EAST RUTHERFORD - A lot of things happen at school bus stops.

Jill Hirsch can tell you that.

She was living in Montclair and working as an attorney specializing in children's rights and wellbeing when one of those she often met at her children's bus stop was Mikie Sherrill.

You can probably figure out the rest.

It was in 2017 when Sherrill invited her to lunch, although as Hirsch recently recalled, they weren't really "going to lunch" type of friends.

Hirsch accepted the offer and soon thereafter, Sherrill said she wanted to run for Congress.

Hirsch's reaction at the time, "Really?"

Really indeed. We know the rest. Here are the relevant sound bytes,

Incumbent Rodney P. Frelinghuysen didn't run again. Sherrill won the CD-11 seat in 2018 and was reelected three times. Last year, she was elected governor and Hirsch was named president and CEO of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority.

Hirsch was there with Sherrill every step of the way.

She worked on Sherrill's initial House campaign in 2018 and assumed that was it.

"I think I did every conceivable job on that campaign," she said.

When it ended, Hirsch told Sherrill, "good luck."

But Sherrill replied that she was not "getting off that easy." Hirsch became district director of the congressional office and then moved to work on Sherrill's successful campaign for governor last year.

Curiously, Hirsch had never been really involved in politics before - other than voting.

Prior to joining Governor Sherrill’s congressional office, she was an attorney with the Legal Aid Society,  representing children in matters involving abuse, neglect, custody, guardianship, termination of parental rights, and juvenile delinquency. She later worked in adoption and served on the Board of Directors of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) of Essex County. In 2023, Hirsch was awarded the Star of Essex in recognition of her exceptional community service.

When Sherrill became governor, Hirsch said taking the job at the Sports Authority seemed a good fit. After all, the trust and friendship between her and the incoming governor went back to the beginning - politically.

Friendships are not always genuine in politics, but this one is real.

The authority was created in 1971 and owns the land on which MetLife Stadium and the American Dream Mall are built. It also owns the old Byrne Arena and other sports-related venues around the state, including the New York Jets' training facility in Florham Park.

That may be the most visible part of the authority's mission, but there's more.
The authority is the regional planning and zoning agency for the 30.3-square-mile Hackensack Meadowlands District, which includes 14 towns. The goal here is simple - to keep transforming the Meadowlands into a commercial hub while protecting the fragile ecosystem.

In a recent interview at the New Jersey Film Expo, which was held in the arena, Hirsch spoke of the diversity of the Meadowlands, referring to entertainment, commercial growth and conservation.

But to any long-time resident, the Jersey Meadowlands also means pig farms and dumps - for both garbage and the victims of mob hits.

That image. which is not really true anymore, will fade over time and the authority wants to make that happen.

"We just left our office and there were little kids who were going on a field trip to go fishing," she said.

Beyond fishing trips, the authority offers various trails at Richard DeKorte Park and pontoon rides that offer glimpses at a variety of birds and other wildlife. The park in Lyndhurst also has an environmental center.

The Nets and Devils left what is now the Meadowlands Arena more than a decade ago. But the arena is still around and is often used these days by the film industry. Movies recently filmed there were Marty Supreme and a Bruce Springsteen biopic. The aforementioned Film Expo reinforced that point.

Hirsch talked while dozens of vendors and thousands of visitors milled around the arena floor.

Asked to reflect on the last decade, she said, "I think that the whole experience has been a little bit surreal, but not unrealistic."

That's because of Sherrill's ability to appeal to voters and to win elections. "She is who she is," is how Hirsch put it.

Hirsch did say that at one point she said to Sherrill, "I'm not sure why you thought that was a great idea," - meaning, getting involved in politics.

To which, Sherrill replied, "Well, it worked."