Mayor Ravi Bhalla has appointed Cristin Cricco-Powell the new director of Hoboken Cultural Affairs, with Geri Fallo retiring after three decades of service.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“I am thrilled to welcome Cristin as the new head of Cultural Affairs. Her extensive experience producing a variety of television shows, including at the Discovery Channel and History Channel, makes her uniquely qualified for this position,” Bhalla said in a statement.
“While we will miss Geri and greatly appreciate her years of distinguished service, I am confident that Cristin’s creativity and dedication, along with her deep roots in Hoboken will also serve as tremendous assets to our city.”
Cricco-Powell, a fourth generation Hoboken resident, will be tasked with heading major City events including the biannual Arts and Music Festival, Spaghetti Dinner Block Party, and other traditions.
She will also help develop new events and programs to diversify the programming offered by the department. City spokeswoman Marilyn Baer indicated that she has already started and that her salary will be $110,000.
“It is an honor to serve my hometown in this capacity. I’ve spent over 20 years producing a wide variety of shows, and I’m excited to use those skills to bring amazing entertainment, cultural, and arts programs to my beloved hometown: Hoboken,” Cricco-Powell added.
“I look forward to collaborating with the community, building on old favorites, and launching new programs.”
Cricco-Powell most recently worked as an executive produce for Magilla Entertainment, who works with partners such as the Discovery channel, MTV, Lifetime, and VH1. She also unsuccessfully ran for the 6th Ward council seat in 2019 on Bhalla’s ticket.
“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as the head of Cultural Affairs and I’ve loved contributing to Hoboken’s vibrant arts and cultural scene in this role. As I prepare my retirement from the City of Hoboken, I’m confident that I am leaving the division in the capable hands of Cristin who will lead with passion and creativity,” Fallo noted.
“I look forward to seeing the continued success and growth of Hoboken’s cultural community under her leadership. I am happy to be helping the city with this transition and exited for the new and creative endeavors that await me in the next chapter of my life.”
Fallo, whose retirement was announced last year, will retire this spring at a date to be determined following a transition period.
Way to pay it forward to your hometown. Good luck , Cristin!
Pay it forward? She’s earning 3x what most artists earn and are being forced out of their homes. Thot the mayor was against nepobabies? Can we get a list of his director hires who are not politicians please? All of Ravi hires are candidates of former candidates
Ravi land realities.
No real experience in doing the actually job. That is OK.
She was one of the recent losers on on his hand picked and backed Team Bhalla’s City Council ticket to give Ravi lock his vote. That is OK.
Was anyone else who was not attached to Team Bhalla seriously considered for this $110K plus platinum benefits position. That is OK.
Good luck Ms Crrico-Powell I am sure you and your politically connected family can be very helpful to Ravi err… I mean Hoboken.
Gerri was cool. She did good things and was arts focused.
Another fat cat Ravi taxpayer six-figure handout for another left-wing hack.
Gerri was cool, and she retired. We all wish her well.
Cristin is eminently qualified; she was a senior producer on a popular mainstream television show- no “fat cat” and she certainly doesn’t need the job. She wants the job. It’s called public service, something a jealous dunce like you will never understand. Hey, how about getting your resume into City Hall for something, or do you prefer to suckle the taxpayers’ teat and sh*t-post all day? lol
So she was a producer? That makes her an arts expert? This is another payoff by Ravi, nothing more. He’s paying off his failed council candidates who don’t even have damning direct knowledge of his Terror Flier.
Another fat cat insider with a six-figure payday. How many people were given a chance in Hoboken to apply for an interview? I’d like to see how many. There’s a lot of artists/musicians in this area who certainly would like to have been given a chance. We all know they weren’t!
Cristin used to make more than double her new public salary- which is $110K more than you’ll ever make lolol. She’s a perfect fit for the job. You’re saying someone with 20 years in the entertainment business isn’t qualified to create and produce arts and entertainment for Hoboken? What a dunce. You are just a jealous jealous incel smear merchant underemployed untalented low IQ sh*t-poster! Oh, and to correct your poor English: it’s “there are a lot of.. ” not “there’s a lot of…” lololol
How do you know what she used to earn? That sounds personal. Lots of people are qualified, point is, was she the one picked because she ran with Ravi. I would love to see a news organization list all of his director hires, their salaries, and their political backgrounds. Also can you tell us how many were interviewed for this? Nora, Cristin, Vanessa all ran with him or had a taxpayer job so he hired them. He will do the same thing in senate, no? On the taxpayers dime.
Who cares what CCP may have made decades ago? This is a MUNICIPAL JOB and should be based on the position’s salary.
Look at your stupid, vile idiocy. Now you’re whining about contractions and how much I made. Well, I’ve made a lot more but that’s in the private sector. This is a TAXPAYER paid position for a town of 55,000.
Was this position advertised to the public and how many interviews were conducted? This is the exact type of patronage rubbish Hoboken eliminated under Mayor Zimmer.
You’ll defend dirty Ravi until you croak.
Isn’t her resume basically, I ran for 6th ward council on Team Bhalla’s slate. Same as Nora’s resume.
She made a great salary with overtime too!
Many Hoboken residents work in the entertainment and affiliated industries and hopefully she will reach out to them for their expertise and contacts.
And as everyone keeps saying, far the recreation department has failed to call on them to run summer programs, hope she will make up for this oversight. And not just with campaign supporters and donors. The lack of summer recreation in the arts is embarrassing.
Lets see what other people Ravi can get on the taxpayers dime for more patronage jobs. Gerri did not earn $110k, that I can guarantee you. Just look it up or ask the city.
Geri’s salary is in the ordinance- look it up lazy sh*t-poster. It’s more than $110K. lol Get a job!!!!
And OT she was well over 100K
No one should start at the top of a salary range well into six figures.
Patronage Forward is correct about this. Who’s turn is it to watch Nancy? Cuckoo for cocoa puffs thinks everyone is one person.
Council makes almost 50K with pensions and gold plated health benefits
Hope rob jr points out all the patronage hires.