When Desiree Ramos Reiner moved to Teaneck six years ago, she knew she wanted to build the community. With nearly 25 years of government and nonprofit experience under her belt, and a passion for public service, Ramos Reiner was certainly equipped when she joined the Teaneck Planning Board three years ago. Now the mom of two is running for Teaneck Council with a clear plan for how to meet the needs of Teaneck residents and create a community with a promising future.
Ramos Reiner, who was born and raised in New Jersey, explained that she “always wanted to do something to help people.” The first in her family to graduate from college, she took every chance to make the most of it, running a meals-on-wheels program for elderly residents of upper Manhattan. “It really sparked my desire to do more,” she shared.
After college, Ramos Reiner went on to work in corporate America, “which didn’t really bring joy,” and was connected to Congressman Bob Menendez during his campaign for reelection in 2000. She then took a job working in his congressional office, in a position that “combined communications with community outreach,” and as she puts it — “that’s been my career focus ever since.” Filling several different positions over the years, Ramos Reiner now works as chief external affairs officer at the American Red Cross in the Greater New York region.
“I’ve always been focused on service from a career standpoint,” Ramos Reiner said. “But on a personal level, once I became a mom, I also wanted to invest more in kids. I try to volunteer as much as I can, and instill in my kids the understanding that we can help people on a day-to-day basis.”
Ramos Reiner’s volunteering extends beyond her kids’ schools—she’s been serving on the Teaneck Planning Board for a few years now, which she described as an “amazing experience.” She said that her service has given her the “opportunity to really think about the future of our community, and the direction that we’re heading in.”
Her time on the Planning Board has led Ramos Reiner to the decision to run for Teaneck Council, where she “certainly wants to continue to be a part of the discussion about our future.” She’s excited to further develop her vision. “It’s a great time for me to throw my hat in the ring. If not now, when will I ever get the chance to do this?”
She elaborated that her vision for Teaneck consists of four distinct pillars, all of which are uniquely important to her. The first pillar is affordability—“Our job in local government is to ensure that residents have stable taxes, and can afford to live here.” She explained that with her experience in government, she understands how federal and state funding works, and is sensitive to the investment opportunities that Teaneck Council may be able to make in local projects. “All of these pieces work together to create stability for community members, whether they already live here, or they’re looking to move to town. It’s that stability that makes a community more vibrant.”
The second pillar in Ramos Reiner’s vision is parks and recreation. She is focused on creating a “great parks experience for everyone,” and took the initiative to walk around Teaneck last summer with two council members to evaluate how the parks can be improved. Her ultimate goal would be to create a “parks master plan,” which would evaluate Teaneck’s resources for recreation, as well as investment opportunities; and of course, creating “a more cohesive recreation experience for everybody.”
Inclusivity and accessibility is not only a large part of Ramos Reiner’s parks plan, but is also the third pillar in her Teaneck plan. “Accessibility means a lot of different things to a lot of people,” she said. “Part of it is how people access things physically, and making sure that there aren’t barriers to people.” She explained that she became keenly aware of physical accessibility issues when walking around town with her mom, who uses a cane, and noted that she now is more mindful of where her mom can and can’t travel because of this.
“Accessibility also refers to information,” Ramos Reiner continued. “When we moved here, it felt like there was a lot we had to figure out, like how do we sign up for rec center programs? I think I can improve informational accessibility using my experience in communication and external relations.” To her, this sort of accessibility also includes creating proper signage so that people know how to find things around town, as well as making the members of Teaneck Council available to the public in order to exchange information. “Our elected officials should be more accessible to the public … there are so many things that could be easily solved by the municipal government, and I want to bridge that information gap.”
Ramos Reiner’s fourth and final pillar is community investment. “We need to think about different developments across town, and how we can revitalize things like our business district,” she explained. “There is a lot of opportunity for us as a council to activate various groups and bring attention to revitalization.”
With a distinct vision for Teaneck, Ramos Reiner has already hit the streets to go door-to-door and meet with community members to get their feedback. “I want to listen to what they have to say,” she said. “I’ve done so much walking, I’m going to need new shoes!”
More on Ramos Reiner’s campaign can be found at https://www.desireeforteaneck.com/.
By Channa Fischer
