New Jersey Mayor Ted Green Talks Politics and Business

By Glenn Townes

For East Orange Mayor Theodore (Ted) Green, making a promise and delivering on it is the critical component that makes a good businessman and an even better politician. On any given day, the outspoken yet focused, lifelong resident of the “Crossroads of New Jersey” (the city of East Orange’s nickname) is in the thick of the action in his city. The two-term and 14th mayor maintains a steady and seemingly trademark calm demeanor through countless meetings, a flurry of phone calls, a laundry list of emails, and other inquiries. In a recent, exclusive interview with The Positive Community, Green talked shop.

Taking Care of Business

With focus and a steadfast desire to keep it simple yet pervasive, Green has been seated at the helm of the city since 2018; his current term expires in December 2025. During his tenure, Green has made significant inroads into restoring, growing, and maintaining the city he has called home all his life. “East Orange is the only home I have ever known and I will always work hard to make it one of the best cities in the state,” he said. And following through on that campaign promise, his commitment to—among other things—increase the number of affordable housing units throughout the city, expand nightlife by providing shops and restaurants, reduce crime, and provide growth and economic sustenance for minority and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs), continues to unfold.

During the past six years under the Green administration, the city of East Orange—a city of about 70,000 people and roughly 95 percent African- American—-has undergone a renaissance on multiple levels in recent years. For example, the $500 million Brick Church redevelopment project—a massive undertaking—with about one quarter (22 percent) of new housing units earmarked as affordable housing, broke ground in November 2022. The project is one of the most significant undertakings in the city’s history.

However, it is just one of several development projects in the city. Green has partnered with New Jersey Transit in a $78.5 million renovation of the busy East Orange train station. Add more than $100 million to the mix in ongoing work to improve public works and the city’s infrastructure, and East Orange is a municipality on the move. “These extensive redevelopment projects are sparking the growth, development, and interest in East Orange,” Green said. “We have multiple, ongoing commercial and residential development and redevelopment projects throughout our city.” To that end, many projects align with Green’s long-held initiatives for combating chronic homelessness in the city. He implemented the Homeless Prevention and Response Team to create affordable housing units and promote homeownership for first-time home buyers. In addition to the urban renaissance, there has been a reduction in gun-related crimes, violent crime, and overall crime since 2018.

Urban Enterprise Zone

The city of East Orange is a designated Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ), a specific area where certain policies and initiatives are implemented and designed to foster economic growth and development in urban or deprived neighborhoods through various incentives— including tax concessions, reduced regulations, and sometimes unique funding options. There are 32 active urban enterprise zones in 37 municipalities across the state, according to data from NJ. gov.

Green is also an entrepreneur and owner of the Green School of Martial Arts, where he has operated the kickboxing, karate, and martial arts studio since 1990. He encourages M/WBEs and aspiring entrepreneurs to start a business in the city and utilize the benefits and incentives offered to businesses through the UEZ program. At least three new M/WBEs will set up shop in East Orange later this year. They include Shihana Cafe, Gallery at the Avenue, and most notably, Montclair Brewery, one of only a handful of African-American and husband and wife-owned microbreweries in the country. “For Montclair Brewery to come to East Orange and put a brewery here speaks volumes and makes East Orange the next best place to be [in New Jersey],” he said.

Another program Green has actively promoted is the Mayor’s Office of Employment and Training (MOET). The intensive training and development program provides workshops and job placement assistance for East Orange residents. “We have an 85 percent job placement for participants who complete the program,” he said. One graduate of the MOET program recently opened a restaurant in the city. Ryan Kundan, 17, and his mother opened Everything Nice with Spice in June. “Our program gave him the foundation to open up his business,” Green said.

No place like home

It seemed inevitable that Green would one day lead the city he had called home for all of his 61 years. A product of East Orange Public Schools, Cheyney University, Rutgers University, and Lincoln University, Green has been an active and permanent fixture in state and local politics for more than 25 years. With stints on the East Orange City Council as assistant compliance officer for East Orange, code enforcement officer for the City of Irvington, and chairman of Business Development for East Orange, the top spot at the city was destined. In January 2018, he garnered 96 percent of the vote and has stood tall and firm ever since. He also holds several community awards and recognitions, including the 2016 President Barack Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Community Service Award, the 2017 1,000 Shades of Women Community Empowerment Award, and the 2018 Upsilon Phi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity’s N.J. Outstanding Public Official award.

Part of his community outreach is a creative effort cleverly coined “Mayor on the Block.” Green makes it a point to walk through city sections frequently, engage with residents, and listen to their concerns. “Community engagement and visibility are important to being a good leader,” he said.

Focused on the Future

Lastly, Green is at the crossroads of his mayorship; his term will expire at the end of 2025. He is excited and hopeful about the future of East Orange and the country. With the 2024 Presidential Election less than two months away and Vice-President Kamala Harris perched to become the first African-American woman president of the United States, Green fondly shares a story his late mother told him more than twenty years ago. “My late mother, Lula Green, shared her strong sentiment that a woman would rise to the presidency. Though she couldn’t predict when, she firmly believed it would happen within my lifetime,” he said. Green said he would go blue and concluded, “At the local level, it’s crucial that we support a president capable of advocating effectively on critical issues impacting the residents of East Orange, including affordable housing, workforce development, immigration, and healthcare. [Harris’] win is destined to mark the beginning of a truly transformative era in American history. And mom, I am extremely proud to be here for it.”