It is hard to believe that it has been some 8 1/2 years since the passing of Richard J. Sullivan, whom I had the privilege to eulogize at that time in this space. I noted then that the environmental community of New Jersey lost a gentle giant of a man and a genuine hero. As the first commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection at its creation in 1970, Richard became a role model as a public servant and a mentor to many who would follow in his footsteps.
And now, thanks to the leadership of Sen. Bob Smith and Assemblyman Brandon Umba, we have an appropriate opportunity to honor the man whom many of us regarded as the father, if not the patron saint, of the environmental movement in the Garden State. Pending bipartisan legislation (S-2728 and A-4352) would designate the main DEP office building at 401 East State Street in Trenton as the Richard J. Sullivan Building.
Naming a building after a public servant is not something that should be an everyday occurrence.
But then Richard was not your everyday commissioner. In many ways, he set the tone and style for a new agency that would define its role for its first 50 years and beyond. A quiet, humble and apolitical man by nature, he practiced the now seemingly lost art of listening respectfully to friends and foes alike, and he had a sincere passion for making pragmatic, science-based decisions. Under his gentle yet astute leadership, the fledgling DEP flourished.
And the qualities that Richard exemplified as DEP commissioner are hardly quaint or outdated as DEP now seeks to address the new problems of the 21st century. If anything, the ways he approached the discussion and resolution of thorny environmental issues are even more appropriate and necessary today than they were 52 years ago. For we now live in an era of skepticism of science and fact, and even the most venerable of public institutions is hard-pressed to enjoy any significant measure of public trust. Against that backdrop, we would do well to celebrate and emulate the leadership which Richard so consistently demonstrated while becoming surely one of the most trusted, respected and beloved public servants our state has ever known.
A mentor to many
It was not just his performance during his all too brief four years as commissioner that argues for this honor, however. For Richard’s true contributions probably came even more from his post-DEP career. Whether serving as chair of the Safe Drinking Water Institute or the Pineland Commission he showed us over and over again that how we conduct ourselves can be a large part of the solution to otherwise seemingly intractable problems. And long after he left DEP, Richard would serve as a trusted adviser to his successors, as well as a mentor and role model for numerous other public and nonprofit environmental leaders. He freely shared his broad expertise, his humility and willingness to be a resource for others, and his ability to treat even unreasonable people with the utmost respect. In so doing, Richard contributed to the civility of our discourse, and, ultimately, the wisdom of our decisions on environmental policies that protect all residents of New Jersey.
Last, but not least, Richard’s mentoring of so many of the next generation of environmental leaders can probably be said to be his most lasting legacy. Indeed, there are few New Jersey environmental leaders today who do not trace a good deal of their insight and abilities to his sage advice and counsel. He taught us all that environmental decisions can and should be made based on sound science, with respect for differing opinions, and with due regard for the rights of both current and future generations.
So I think that now would be an excellent time to honor Richard’s legacy by naming the DEP headquarters building after him. What a powerful signal that would be to send to those who would have us believe that our governmental institutions and our governmental leaders are no longer to be trusted, or that our society is hopelessly and permanently divided. The legacy of Richard Sullivan is perhaps even more relevant and necessary today than it was 52 years ago. And I think it is high time to send that signal by designating 401 East State Street in Trenton as the Richard J. Sullivan Building.