Ridgewood introduces three new department leaders, outlining utility and infrastructure priorities
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Summary
The Village of Ridgewood introduced William Bierwas as deputy director of Ridgewood Water, James McGrath as director of public works and village engineer, and Neil Gallone as director of IT and GIS; each outlined early priorities including lead-service-line work, PFAS projects, bridge and signal bids, and expanded GIS access.
The Ridgewood Village Council on Jan. 28 introduced three new management appointments that officials said will support utility, engineering and technology work across the village.
William “Bill” Bierwas, promoted to deputy director of Ridgewood Water, told the council he brings nearly 25 years in water and wastewater operations and listed immediate goals: “my primary goals are to complete the lead service line program in all 4 towns within the NJDP time frame. I’d also like to complete the PFAS centralization project by 2027 and eliminate those quarterly notices as soon as possible.” Bierwas said his responsibilities will include oversight of customer service, meters, and the engineering division.
James McGrath, introduced as the village engineer and director of public works, said he has 15 years of mixed public- and private-sector experience and is already working on near-term infrastructure projects, including bidding for a pedestrian bridge at Haber Anchor Park and a traffic-signal project at Oak Street and East Glen Avenue. “I look forward to discussing with all of you these projects in more detail,” McGrath said.
Neil Gallone was named director of IT and GIS after consolidation of the information technology department and Ridgewood Water’s GIS division into a single unit. Gallone, a long-serving Ridgewood Water employee, said his priorities include strengthening collaboration across teams and extending GIS-driven technology village-wide.
Council members praised the appointments and urged coordination between the new leaders and existing department heads as work on capital projects and storm-response operations continues. The introductions are intended to smooth transitions following recent retirements and reorganizations; councilors said they expect to hold the new leaders accountable to specific deadlines for capital and regulatory work.
No formal vote was required for the introductions; the announcements were made during the workshop portion of the meeting.