Von der Hayden, right, shares a laugh with the city's public information officer, Doug Bergen.
By Donald Wittkowski
It had to be the first time in history that a local government official was both hailed as a “rock star” and equated with New England Patriots superstar quarterback Tom Brady.
Matthew von der Hayden, manager of capital planning for Ocean City, was the recipient of such lavish praise after it was disclosed that he is leaving to become the new deputy administrator in Egg Harbor Township.
“This is like me losing Tom Brady,” Mayor Jay Gillian said of von der Hayden’s resignation while speaking at a public meeting Tuesday night that focused on Ocean City’s new $112.2 million, five-year capital plan.
Von der Hayden was the architect of the capital plan, a conglomeration of road, drainage, dredging, beach, Boardwalk and construction projects designed to keep the public infrastructure in tip-top shape.
“My job is to do capital planning. That was my baby (Tuesday) night,” von der Hayden said of the capital plan.
Millions of dollars in state and federal grant money secured by von der Hayden will help finance the capital plan, relieving the city – and its taxpayers – of the huge burden of funding the entire program all by themselves.
During the two years that von der Hayden worked for the city, he specialized in finding grants that other communities would have loved to have had. In the past two years, Ocean City won $11.1 million in capital grants and was awarded an additional $6.2 million in funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help recover from Hurricane Sandy’s wrath.
“He’s brought a lot of money to this city,” said Frank Donato, Ocean City’s chief financial officer and von der Hayden’s boss.
City Council members who attended the public hearing on the capital plan also recognized von der Hayden’s uncanny ability to secure grants.
“As far as Matt is concerned, I think you’ve been an absolute rock star,” Councilman Michael DeVlieger said.
Councilman Bob Barr used similar language, telling von der Hayden, “Man, you are a rock star. We are really going to miss you.”
Other Council members praised von der Hayden for his work ethic, noting that he routinely was still in his office at City Hall long after the normal close of business.
“I drive by City Hall at 8 o’clock at night and your light is on,” Councilman Keith Hartzell told von der Hayden.
“You’re the hardest working man in the city,” Councilman Antwan McClellan added.
Von der Hayden, right, shares a laugh with the city's public information officer, Doug Bergen.
In an interview at his City Hall office, von der Hayden acknowledged that he often works long hours well into the night. He said he begins his mornings scanning the newspaper legal ads for grants offered by the state and federal government.
He recalled how he once saw a grant notice in the Sunday paper and began exchanging texts that morning with Donato about his intention to go after the money, a state Community Development Block Grant in the amount of $403,889.
“I wrote the grant application up on Monday and Frank signed it. They told us we were the first to call,” von der Hayden said of the state officials overseeing the CDBG funding.
Thanks to von der Hayden and Donato’s quick action, Ocean City was awarded the CDBG money.
Revealing some of his trade secrets, von der Hayden explained that he also constantly checks grant websites for opportunities and uses the personal contacts he has established over the years to secure funding for Ocean City.
“It’s a fulfilling job. All of the things that you do, you can drive by and see them,” he said.
For example, Federal Emergency Management Agency funding obtained by von der Hayden is helping to build the city’s new $2.1 million fire station at 29th Street and West Avenue. Flooding unleashed by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 badly damaged the old firehouse that once stood at the same location, opening the door for FEMA funding for a new station. Originally, FEMA gave the city about $443,000 for the new firehouse, but later increased the amount to nearly $743,000, von der Hayden said.
Before he was hired by Ocean City in November 2014, von der Hayden had worked for the Atlantic County Utilities Authority as a project analyst, a job that included writing grant applications.
The 37-year-old von der Hayden, who lives in Upper Township, has a master’s degree in business administration from Rutgers University and a master’s in public administration from Villanova University.
As he prepares to take his talents to Egg Harbor Township as the new deputy administrator, he described it as a great opportunity that will advance his career. He starts his new job on Feb. 6.
In parting comments for Ocean City, he praised the mayor, City Council and his fellow employees for all the help and support they gave him the past two years.
“It’s not just me,” he said.
When asked how he felt being compared to a rock star and Tom Brady, he smiled.
“It’s just very complimentary,” he said. “It was a pleasure to serve the city. There’s a lot of great people who serve the city.”
The mayor has not yet named von der Hayden’s replacement, but made it clear that he will be looking for another “superstar.”
“We just need a new quarterback,” Gillian said.
