Awards Reception Was Hosted by the African American Chamber of N.J. and the N.J. Chamber of Commerce

Six New Jersey businesses that are leading the way in demonstrating tangible and measurable progress in DE&I (diversity, equity and inclusion) were recognized Nov. 20 at the second annual DE&I Trailblazer Awards reception, co-hosted by the African American Chamber Commerce of New Jersey and the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce.

“These are the companies and organizations that don’t just support DE&I, they are setting measurable equity and inclusion goals and meeting them,” said John E. Harmon Sr., IOM, founder, president & CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey. “They are making a difference. We applaud these trailblazers and encourage their counterparts in the business community to work toward similar measurable goals.”

“We are honoring the companies that are walking the walk,” added Tom Bracken, president and CEO of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. “We are recognizing and celebrating the DE&I champions who are meeting the challenge and challenging the status quo.”

The DE&I Trailblazer Awards at the Olde Mill Inn in Basking Ridge revealed honorees that have excelled in these key areas: access to capital; board diversity; corporate citizenship; supplier diversity; and workforce diversity. Also presented was an Emerging DE&I Influencer award that recognizes a business that is in the beginning phases of implementing a promising DE&I program.

The Awardees

The DE&I Trailblazer Award in the ‘Corporate Citizenship’ category went to Johnson & Johnson. Between matching employee donations and cash grants, Johnson & Johnson gave more than $12 million in each of the last three years to organizations in New Jersey – with $4.1 million in 2022 going to nonprofit organizations that address DE&I.

The DE&I Trailblazer Award in the ‘Access to Capital’ category went to Santander US. Santander bank offer a free executive leadership training program designed to help small- and medium-sized business owners in under-resourced communities. With a focus on minority-, women-, veteran-, and immigrant-owned businesses, the program helps small business entrepreneurs gain access to executive education, networking opportunities, and debt and equity capital. From 2005 through 2019, the program’s 3,836 alumni companies have averaged 126% growth in revenue, created 22,707 jobs, and raised $2.3 billion in capital.

The DE&I Trailblazer Award in the ‘Supplier Diversity’ category went to Hackensack Meridian Health. HMH created an Executive Diversity Council co-chaired by the CEO and the chief diversity officer, who reports directly to the CEO. And it established a supplier diversity-driven goal tied to executive compensation. The result? It increased its annual supplier diversity spend by 32% in 2023 – to $69.3 million. HMH has also created a supplier diversity showcase to ensure small and diverse businesses have equal access to opportunities. As a result of these and many other efforts, HMH was recently ranked first by Diversity, Inc. magazine in its 2023 Top Hospitals and Health Care Systems list.

The DE&I Trailblazer Award in the ‘Board Diversity’ category went to Modivcare. The social services company’s board of directors boasts a diverse composition of 10 members, including an African-American member, an Asian-Indian member, two female members, and one director whose gender is non-identified. The awardee’s DE&I success is striking in another way. Their executive leadership team includes an African-American male, who serves as the president of mobility; a white female who serves as chief compliance officer; and a female who is president of its personal care services division.

The DE&I Trailblazer Award in the ‘Workforce Diversity’ category went to Phillips 66 - Bayway. In 2022, 36% of Phillips 66 – Bayway’s global hires were women, and 42% of its U.S. hires were from underrepresented groups. Additionally, the company supports academic training grants and education opportunities for young women and minorities working in the fields of STEM – science, technology, engineering and math. Its work has paid off. For two consecutive years, it has earned a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index based on nondiscrimination policies, equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ employees and their families, supporting an inclusive culture, and corporate social policy.

The DE&I Trailblazer Award in the ‘Emerging DE&I Influencer’ category went to New Jersey Institute of Technology. A year ago, NJIT hired its inaugural chief diversity officer, Dr. David E. Jones. And under Dr. Jones’ leadership, it launched the Office of Inclusive Excellence. In the fall of 2023, Dr. Jones was recognized as a 2023 Champion of Diversity by DiversityGlobal Magazine. This fall, in NJIT’s first-year class, underrepresented minorities made up a record 50% of the class, and the enrollment of women – at 30% – was at an all-time high. The number of first-year students identifying as Black has nearly tripled since 2013 – and Hispanic first-year enrollment has reached over 30% for the second year in a row.

Honoring Companies that are ‘Walking the Walk’

The Nominees

For the past two months, the two chambers have accrued an impressive list of nominees that represent a wide range of business sizes and industries. All of them have inspiring and uplifting stories to demonstrate how they moved diversity, equity and inclusion to the forefront of their business strategies.

The nominees considered were:

  • AmeriHealth
  • Bank of America
  • Bridge Builders Newark, LLC
  • CannPowerment
  • The Ceceilyn Miller Institute for Leadership & Diversity
  • Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi P.C.
  • Cole Schotz
  • Delta Dental of New Jersey
  • Gibbons P.C.
  • Hackensack Meridian Health
  • Johnson & Johnson
  • Lockerbie & Co.
  • Modivcare
  • New Jersey Institute of Technology
  • Phillips 66-Bayway Refinery
  • PSEG
  • Santander US
  • Somerset County Business Partnership
  • Tené Nícole Creative Agency
  • UnitedHealth Group
  • We Are Jersey

News Releases

Friday, November 29, 2024
TRENTON – Governor Murphy today signed an Executive Order establishing a new Economic Council, which will be supported by a...
Wednesday, November 06, 2024
The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce congratulates the winners of the 2024 election and commends them on successful campaigns....
Thursday, October 31, 2024
Program Recognizes Champions of Diversity who are Truly Challenging the Status Quo The African American Chamber Commerce of...
Friday, October 18, 2024
The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors on Oct. 15 elected seven new board members. These accomplished leaders,...
Wednesday, October 09, 2024
By Tom Bracken, President & CEO, New Jersey Chamber of Commerce As we approach a major election, partisanship is dominating...
Tuesday, October 01, 2024
This strike could be a disaster. It is going to cause disruptions to world supply chains and negatively affect the New Jersey...
Monday, September 23, 2024
We applaud the legislature for introducing legislation to address the alarming findings in the disparity study, which...
Thursday, August 22, 2024
Acting Governor Nicholas Scutari today signed A4360/S3402, also known as the “New Jersey Design Professional...
Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Congressman Bill Pascrell was the true definition of a New Jerseyan and a great friend of the business community. His door was...
Friday, August 16, 2024
George Helmy was an excellent choice to fill the U.S. Senate seat. As chief of staff, he was truly exceptional and one of the...
Thursday, August 15, 2024
We understand the benevolent spirit in which Governor Murphy announced the NJ TRANSIT fare holiday. However, coming less than...
Tuesday, August 13, 2024
Very sad news. Michael Aron was a New Jersey political broadcast legend, the Dean of the state's press corps, and he will be...

Media Contacts

Scott Goldstein
New Jersey Chamber of Commerce
scott@njchamber.com
609-989-7888 x113
Cell: 609-220-0836


Kevin Friedlander
New Jersey Chamber of Commerce
kevin.friedlander@njchamber.com
609-789-5263


2024 NJ Chamber Events

Nov 14
DE&I Trailblazer Awards Reception
Co-Hosted by African American Chamber of NJ and NJ Chamber
Where: Pines Manor, Edison
When: 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Dec 3
Business Roundtable Series
State of Healthcare
  • Kaitlan Baston
    Commissioner, NJ Department of Health
  • Justin Zimmerman
    Commissioner, NJ Department of Banking & Insurance
  • Assemblyman Roy Freiman (D)
    Chairman, Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee
  • Ward Sanders
    President, New Jersey Association of Health Plans
Where: Forsgate Country Club, Monroe Township
When: 8 a.m. - 10 a.m.
$65 member | $85 non member
Dec 4
Networking
ROI-NJ Champions of the C-Suite Gala
In partnership with NJ Chamber of Commerce
Where: Hanover Manor, East Hanover
When: 5 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Dec 10
Networking
Annual Member Holiday Party
Where: Calandra's Italian Village, Caldwell
When: 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Free to members

2025 NJ Chamber Events

Jan 15
Networking
Member Mixer
Where: iPlay America, Freehold
When: 5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Free to members
Feb 6&7
Premier Event
Walk to Washington & Congressional Reception
Where: Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC