Two North Jersey officials listed among top government influencers in the nation
Two officials from Passaic County have been ranked among the top 101 influencers by an association of like-minded leaders from around the nation.
The Oregon-based network, called Engaging Local Government Leaders, named Passaic County Surrogate Zoila Cassanova and Prospect Park Borough Administrator Intashan Chowdhury to its list of outstanding public servants in the U.S.
They are the only officials from New Jersey on this year’s roster, which includes a communications specialist, a municipal treasurer and a professor of public policy at Harvard University.
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Nominees are recognized by their peers for demonstrating values of creativity, dependability and equity.
Social media clout carries no weight in the ranking, though one of this year’s nominees has garnered thousands of followers on Instagram.
Harper Shea is the only four-legged selection by the association since it first released the list eight years ago. The dachshund and her handler, from Bentonville, Arkansas, got the nod for “tracking down” dog-friendly restaurants.
Cassanova, a Democrat from Wayne, is an attorney in her first term as surrogate judge. The association noted her effort to offer the “best customer service” for the court, which hears cases involving the probate of wills.
Chowdhury, who at 22 years old became the youngest town manager in state history in January 2019, was credited by the association for making technology improvements to help borough residents.
In an unrelated event Tuesday, Cassanova and Chowdhury co-led an online workshop to teach local leaders how to engage their communities using artificial intelligence.
The top influencers ranking was originally known as the Traeger Award after Chris Traeger, a character on the NBC sitcom “Parks and Recreation” that satirized the corridors of power in a fictional city in Indiana.
Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: devencentis@northjersey.com
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: These NJ officials among the best government influencers
