Dear Editor:
Leadership topics have been a large part of my career and life for more than a quarter century. From serving as Vice President and President of the Student Government at Montclair State University from 2001-2003 to 20 years of developing leaders in the business world and eventually earning a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of Arizona in 2021, the student and understanding of effective—and ineffective—leadership has become one of my life’s passions.
Leadership has drawn me into the mayoral race in my beloved hometown of Parsippany, NJ, and motivated me to write this letter.
My wife Rebecca and I have lived in Parsippany for over 10 years and were historically not active in its politics beyond our civic duties as voters. Two main topics caught our attention recently: the controversial PILOT program debate and concern about inaction on road safety in the town. Through our own learning, we became acquainted with Parsippany mayoral candidate Justin Musella.
In my early conversations with Justin, I was particularly struck by certain aspects of his approach and philosophy. He expressed concerns about a lack of transparency from Town Hall and sought a greater degree of communication between the township and its residents. He talked about the importance of ownership and accountability for elected officials – including himself – and the role of Parsippany’s residents in staying informed and active. Justin did not focus on saying what he needed to say and making his voice louder, he focused on listening to what residents were saying and making those messages clearer. He mentioned the importance of building and maintaining trust with the people around him, stating that even if people disagreed on issues, all had a duty to be honest and a right to be respected.
Communication, transparency, listening, trust, honesty, and respect are common traits of the most effective leaders.
I am a political independent. Although I often lean left of center on many issues, I seek to evaluate every candidate on their merits beyond partisan politics. And I’ve found Justin Musella to be a leader I would be proud to work with in times of agreement or disagreement, in prosperity and challenge.
My wife and I attended Justin’s recent event at Social Hub by Dhaba, and this was immensely clear: some politicians believe that the crowd shows up because of how vital the politician is. Justin Musella shows up because he realizes how important the crowd is.
Proud Parsippany Resident,
Chris Fitzpatrick
