Robert R. Ceberio

Robert R. Ceberio has served as Executive Director of the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission since July 2002 and started with the agency in 1981.

Over the years, he has worked in various departments at the Commission and held positions including Acting Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director, Director of Planning and Management, Director of Administration, Acting Chief Fiscal Officer and Administrator of Solid Waste Rate Management.

As Executive Director, Mr. Ceberio oversees the daily operations of the NJMC, a professional staff of nearly 125 people and an annual budget of more than $12 million. Under his leadership the Commission has launched a number of economic growth, environmental and education initiatives that have helped improve the quality of life in the region and reduced the local tax burden in Meadowlands District Municipalities.

Since 2002 the NJMC has invested tens of millions of dollars in regional infrastructure improvements, provided millions more in direct aid and shared services to Meadowlands District municipalities, and created a leading environmental education program that benefits 13,000 children from 70 school districts. The NJMC’s funding has resulted in new parks, street and flood control upgrades and the purchase of more than 130 police cars, emergency, DPW and other municipal vehicles – all at no cost to taxpayers. The Commission has invested more than $8.5 million in flood control efforts since 2005, including a massive $5.5 million project to reduce flooding on Route 17 near the Rutherford-East Rutherford border.

In 2004, Mr. Ceberio led the NJMC staff in revising the Meadowlands District Master Plan, which now emphasizes open space and wetlands preservation; more than 4,300 acres have been protected in the District and the Commission and its allies continue to expand this inventory. He has also overseen the creation of several new parks and natural areas, including work now underway to construct a public park and marina on the Hackensack River, in Carlstadt. Studies by the Meadowlands Environmental Research Institute show the region is getting cleaner and wildlife is rebounding. As a result of these changes, ecotourism has grown in the Meadowlands and tens of thousands now visit the parks or participate in the NJMC’s guided river cruises and bird walks.

In 2008 the Commission launched the NJMC Business Accelerator, which in its first year attracted a dozen companies who generated nearly $850,000 in new business and attracted more than $2 million in third-party funding. Mr. Ceberio has also directed the design and implementation of eight redevelopment areas throughout the District. Once underused, these sites are now home to billions of dollars worth of new development in the form of warehouses and distribution and retail facilities that create jobs and contribute to the local tax base. The NJMC also adopted the Meadowlands District Transportation Plan in 2007 which provides a strategy to keep traffic flowing and support economic growth.

Under Mr. Ceberio’s leadership, the NJMC has focused on alternative energy and sustainable development in an effort to bring environmental benefits and green-collar job growth to the Meadowlands District. In 2008 the agency adopted an Energy Master Plan that calls for the District to reduce energy use by 20 percent and to generate 20 MW of alternative energy, both by 2020. The Commission plans to cover portions of several former landfills with solar panels and has proposed a solar “roof” for its parking lots. The agency installed solar panels and energy-saving features that reduce power consumption by one-third at its new science education building, the first state facility to be certified LEED-Platinum by the U.S. Green Building Council. The Commission also provides significant incentives to private developers who meet recognized green-building standards and is helping local municipalities to add solar energy features to their schools and public buildings.

The Commission has been recognized for these efforts with numerous awards during Mr. Ceberio’s tenure. The NJMC received an Environmental Excellence Award in 2004 from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and was awarded the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Excellence Award and Environmental Quality Award, both in 2007. The NJMC also received the U.S. Green Building Council – New Jersey Chapter’s 2009 Green Policy Award.

Mr. Ceberio has also been honored personally for his work and the Commission’s success. In 2004 he received the Distinguished Citizen Award from the Ramapo College Foundation and an Excellence in Public Service Award from the Hackensack Riverkeeper. In 2005 he was presented with an Outstanding Public Service Award by the New York/ New Jersey Baykeeper and a Special Appreciation Award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He was honored with a Service to the People Award by the North Jersey Branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2007. Mr. Ceberio has spoken at many local forums and association conferences on subjects including planning and redevelopment, economic growth, and environmental restoration and education. He has also written articles on various topics and has contributed to a book on regional planning in New Jersey.

Prior to coming to the NJMC, Mr. Ceberio worked for the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, the New Jersey Senate and the Township of Lyndhurst. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Political Science and Public Administration and is a Certified Government Financial Manager.

In addition to Mr. Ceberio’s work at the NJMC, he is a member of the Wayne Board of Education. He is married to Carol Lynn Ceberio and has three children – Matthew, Luke and Katherine Rose.