Council Brings Together New Jersey Business Leaders and State Government Leaders
Governor Phil Murphy today announced appointments to the Governor’s Economic Council. The Council will provide a regular forum for the New Jersey business community and state government leaders to discuss, collaborate, and solve issues important to the public and private sectors, with the goal of stimulating economic growth and prosperity.
The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce is pleased that the U.S. Department of Transportation has put an end to congestion pricing. It validates what we have been saying all along that this was punitive towards New Jersey – and a money grab for New York’s MTA. We thank U.S. DOT Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the Trump Administration for cancelling congestion pricing – and we appreciate the ongoing opposition from Gov. Phil Murphy and Rep. Josh Gottheimer against this bad policy that has been unfairly targeting New Jersey commuters and businesses.
—Tom Bracken, President & CEO, New Jersey Chamber of Commerce
A Message from President & CEO Tom BrackenOver 1,000 New Jersey business and government leaders joined the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce’s Walk to Washington & Congressional Reception last week, marking a triumphant return for the two-day event after a five-year hiatus.
The bottom line: The Walk remains the state’s premier business networking event. And in this pivotal gubernatorial election year, it also served as a powerful rallying call.
From our packed charter train to D.C. to the Congressional Reception and our highly attended gubernatorial forum, one message was clear: New Jersey’s business community is united in its commitment to building a stronger state economy at a much faster pace.
Special Guests include Gov. Murphy, U.S. Sens. Booker and Kim, Congressman Smith, New Jersey’s Congressional Delegation and Gubernatorial Candidates
Gov. Phil Murphy will speak at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce’s 84th Congressional Reception on Thursday, Feb. 6, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, in Washington, D.C. Also scheduled to deliver remarks are Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim, and Congressman Chris Smith, the dean of the state’s Congressional Delegation.
As a new presidential administration takes the helm in Washington, the nation finds itself at a pivotal economic juncture. The priorities emerging in federal discussions – supporting innovation and artificial intelligence, lowering taxes for businesses, reducing burdensome regulations, bolstering energy independence and supporting small businesses – should resonate deeply with New Jersey’s leaders. These initiatives are not partisan rallying cries; they are pragmatic solutions to the challenges that hinder economic growth and opportunity in the Garden State.
From his first day in office, Gov. Murphy talked about creating a stronger and fairer economy. Over the last seven years, in our estimation, he has created the fairest economy in the nation. However, the stronger side of the equation has had considerable less focus. Today’s speech covered a lot of initiatives to make our economy even more fair by continuing what has already transpired over the last seven years. In November’s elections, the overwhelming message from the public was that they wanted change and for government to focus on economic growth and a stronger economy. Neither of those were addressed in today’s speech. We have been saying for many, many months that our economy, and supporting business, needs to be the main focus of the administration and the Legislature. If that does not happen, the initiatives proposed by the governor will have difficulty being funded.
—Tom Bracken, President & CEO, New Jersey Chamber of Commerce
The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce is deeply disappointed by the implementation of congestion pricing in Manhattan, which went into effect yesterday.
This policy is a direct blow to New Jersey’s commuters and visitors who depend on access to New York City for work, business, and leisure. It unfairly penalizes New Jersey residents, adding a new financial burden to already high transportation costs.
The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors on December 12 elected six new board members. These accomplished leaders, from a variety of industries and regions across the state, will contribute to the Chamber's mission of fostering a dynamic and thriving business environment in New Jersey.
The new board members are:
- Andrew G. Agger, Senior Vice President and Middle Market Banking Executive, Fulton Bank
- Richard Butkus Jr., President and Managing Partner, Control Point Associates, Inc.
- Chuck Cerniglia, Executive Director, United Healthcare of New Jersey
- Terrill Jordan, President and CEO, Regional Cancer Care Associates
- Karen Patruno Sheehy, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer, Intra-Cellular Therapies
- Michael Sommer, Chief Development Officer, Kushner
TRENTON – Governor Murphy today signed an Executive Order establishing a new Economic Council, which will be supported by a newly established Development Coordination Committee. Under the executive order, the Economic Council will provide a regular forum for the business community and state government to discuss, collaborate, and solve issues important to the public and private sectors, and stimulate economic growth and prosperity. The new Development Coordination Committee will support the Council’s work in advancing development projects that require multiple state, county and local government approvals.
This month’s elections underscored that economic concerns are a top priority for voters. As we move forward, it’s critical for policymakers – at both the state and federal levels – to prioritize initiatives that foster economic growth and stability.
The Murphy administration took an important step on the economy by issuing the recently announced executive order creating a state Economic Council – a concept the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce has long championed. The Council, composed of state government leaders and members of the business community, will focus on a critical goal: finding actionable ways to make New Jersey a more attractive place to do business.