The mayor who repays his gratitude to the neighborhood that raised him,

Interview 
Leticia Moreinos Schwartz 
Text 
Kim Hyang-il, Editor 
Photos 
Editorial Team, Provided by Mayor Mark Sokolich

At Korean events in Fort Lee, you can often spot a large foreigner with a big voice and a wild mane of hair, dressed in jeans. This is Mark Sokolich, who has held the position of mayor for an impressive 13 years. There is hardly a resident of Fort Lee who does not recognize him. Sokolich is familiar and friendly to everyone, regardless of race. We took a closer look into his lesser-known life.

I was born and raised in Fort Lee. As a teenager, I had hundreds of friends in this neighborhood. Fort Lee is not just the place where I grew up; the entire community came together to raise me. Mayor Sokolich was born in 1963 to an Italian mother and a Yugoslavian father. Although he was outgoing and had many friends, he suddenly became an orphan when both his parents passed away within a year during his teenage years. While his older brother and sister took on parental roles, he describes it as “Fort Lee adopted him.”

There was no police officer in Fort Lee who didn’t know me, and the firefighters knew me as well. Those people never forget. I wanted to repay the kindness of those who took care of me like an adopted son. Perhaps that is why he is now serving as the mayor of Fort Lee, repaying that kindness.

Having grown up in Fort Lee, Sokolich went on to attend Rutgers University and later graduated from Seton Hall Law School, becoming a lawyer. After gaining experience at several law firms, he established his own firm, Sokolich & Marci, in 1988. In 1991, he married Denise Scamporino, who was then a flight attendant for Tower Airlines.

I have never had a fight with my wife since we got married. She loves to cook, and when I come home, I am greeted with delicious dinners like roast chicken, potatoes, and broccoli. And I always have a Twinkie in my pocket (laughs). The Sokolich couple has two sons, Daniel (26) and Devin (25), who also live in Fort Lee.

I believe that our world has a very bright future thanks to the younger generations, including our sons. They are not afraid of taking risks, they support the spirit of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement, enjoy various cuisines from different countries, and are ready to embrace new cultures. Our children are growing up surrounded by this diversity.

After serving as a Fort Lee councilman for four years, Sokolich was elected mayor in the 2007 election. He began his term in January 2008 and is currently serving his fourth term.

Fort Lee is a small city with a population of about 37,000. However, it is a transportation hub, facing Manhattan across the Hudson River and home to the George Washington Bridge, which connects New Jersey and New York. As a result, many residents commute to Manhattan, leading to a diverse population that is steadily increasing. Fort Lee is both a modern city and a suburban area with many parks.

The most important aspect of running Fort Lee for me is diversity. The Fort Lee police chief has expressed a desire to hire three Black officers and three Hispanic officers to enhance the diversity of the police force. The same goes for Mom & I, which provides a Korean-language magazine to the Korean residents here. This is part of what we are all doing for diversity. The answer is simple, but actually implementing it is not easy. It’s about ‘expandability.’ This also helps to unify our community.

Last year, the Barrymore Film Center, which hosts film festivals, opened in Fort Lee. If it weren’t for the pandemic, we would have held a Korean film festival here last October to celebrate the opening. A film festival in such a small city in New Jersey! As Mayor Sokolich said, it’s something anyone can think of, but it’s not easy to make it happen. However, Sokolich has the ability to take action and realize his ideas. His thought of hosting a Korean film festival reflects his commitment to diversity.

Additionally, two iconic high-rise buildings have been constructed in Fort Lee that can be seen from anywhere nearby. This is also a project by Mayor Sokolich. He built ‘The Modern,’ a modern residential building with 450 units, on a vacant lot that had been empty for 40 years. Many mayors had attempted to utilize this lot in the past but failed repeatedly.

These two buildings are the largest and most beautiful in Northern New Jersey. Since Sokolich took office, Fort Lee has undergone various changes and growth. Notably, he has constructed new mixed-use buildings like Hudson Lights, forming a commercial district centered around Main Street, and has developed many new parks, dog parks, community centers, and a post office reconstruction, creating a modern city.

Fort Lee has been recognized as one of the safest communities in New Jersey, with one of the lowest crime rates, and the Fort Lee police rank among the top ten in New Jersey. The town also has excellent facilities and equipment for emergency services.

Furthermore, the Fort Lee town government has hired a social media team to create weekly video updates for residents. This method has proven particularly effective following the COVID-19 pandemic. They provide weekly updates on pandemic-related information and vaccinations through video.

Not everyone has the patience to read a paper town newsletter for information. News delivered through video is truly effective. Residents are getting their Fort Lee news online through the website and various social media platforms.

The Fort Lee town government operates a system called ‘Nextel.’ By texting their zip code to ‘888-777,’ residents receive video news updates from Fort Lee.

Before the pandemic, about 300 residents were receiving video news this way. Now, that number has exceeded 6,000. Interestingly, one-third of these residents live in other towns. This shows that Fort Lee is at the forefront of pandemic-related news, and residents from other areas are also getting their pandemic updates through Fort Lee news.

Mayor Sokolich’s passion for Fort Lee is unmatched. He is a prime example of how a town can impact the fate of its residents. What began as a simple desire to give back to the community that raised him has transformed into a uniquely vibrant city that no other town can replicate. This has also become a source of pride for him.

I hope couples living in Fort Lee will meet with other couples for dinner and boast about Fort Lee. This is exactly what I want to see from our residents living in Fort Lee!