Ed Gottko: Bayonne native, St. Joseph's Catholic Grammar School, Marist High School, Newark College of Engineering, after which he made the move Westfield. Ed was hired as Town Engineer from 1979 through 1992 when he became Town Administrator until 2000. In 1983, he moved his family to Westfield, close to his sister and brother-in-law, Jim Capone, a former Councilman. His children went through the Westfield Schools, and one is now a teacher there.
We always ask the question, "What were your expectations about retirement before you retired?" to which he responded, "I didn't know what retirement was because I never really retired." He does advise potential retirees to not do what he did--he pulled the plug and then got another job.
Shortly after he "retired"as Westfield's Town Engineer in 2000, Ed got a part-time job with Hatch Mott McDonald. The company he then worked for went from 400 employees to 10,000 worldwide. Ed viewed this as a long-term, part-time job, an evolution of his retirement. He was rarely in the office, because he could now work from his home office, and the required travel was primarily local.
In 2007, now a four-year, full-time VP of Municipal Services, Ed was reminded by his wife, Jean, that he was doing just what he had been doing during his working career. He retired again and this time became involved with the 29,000 member American Public Works Association, became Regional Director of NJ., Del., PA, and NY, then National Board of Directors, then President-elect, then President, and is now winding down as Past President.
The most positive feature about this involvement was the travel opportunities: New Zealand, Hawaii, Phoenix, etc. He and Jean have enjoyed travel opportunities through this organization and now are essentially content to visit their daughter in South Carolina and perhaps one other trip this year to Italy where their daughter, Jeanine, is vacationing.
In addition to Ed's aforementioned jobs, he also has been an adjunct professor at Kean University since 1975, and held similar positions at Union County College, NYU Graduate School, and NJ Institute of Technology. He still teaches at NJIT and Union County College.
He loves his freedom to choose what he wants to do during the day, of course after Jeannie tells him his "honey do"schedule. He loves getting up in the morning not knowing what he's going to do and going to bed at night realizing he didn't get done half of what he wanted or needed to do. He enjoys reading and model trains, although he doesn't have a lot of time to spend on either.
As so many others we have interviewed have said, he misses the people but not the politics of the jobs. He doesn't worry about the future, but does frequently discuss "What's next?" After spending a lot of time on planes this past year and seeing various parts of the country, he wonders what the best scenario is for him and Jean. Is it South Carolina, near his daughter and far less money in taxes or is it staying with what is familiar and comfortable and close to his other daughter. Moving south would be cost effective and the smart thing to do, but he recognizes that inherent in human nature is the tendency to avoid significant changes in areas where we are reasonably comfortable.
In addition to his advice about knowing what they are going to do before they retire, Ed also advises those considering retiring to look at their paychecks and be aware of what they don't have to pay for anymore once they retire. Then, figure out the costs of going to work each day, including the cost of clothes that they wear and the cost of transportation. He advises potential retirees to determine the kind of lifestyle they want, identify what interests them, and importantly, develop a plan that incorporates those things and factor in the finances necessary to implement that plan.
He also stressed the importance of talking to people in an informal networking way, especially if they are looking for additional work. Meeting a friend on the train and discussing his current teaching positions helped land him a job at NYU Graduate School. His personal contacts with people are what has gotten him his jobs in the careers he has most enjoyed-engineering, administration, and teaching.
Ed has had a stellar career (and still does) and is beloved by those who knew him and worked with him, whether professionally, in the classroom, on the golf course, through Rotary, or any other of his activities in town. His relaxed, positive attitude is contagious, which compels people to enjoy his company. He is a genuinely kind, caring man. He is happy with how his pseudo-retirement has evolved, as he could never see himself doing nothing. He would be a positive influence on anyone contemplating this next best phase of life - retirement!
When asked, "Are you happy with the way things have evolved?" the enthusiastic "YES" response said it all. Ed is living the life of his choice!!
