Trustee Candidate Maria Napolitano Talks Infrastructure, Business Incentives, Faith

An 11-year Macomb Township resident, Maria A. Napolitano is running for her first term as a township trustee.

Napolitano, 40, is one of seven Republican candidates vying for the township's four trustee posts.

The marketing director for her husband’s business, Top Dog K9 Inc., Napolitano is an active member of Kensington Community Church where she volunteers with their prison ministry and serves as a Prison PenPal.

The stepmother of two and grandmother of three, she is also an avid supporter of St. Jude Children’s Hospital and the March of Dimes.

Macomb Patch recently spoke with Napolitano to learn more about the resident looking to become a first-term township trustee.

Patch: Why have you chosen to run for township trustee?

Napolitano: I choose to become a member of our Board of Trustees because I feel my whole life experience has built me for this opportunity and I want to be a valuable element to our community. My qualifications are foremost rooted and driven by my faith to deliver fair respectful care and attention. Growing up quickly after the loss of my mom at a young age I began working in an office at 14 years old. Progressing to 25 years of professional business experience in management roles, I gained a strong work ethic and independence that drives me to care for others and find objective solutions to any situation. 

Patch: Why do you feel you are qualified for the position of trustee?

Napolitano: My lifetime professional experience as an executive in the mortgage banking industry has skilled me in applicable areas such as finance and budgeting, regulations and quality control, office management, sales and marketing, and customer and vendor relations. This life training is a key to formulating wise fiscal decisions, regulatory structuring, risk assessment, and business management. Added to my core values bestowed upon me through my family, strict catholic school education, and strong faith, I will deliver the honest unbiased organization this community deserves.

Patch: What changes or improvements would you make if elected?

Napolitano: Applying my business background to our valuable community’s continued growth and development, I’m excited to improve upon our business structure by correcting outdated ordinances, creating incentives for new business, and speeding up processes and streamlining regulations that hinder growth and delay the added tax revenue and taxable value we successfully rely on. Our population increase from 20,000 to 80,000 residents in that last 20 years requires continual appeal of our township. From commercial and industrial amenities that accommodate the added residents, to promptly maintaining our infrastructure road conditions and convenient access for emergency services, to preserving and creating our green spaces for recreation. Seniors have voiced their own concerns and requests for improvements to our senior center and the need for more senior programming at affordable rates. It’s important to create an atmosphere where all types of lifestyles want to be from elderly, families, young working ages, and newly-wed couples to want to plant their seeds in our community. 

Patch: Of what personal and professional accomplishments are you most proud?

Napolitano: Personally there is no greater reward and joy than making a difference in other peoples’ lives. The importance of family and valuable friendships, strong business relationships, and retaining a reputation of honesty, understanding, and respect mean everything. My greatest personal accomplishment is the strength of our family unit, and the togetherness of my sisters after the loss of our mother at young ages. I’m proud to be celebrating 10-years of marriage this August. I enjoy being a great aunt and grandmother to the children in my lives and constantly bringing our family together often with many hosted dinners, game nights, barbecues, and slumber parties.

Professionally, I feel rewarded in successfully earning a respected reputation in the mortgage industry from an early age of 19 without a college degree but through dedication and commitment to an 18 year career with accomplishment of scoring high honors of 96-percent on the Florida Mortgage Broker License. I look forward to returning to that career after carrying other commercial and industrial and I.T. sales positions the past few years.

Patch: Is there one individual who has been most influential in your life?

Napolitano: My father has been an inspiration to me as is often to any daughter. But without sounding cliché to the obvious daddy’s little girl admiration, it goes beyond fathering, mentoring, and family care giving. My Dad is an example of hard work, bravery, commitment, and determination that drove me as much as a child and young lady, as it does today and more so. As the eldest male of 8 children, he conquered many fears and delivered a new life in America to his Italian parents and siblings. The challenge and risk of a new language, new lifestyle, and delivering successful determined results with a proud grateful attitude to his new country is humbly honorable. Proudly became a U.S. Citizen, often worked two jobs to ensure private school education to his children, weathered the economy with strict saving discipline, and forced to raise 3 daughters as a widow, my dad is truly my hero.

Patch: What are key ways Macomb residents can make a difference locally?

Napolitano: Our residents need to be the voice that we need to hear. We need to hear all of the whispered complaints, along with stimulating suggestions, and of course the praises of the jobs well done. In this race it’s both exciting and disheartening to hear the issues and ideas that need attention to, though many key figures unfortunately are not aware of what is being requesting, and worse disagree that even any problems exist. We are your voted representation. We are the ears to your voices. We will act to maintain our flourishing township, with fiscal responsibility, prompt maintenance, and thriving business development to keep our valued community current, safe, affordable, and overall satisfying.

Patch: What do you like most about the Macomb Township community? Do you have a favorite place in Macomb?

Napolitano: Our convenient location to highways to maneuver in our Detroit metropolitan communities is most gratifying. We are a modern but historic rooted township that blends the new and old fluently. We are a central location for travels downtown, up north, and west side for connecting families and jobs from all areas with ease. I’m very pleased with our friendly residential community, beautiful neighborhoods, and the comforting smiles received from happy home-owners. We often enjoy bike rides through the linking neighborhoods visiting refreshing patio-seating restaurants like and out-door benches ice cream shops like to comfortably enjoy the views that our green township offers. I take pleasure in outdoor recreational locations like our many gorgeous golf courses including , , and , and for the kids to play, and the for indoor family birthday parties. 

Patch: What are your hobbies, or interests?

Napolitano: Writing poetry, sketching, reading inspirational books, bowling-245 high game, softball- second baseman, cooking, healthy eating and lifestyle. 

Macomb Patch intends to interview all candidates with ties to, or oversight of Macomb Township. Come back Friday as we profile another trustee candidate. All candidate interviews and election information is available in our Election 2012 guide.