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JOANNE MADALENA<br />
LOCAL<br />
VOICES<br />
When your youngest daughter wants to join Girl Scouts but the only troop available doesn’t fit into the family’s schedule, you do<br />
what any good mother would do—you start your own. Then, a year later, when your oldest daughter’s troop leaders all step away,<br />
you do what any good mother would do—you become the leader. That’s what Hopatcong’s JoAnne Madalena did 14 years ago.<br />
But she did not stop there. Over the years Madalena, 46, has simultaneously led four Girl Scout troops while also serving as the<br />
Scouts’ service unit manager for the area. She has also helped fundraise for her son’s Boy Scout troop.<br />
WHERE ARE YOU ORIGINALLY FROM? WHAT MADE IT SPECIAL?<br />
I am originally from the Oranges, but I moved to Succasunna in third grade, which was a really<br />
hard adjustment for me because I came from a place where my whole family lived relatively<br />
close to each other and now we were spreading out.<br />
WHERE DO YOU LIVE, HOW LONG AND WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL?<br />
I’ve lived in Hopatcong for about 22 years. It is a wonderful community. I owned a satellite<br />
bakery on Lakeside Boulevard from 2005 until 2008 called Trinacria. We sold baked<br />
products from my father’s bakery (JC’s Italian Bakery in Parsippany). It gave me my first<br />
opportunity to really get to know people in my town.<br />
WHO MAKES UP YOUR FAMILY?<br />
My husband, Dave, our three children, Francesca, 20, Nadia, 18, and David Jr, 15,<br />
along with our dogs, Ciccio and Bailey, and our cats, Nova and Luna.<br />
HOW DO YOU EARN A LIVING?<br />
I am a teacher’s aide (paraprofessional) in a neighboring district.<br />
DESCRIBE THE TYPE OF PERSON YOU ARE.<br />
I love helping others as I believe that is what we are meant<br />
to do. I believe it’s important to be involved and give back. I<br />
love people. We can learn a lot from one another.<br />
WHO HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON<br />
YOUR LIFE AND WHY?<br />
My father. He was such a hard worker. He came to<br />
America from Sicily with about $20 in his pocket,<br />
and he really lived the American dream. He was a<br />
wonderful father and friend to me and an amazing<br />
grandfather to my children. He shared his love for Italy<br />
and Italian music with me. He passed away nine years<br />
ago. I’ve also been influenced by my Girl Scouts. They<br />
blow me away with the ideas they come up with to make<br />
the world a better place and their spirit to help others.<br />
DO YOU VOLUNTEER?<br />
I will be continuing as a Girl Scout troop leader next year<br />
for one or two younger troops while my 18-year-old is<br />
completing her last year. I’m currently training someone<br />
to replace me as service unit manager, where I recruit<br />
volunteers, train new leaders, put troops together and liaison<br />
between our council and our troop leaders.<br />
ANY HOBBIES?<br />
I love meeting new people, dancing and traveling.<br />
IS THERE ANYTHING MOST PEOPLE WOULD BE<br />
SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU?<br />
While I owned a satellite bakery, unfortunately I never got to<br />
learn the art of baking from my father as I always worked the<br />
retail side of the business. I started working in his bakery at 13<br />
years old.<br />
invested creative involved<br />
I AM I AM I AM<br />
lakehopatcongnews.com 17
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