NJ ChamberEdge
NJ ChamberEdge Sponsor
Business Insights & Inspiration
Business Insights & Inspiration
NJ ChamberEdge Sponsor

The Edge for February 2023

An Exclusive Article for NJ ChamberEdge

This Month's ChamberEdge Contributors

We asked N.J. Chamber of Commerce members to talk about the tools that make them more productive at the office or in their home office. Check out what they said below.

 

I Take (a Picture of) My Kids to the Office

Diane Wasser Kids

Diane WasserWhen I am in the office, the most important tool I have is a picture of my two kids! In September 2021, our firm began using a reservation system for seating in cubicles and offices, so I carry this picture back and forth. It makes me smile and feel comforted since family makes the world go round! When I work at my home office, generally one day a week, my most important tool is a scented candle. I light it in the morning and it is calming and a special perk.

– Diane Wasser, Partner, Audit & Assurance, EisnerAmper LLP, Partner, Eisner Advisory Group LLC

 

Weekly Monday Meetings Get Everyone on the Same Page

Rachel SchultiesOur weekly Monday meetings are important to me. After all, good productivity requires good communication. Our agency starts each Monday morning with a stakeholder meeting where we review that week’s priorities. It insures that all of our leaders are on the same page regarding what is needed for our clients and for our team. It’s a great way to align, check in on how everyone is doing and kick off the week. Our agency also utilizes Microsoft Teams, which helps us stay on the granular level of internal communication throughout the day in our ‘work from anywhere’ hybrid model.

– Rachel Schulties, COO, Marketsmith, Inc.

 

My List of Things to do is High Tech and Shareable

Lori AckerMy role as COO requires me to think ahead. I get into the zone by breaking my weekly/monthly lists into smaller lists of critical priorities and items to be considered later. I’ve always been a whiteboard/notepad person when it comes to staying organized. When the pandemic and remote work limited my whiteboard access, I shifted to notepads and notebooks – and have recently made the jump to spreadsheets. This latest organizational evolution has the benefit of easily sharing my thoughts with my team.

– Lori Acker, Senior Vice President, COO/Operational Transformation, Delta Dental of New Jersey and Connecticut

 

In-Person Collaboration Works Best for Me

Dennis Toft spaces

Dennis ToftOne of the lessons I learned from the pandemic is the importance of in-person collaboration. While tools such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom are useful, the practice of law works better for me when I can connect in person with my colleagues. I believe that the ability to talk through issues in person leads to better work product for clients. Moreover, mentoring junior attorneys is an important part of what we do, and that is far more effective when done in person. I am excited about our firm’s move to a new office because we added significantly more collaboration space, which should bring a renewed energy to our practice.

– Dennis M. Toft, Member of the Firm, Chair, Environmental Law Group, Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC

 

Responses for this article were edited for space and clarity.

Search the Edge Archive

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.