Strategic Municipal Advisors Team
Strategic Municipal Advisors, LLC was established by Richard J. Sheola, a distinguished leader with five decades of experience in New Jersey local government. The firm draws on Mr. Sheola’s extensive career and the expertise of leading subject matter specialists in various municipal disciplines. During Rich's career he has held a diverse range of positions. His roles have included Assistant County Budget Director, Municipal Assessor, Public Safety Director, Chief Financial Officer, and, notably, over 36 years as Municipal Administrator or Manager in several New Jersey communities. This breadth of experience has provided him with a comprehensive understanding of local government operations and management. In addition to his hands-on roles in government, Mr. Sheola has served as an Adjunct Faculty member at several universities and since 2019, he has been affiliated with the Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy (Rutgers University) where he lectures on topics such as Managing Public Sector Organizations and Managing in Crisis and Chaos. His commitment to education reflects his dedication to developing the next generation of public sector leaders. Mr. Sheola is a Life Member of both the International City/County Management Association and the New Jersey Municipal Management Association. He has been an active participant, presenting at conferences for both organizations, and thereby contributing to ongoing professional development within the municipal management field. Throughout his career, Mr. Sheola has demonstrated a commitment to ethical governance. He served on the Governor's Local Government Ethics Task Force, which was responsible for recommending significant improvements to New Jersey’s local government ethics laws. His leadership and integrity have been recognized through accolades from the U.S. House of Representatives, the New Jersey Senate and Assembly, the New Jersey Deputy Fire Chiefs Association, and he is a recipient of the Thomas J. Davy Academic Teaching Achievement Award from the New Jersey Municipal Management Association. Mr. Sheola holds a Bachelor of Arts from Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) and a Master of Public Administration from the Rutgers Graduate School, currently known as the School of Public Affairs & Administration. He is certified as a Municipal Finance Officer and a Qualified Purchasing Agent, and he holds several Incident Command System (ICS) certifications, further demonstrating his professional qualifications and readiness for complex municipal challenges.
The Principals at SMA have a collective of over 200 years’ experience in local government and are able to bring that experience in addressing your needs. We are proud to have the following members of our Team:
Our Team.
Christopher Cotter
Mr. Cotter served with the Summit (NJ) Fire Department for over 28
years, the last ten years as Chief of the Department. During that time, he was responsible for firematics and fire prevention activities and supervised 32 firefighters and five civilian personnel and oversaw major renovations and moderation of fire headquarters. After retirement, he returned to Summit in numerous roles including Emergency Management Coordinator, Director
of Community Services and eventually City Administrator. During his time as Administrator, the Fire Department received national accreditation. Chris holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Fairleigh Dickinson University and is an in-demand instructor at the National Fire Academy, is the Chief Fire Officer designee from the Center for Public Safety Excellence and is a member of the Fire Science
Advisory Board at New Jersey City University. (Kean Jersey City). He has extensive experience working with fire and emergency service agencies in development of strategic plans, standard operating procedures and has led agency operational assessments resulting in significant program improvements. He was responsible for the establishment of a regional 9-1-1 dispatch operation
spanning two counties.
Valerie Egan
After a career in information technology and banking, Valarie entered the public sector in a support capacity, soon achieving designation as a Certified Municipal Clerk. Shortly thereafter, her talents being recognized, she was promoted to the additional title of Borough
Administrator, a position she held for 11 years before being recruited to other communities as the Borough Clerk for a tenure of over 9 years. A 26-year veteran of local government, Ms. Egan is an expert in records management, the use of technology in administrative offices and municipal Registrar functions. Valarie holds an AAS degree in Computer Science from the County College of Morris and has been a Registered Municipal Clerk since 2003.
Robert J Falzarano
Bob began his law enforcement career in 1972 and in 1974, he was
appointed as a special police officer for Passaic Township and in 1975, was appointed as a
patrolman with that agency. Mr. Falzarano received successive promotions to Sergeant (1984), Lieutenant (1986) and July 1, 1986, Bob was promoted to the rank of Chief of Police for what is now known as Long Hill Township (formerly Passaic Township). In 1986, Bob was appointed as
emergency management coordinator for the town, serving until he retired as Chief of Police and Emergency Management Coordinator in July 2001. His professional career continued as he was Administrator for the Borough of Chatham for 16 years until his appointment as Harding Township. Bob taught extensively at Fairleigh Dickinson University where he lectured graduate courses in, among others, Personnel Administration, Leadership, Managing Organizational Change, Criminal Justice, Organizational Decision-Making and Ethics. Bob also taught graduate courses at Centenary College for five years where he lectured in the same fields of study. He served as an assessor for the National Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission and has authored and published numerous articles for Police Chief Magazine, New Jersey League of Municipalities Magazine, and the FBI Bulletin Magazine. Bob is credited with drafting over 175 policies and procedures for police and public sector operations. Mr. Falzarano has received several distinguished awards including the Dr. Thomas J. Davy Academic Teaching Achievement Award, (New Jersey Municipal Management Association), the Joel A. Kobert Teaching Excellence Award, (Centenary College) and in recognition of his significant achievements in law enforcement and academia, the Honor Award and the New Jersey Police Accreditation Compact which created of the Chief Robert Falzarano Scholarship Award. Bob holds an Associate Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Morris County College, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Services and Administration of Justice from Thomas Edison State College and a Master’s Degree in Administrative Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, and he holds a certificate in Administrative Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Thomas M. Ferry
Drawing on his 39 years as a partner in a regional municipal
accounting/auditing firm, Tom is a recognized finance professional who approaches every
financial issue from the auditor’s vantage, looking to find the best results. Managing multiple
clients ranging from small rural municipalities to suburban counties, Tom developed a practical approach to municipal finance treating every dollar as his own. Mr. Ferry viewed each agency as a partner, not a just a client - common sense results were developed in conjunction with local
officials in accordance with New Jersey Division of Local Government Services practices and
regulations. He is an expert a budgeting and fiscal planning and has assisted with the development of capital improvement plans encompassing 10-year forecasting. After retiring from the private sector, Tom entered local government as a Finance Director/CFO, initially for two communities in dire straits. His expertise righted both within several months and put each on
stable footing. He holds a Bachelor Science in Accounting from Fairleigh Dickinson University
and maintains certifications as a Certified Public Accountant, Registered Municipal Accountant,
Public School Accountant and Certified Municipal Finance Officer.
Michael P. Peoples
Michael P. Peoples is a nationally recognized leader in public safety with more than 40 years of experience spanning law enforcement, emergency communications, accreditation, and emergency management. He most recently served as Director of Public Safety and Emergency Management Coordinator for Long Hill Township, New Jersey, following a distinguished 13-year tenure as Director of the Morris County Emergency Communications Center—the largest consolidated communications center in New Jersey. At Morris County, Mr.
Peoples oversaw a complex, high-volume operation comprising 125 personnel and serving over
515,000 residents. Under his leadership, the center achieved and maintained numerous national
distinctions, including CALEA Communications Accreditation, Project 33 Certification, and the
International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) designation. In 2020, under his direction, Morris County became one of only 15 emergency
communications centers nationwide to hold both CALEA and APCO 33 certifications. Earlier in his career, Mike served as Chief of Police for Long Hill Township, the first law enforcement
agency in New Jersey to receive national CALEA accreditation. He has assisted with over 250
law enforcement agency accreditation certifications. He earned a Master's in Administrative
Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University and both Bachelor's and Associate's degrees from
Thomas Edison State College. He a graduate of the FBI National Academy (218th Session).