PARSIPPANY — Marianne Willis-Cucchiara has officially been promoted to Director of the Parsippany-Troy Hills Department of Human Services, a role that oversees a wide range of essential programs serving residents across the township.
The Department of Human Services is comprised of the Office of Health, the Office of Social Services, and the Office on Aging and the Physically Handicapped. Together, these offices provide a comprehensive and complex network of services designed to protect public health, support residents in need, and enable senior citizens and individuals with disabilities to live happy, full, and purposeful lives.
Willis-Cucchiara emphasized the importance of collaboration as the department moves forward, noting that partnerships with agencies and organizations outside the department will be critical to achieving its goals. By working together with community partners, the department aims to deliver more cost-effective, coordinated, and complete services to Parsippany residents.
A Career Rooted in Service
A lifelong Lake Hiawatha and Parsippany resident, Willis-Cucchiara has deep personal and professional ties to the community she now serves as director. She lives in town with her husband and two children, and is also the mother of two adult sons. Her passion for public service began years before her municipal career, volunteering for more than two decades with the Rockaway Neck First Aid Squad, where she served as an EMT and held leadership roles including Captain, Lieutenant, and President.
Professionally, Willis-Cucchiara has served the township since January 2016 as a Public Health Nurse with the Parsippany Health Department, and was promoted to Public Health Nurse Supervisor in April 2024. In that role, she was responsible for ensuring compliance with New Jersey Department of Health guidelines, managing federally funded vaccination programs, coordinating township health clinics, overseeing pediatric lead case management, and responding to communicable disease outbreaks in coordination with state health officials.
Her work has also included collaboration with school nurses and daycare facilities, audits of vaccination compliance, medical assessments for seniors, emergency response support at the senior center, and extensive community education initiatives.
Willis-Cucchiara holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Saint Elizabeth and earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Prior to her nursing career, she spent 13 years working for Weichert, and earlier professional experience includes positions in physician offices, home care agencies, and hospital settings.
Looking Ahead
With decades of hands-on experience in emergency services, public health, and municipal leadership, Willis-Cucchiara brings a well-rounded and deeply informed perspective to her new role as Director of Human Services. Her promotion reflects a continued commitment to strengthening Parsippany’s health and human service programs while expanding partnerships that enhance the quality of life for residents of all ages.
