this month at a salary of approximately $120,000, Stamato said.
At the Passaic County Improvement Authority, her mission was providing “services and programs that improve the quality of life and to develop and provide financing for new and innovative programs that benefit the residents of Passaic County,” according to that agency’s website.
In addition to the 600-space St. Joseph’s parking garage, projects during Fox’s tenure in Passaic County included a $21.9 million school expansion refinancing of Yeshiva Ktana in the city of Passaic, and $12.5 million in loans for sewer- and road repairs and workers’ compensation claims in Paterson.
The MPA solicited applicants via the New Jersey League of Municipalities and a trade publication. Applications came from as far as Seattle; five candidates were interviewed for the position, Stamato said.
Former MPA Executive Director George Fiore, who came out of retirement to serve on an interim basis after Fabrizio’s death, advised the search committee.
“His dedication and loyalty are greatly appreciated and reflect his character and commitment to the MPA and the Town of Morristown,” the MPA said in a statement.
MPA Counsel Robert Goldsmith and consultant Gerry Giosa also were helpful, Stamato said.
This story has been updated with comments from Nicole Fox and Richard Tighe.
As a Parking Authority commissioner, I support the decision to reevaluate the need for this expenditure at this time. With all the changes and redevelopment occurring since the MPA planned that garage, it would be foolish to proceed at this time. Let’s give our new director the opportunity to add her input. The MPA has many other important projects and needs to be addressed at this time.
We definitely need that parking garage on lot 10… Time to build it!