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The Edge for June 2021

An Exclusive Article for NJ ChamberEdge

Some New Jersey companies are encouraging their employees to get vaccinated for COVID-19. We asked N.J. Chamber members to talk about what their organizations are doing. Here is what they said:

 

Bishop David EvansLeadership Was Vaccinated First to Encourage Others

The core leadership of our ministry was vaccinated first to encourage the 27,000 members, as well as the surrounding community. This was followed by aggressive invitations through social media, public service announcements and radio coverage to be tested and vaccinated at our site. Thousands responded. As we prepare for the future, we continue to maintain precautions even though restrictive suggestions by the government have been modified.

– Bishop David G. Evans, Pastor, Bethany Baptist Church

 

Tom BrackenWe Are Providing Employees the Time They Need to Get Vaccinated

The business community must work to instill confidence in workers and customers that it is safe to once again visit stores, offices, restaurants and other places of commerce. It is incumbent on businesses to do their part by reminding employees what the medical data clearly show — that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective. At the New Jersey Chamber, we are encouraging employees to get vaccinated and we are providing them the time they need to get themselves and their families vaccinated. The faster we approach community protection, aka herd immunity, the sooner our economy shifts into high gear.

– Tom Bracken, President and CEO, New Jersey Chamber of Commerce

 

Barry OstrowskyAs Healthcare Workers, We Have an Obligation to Protects Patients

As healthcare workers and as team members committed to providing a culture of safety, we have an obligation to do all we can to protect our patients and the communities we serve. As a healthcare leader in the state, we must set the precedent to always provide the safest environment and protect the residents of New Jersey.

– Barry H. Ostrowsky, President and CEO of RWJBarnabas Health, in a statement on RWJBarnabas Health’s website announcing it is mandating COVID-19 vaccination for all team members at the supervisory level and above, with the anticipation that it will eventually be required for all staff.

 

Responses for this article were edited for space and clarity.

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Newsmakers

As Jennifer Shimek transitions to a new leadership role at KPMG LLP, the company announced Jeffrey Knight has succeeded her as office managing partner in Short Hills.


Ernst & Young LLP appointed Eduardo Villa to serve as the Iselin office managing partner. In his new role, Villa oversees more than 1,200 EY professionals. Villa has been with EY for more than 22 years and has served as the New Jersey Tax Market Leader since 2019.


EisnerAmper has appointed David Frigeri to serve as partner and chief artificial intelligence officer. Frigeri will work with leadership to integrate AI, machine learning, and automation into EisnerAmper’s services to enhance client value and operational efficiency.


Fortune magazine named Merck, Hackensack Meridian Health and Atlantic Health System among the country’s 100 best companies to work for in its latest such list, released April 2. The 100 Best Companies to Work For list honors businesses that build a high-trust workplace environment, and is based on employee surveys.


Public Service Electric & Gas was recognized by J.D. Power as the top utility for residential customer satisfaction in both the electric and gas customer service categories in the East Large Segment for 2024. This achievement marks the second time PSE&G has earned this prestigious dual recognition for its residential customer satisfaction.


Prudential Financial has expanded the role of Caroline Feeney, appointing her as CEO of Global Retirement and Insurance Businesses, a newly created position that will oversee the company’s domestic and international retirement and insurance operations.


Former NJ Transit General Counsel Brian Wilton is joining the national bipartisan government affairs practice of Newark-based McCarter & English LLP.


Kenvue Inc., the maker of well-known brands like Neutrogena, Listerine, Aveeno and Tylenol, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony March 19 for its new, 290,000-square-foot global headquarters in Summit. The company has officially moved its headquarters from Skillman.


South Jersey Industries has donated $46,000 to the Southern New Jersey Chapter of the American Red Cross. The gift includes $23,000 in pledges from SJI employees as part of the company’s annual giving campaign, matched dollar-for-dollar by SJI. In total, this year’s campaign raised $350,000 for various organizations – a new record for the company.


Rowan University’s Edelman Fossil Park & Museum in Mantua opened March 29. It features towering dinosaur models, interactive exhibits, and a quarry where visitors can dig for fossils.


Thomas Edison State University has appointed Dr. Henry Collier as the new dean of its School of Science and Technology, effective April 7. Collier, a cybersecurity and artificial intelligence expert with more than 15 years of experience in higher education, will lead the school’s efforts to expand its programs and prepare students for careers in emerging technologies.


Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, part of RWJBarnabas Health, and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School recently received a $2.4 million grant to develop technology to better manage patients presenting with heart attacks.


RWJBarnabas Health celebrated the grand opening of its largest academic ambulatory outpatient facility, a 15-story ambulatory medical pavilion on the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital campus in New Brunswick.


CentraState Medical Center, part of Atlantic Health System, unveiled the Hersh Pediatric Center at CentraState, a facility that combines advanced pediatric emergency and inpatient services in one family-friendly location.


Cooper and Inspira Cardiac Care team members at Cooper University Hospital in Camden were excited to announce they surpassed 1,000 cardiac surgeries in 2024, the highest number in South Jersey, and third highest in the state


The New Jersey Economic Development Authority Board approved the creation of the New Jersey Film Works Grant Program and entered into Memorandums of Understanding with Montclair State University and Brookdale Community College to expand film and digital media workforce development initiatives.


Merck has signed a licensing agreement for a heart disease drug with Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals worth up to $2 billion. Merck will get exclusive rights to develop, manufacture and sell Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals’ experimental oral heart disease drug, HRS-5346, worldwide, except in the China region.


Jefferson Health in New Jersey announced its newly elected medical staff officers, who will serve two-year terms. Dr. Gopika Banker was named medical staff president; Dr. Gerardo Varallo was named medical staff vice president; and Dr. Siddharth Bhimani was named medical staff treasurer.