Freda to Represent North Haven as Chairman of SCRCOG
Ever since his corporate career, First Selectman Mike Freda said he has seen the importance of being involved in the community at large. In business, he was often asked to sit on advisory boards or corporate boards as well as speak at meetings. He said his involvement helped to bolster the recognition of his business.
Over the years, as first selectman, he has been a member of a variety of committees and initiatives at the state level and most recently, he was unanimously selected to serve as chairman of the South Central Regional Council of Governments (SCRCOG), which is made up of 15 municipalities, including North Haven, with a combined population of 570,000.
“I learned a valuable lesson in my career as a CEO and realized that my company became so well-known because of me representing them in the different activities I was involved with,” said Freda. “I love representing North Haven and my involvement continues to work toward my main goal, which is to bring North Haven to the forefront as a recognizable community across the state. It is very humbling when other elected officials, both Democrat and Republican, put their faith in you.”
Town leaders from each of the 15 municipalities are represented in SCRCOG. According to scrcog.org, “SCRCOG is dedicated to regional cooperation enabling cities and towns to work together to accomplish projects they cannot do as efficiently or cost effectively by themselves, creating a sense of pride in the region by aspiring to the highest quality of life and economic wellbeing that can be achieved and greater accountability through voluntary cooperation in the region with productive results that benefit the entire region.”
This is the second time that Freda has been selected as chairman of the group since he became first selectman in 2009. Carl Amento, who has been the executive director of SCRCOG since 2011 and was previously involved as Hamden’s mayor from 2000 to 2005, noted that over that time, there have only been a “handful” of leaders chosen to lead the group for a second time.
“Michael is regarded as an important influencer within the group and his counsel is always sought,” said Amento. “He is very highly respected by everyone in the group and he is one of the go-to guys because of his experience and good judgment.”
The group meets once a month to discuss issues faced by municipalities, share ideas, coordinate regional activities, and find ways to promote and enhance the region. SCRCOG also plans training session for towns and their leaders in areas such as purchasing, energy conservation, cyber-security, solid waste and recycling management, and more.
“As a regional body, we formulate plans and then work with state legislature and help promote initiatives at the state level, as well as doing a lot at the local level,” said Freda. “The council of governments is very well-skilled and adept at applying for grants on regional basis.”
In addition to working with SCRCOG, Freda is also a a member of the executive board of directors for the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, having most recently served as president, and the regional chairman of the Municipal Waste Board. He was recently reappointed to the Police Officers Standard Training Council, which oversees the protocols and standards for the local and state police departments.
Freda also serves on one of Governor Ned Lamont’s vaccine committees, which he notes is “very beneficial to North Haven because I can provide info to my staff to help the hundreds of people calling Town Hall who are confused on how to get vaccine.
“It really puts North Haven, as a town, on the forefront when I’m involved in all these things,” said Freda. “I’ve always had the ability to multitask and the more that’s put on me, the more productive I am. My goal is to create positive outcomes in the town and in the region.
“As chairman, I’ll not only be representing North Haven, but we will continue to try to promote positive outcomes in this region as a collaborative body,” added Freda. “When we have a region that’s vibrant, it represents a section of the state where people want to move into and, as a result of the demand, maybe property values go up. Considering that in any individual family’s portfolio, the value of their home is the largest asset they have, creating a vibrant town and vibrant region will help that.”