Maureen Fasano – a pillar of leadership in Freehold Township

By:  | September 23, 2024 |  |  Monmouth County

By Lisa Smoltino

Maureen Fasano, Committeewoman for Freehold Township, has been a resident of Freehold Township for over 50 years. Her passion for caring and being involved in community was instilled from a very young age, as Fasano’s parents, Raymond, and Joyce Flood, worked hard to raise their six children with strong values and a sense of community. They were taught to work hard, care for their hometown and be involved in their community.

Fasano’s love of politics also began early in life. Her first taste was at Clifton T. Barkalow Middle School in Freehold Township, where in 8^th grade she was voted the school’s first Student Government President. Her love for student government continued throughout her time as a student at Freehold Township High School. In her senior year, she was once again elected to the position of Student Government President. In college, she studied Business Management and Business Education. After graduating, Fasano married her high school sweetheart, settled in Freehold Township, and began teaching at Collier High School in Wickatunk, NJ.

Once her children were born, Fasano took a step back, but continued to be active in the community. She was a volunteer in Freehold Township in various aspects - serving on the PTA in all the schools that her children attended, holding various positions, including president. She coached youth soccer for 25 years with the Freehold Soccer League and served on the Freehold Township Park & Recreation Commission. She also continued to work part time with her father in his family insurance business. In 2015 Fasano and her husband opened their own Farmers Insurance agency in Freehold – the Eric Fasano Agency. After her three sons were grown, she stepped back into politics and never looked back.  

Navigating the world of politics can be trying for anyone, but women can often be subject to big challenges like gender bias, underrepresentation, and stereotyping. Although Fasano has never experienced this in Freehold Township, she feels that “we are in a world where we need to strive to do better and to accept all,” acknowledging that her experience is the exception and not the rule.

Throughout her career in Township Committee, Fasano has been fortunate enough to have had the support and guidance of two very influential woman - former Committee members and Mayors, Dorothy Avallone and Barbara McMorrow. She hopes that one day she may offer the same guidance to someone just starting out.

When asked what some of the most pressing issues that Freehold Township faces in 2024, she notes that affordable housing is at the top of the list.

“Providing, maintaining, and growing the stock of affordable housing that the community needs is an important government responsibility,” she stated. “However, the rules and regulations that have been fostered by those who would take advantage of these needs, for their own profit, have damaged the fabric of the program. This has taken what is a basic and real need in our communities and leveraged it to the detriment of our communities, by requiring much more housing than the communities can handle. From just what I’ve seen in Freehold Township alone, I don’t think anyone can imagine how crowded and densely populated our communities will become in the next 15 years.”

For anyone looking to enter this field in the future, Fasano has just two words of advice, “Do it!”

She follows up by stating “I find helping others to be extremely fulfilling, and through my elected position, I can not only shape the future of Freehold Township but to give assistance to residents and business owners, using our local government to serve them personally when necessary, and as a whole by setting policy and law. It can be a very rewarding and fulfilling experience.”