Gov.-elect Phil Murphy released the list of individuals involved in his transition team Monday morning.
In doing so, he kept one of his campaign promises: To make sure his governing team looks like the population it will serve.
Of the 82 people announced, at least one-fourth are minorities and almost half are women. The team includes an immigration subcommittee.
“I pledged to build my administration to mirror the diversity, talent and potential of New Jersey, and my transition will be no different,” Murphy said in a statement. “Our co-chairs boast a rich diversity of both background and experiences, of valuable government experience and unique outside perspectives.
“To a person, this transition is full of incredible talent and experience, and I’m thrilled to see them serve. Together, we’ll start the difficult job of building a stronger, fairer economy that works for all 9 million New Jerseyans.”
Many of the names are familiar, both in the political and business worlds, as the list includes executives from some of the biggest companies in the state, former cabinet members of previous administrations and religious leaders.
Jose Lozano, director of the transition team, touted the level of expertise on the list.
“Our task is simple: get to work setting the blueprint to strengthen our economy and make it fair again,” he said. “The depth and breadth of experience in this group is stunning.
“Let there be no doubt: New Jersey faces massive obstacles ahead. But together, with Gov.-elect Murphy and the entire Transition2018 team, we’ll tackle those problems head-on and ensure the Murphy administration hits the ground running in January.”
The list of committees and co-chairs:
Director of Transition Policy Committees
- Jose Fernandez, former assistant secretary of state for economic, energy and business affairs
Senior Advisor to the Transition for Strategy and Policy
- Carl Van Horn, director, John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University
Agriculture
- Albert Kelly, mayor of Bridgeton and president of the League of Municipalities
- Alison Lewis, global chief marketing officer, Johnson & Johnson
- David Rosenberg, co-founder and CEO, AeroFarms
Budget
- Henry Coleman, professor of public policy, Rutgers University
- Amy Mansue, president, Southern Region, RWJBarnabas Health
- John McCormac, mayor of Woodbridge
- David J. Rosen, former legislative budget and finance officer, New Jersey Office of Legislative Services
Education, Access and Opportunity
- Marie Blistan, president, New Jersey Education Association
- Mark Biedron, immediate past president, New Jersey State Board of Education
- The Rev. Dr. William Howard Jr., former chair, Rutgers University Board of Governors
- Christopher Irving, president, Paterson Board of Education
- Gayl Shepard, former president, Montclair Education Association
- Jianping Wang, president, Mercer County Community College
Environment and Energy
- David Crane, former CEO and president, NRG Energy
- Jeanne Fox, former president, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities
- Kathleen Frangione, former senior adviser, U.S. Sen. John Kerry
- Lisa Garcia, vice president of litigation for healthy communities, Earthjustice
- John S. Watson Jr., vice president, D&R Greenway Land Trust
Government Technology and Innovation
- Jay Bhatti, co-founder, BrandProject
- Jazlyn Carvajal, co-founder and chief operating officer, Stay On Your Daily
- Tim Castano, president, New Start New Jersey
- Judith Sheft, associate vice president of technology and enterprise development, New Jersey Innovation Institute at New Jersey Institute of Technology
- Avis Yates Rivers, CEO and president, Technology Concepts Group International
Health Care
- Dr. Omar Baker, co-president, chief quality and safety officer and director of performance improvement at Riverside Medical Group/ProHealthCare of New Jersey
- Dr. Shereef Elnahal, assistant deputy undersecretary for health, Veterans Health Administration
- Balpreet Grewal-Virk, director of community engagement, Department of Population Health at Hackensack Meridian Health
- Valerie Harr, former director, Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services
- Heather Howard, former commissioner, New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
- Linda Schwimmer, CEO and president, New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute
- Maria Vizcarrondo, former CEO and president, United Way of West Essex and West Hudson
Housing
- Joseph Della Fave, executive director, Ironbound Community Corp.
- Christiana Foglio, founder and CEO, Community Investment Strategies
- Michelle Richardson, executive director, Hudson County Economic Development Corp.
- Renee Wolf Koubiadis, executive director, Anti-Poverty Network of New Jersey
Human and Children Services
- Zillehuma Hasan, founding member and executive director, Wafa House Inc.
- Trish Morris-Yamba, executive director emerita, Newark Day Center
- Kevin Ryan, CEO and president, Covenant House International
- Jennifer Velez, senior vice president of community and behavioral health, RWJBarnabas Health
- Joseph Youngblood II, vice provost and dean, John S. Watson School of Public Service at Thomas Edison State University
- Cecilia Zalkind, CEO and president, Advocates for Children of New Jersey
Labor and Workforce Development
- Kevin Brown, New Jersey state director and vice president, 32BJ Service Employees International Union
- Lizette Delgado, political director, Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters
- Maria Heidkamp, director, New Start Career Network
- Greg Lalevee, business manager, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 825
- James H. Moore Jr., former deputy assistant secretary, U.S. Department of Labor
- Hetty Rosenstein, New Jersey state director, Communication Workers of America
- Nelida Valentin, vice president, Princeton Area Community Foundation
Law and Justice
- The Rev. Cornell William Brooks, former CEO and president, NAACP
- Ronald Chen, co-dean and distinguished professor of law, Rutgers Law School
- The Hon. Paul Fishman, former U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey
- Ricardo Solano Jr., former first assistant attorney general of New Jersey
- Tahesha Way, former freeholder director, Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders
Law and Justice, Immigration Subcommittee
- Johanna Calle, program coordinator, New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice
- Sara Cullinane, director, Make the Road New Jersey
Law and Justice, Social Justice Subcommittee
- Ehsan F. Chowdhry, president, New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association
- Ryan Haygood, CEO and president, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice
Military and Veteran Affairs
- Col. Jeff Cantor, councilman, Marlboro Township
- Retired Maj. Gen. Maria A. Falca-Dodson, vice president of strategic initiatives, MDAdvantage
- Former Cpt. Sue Fulton, executive director, Women in the Service Change Initiative
- Lt. Col. Kamal Singh Kalsi, medical officer for 404th Civil Affairs Battalion, Fort Dix
- Retired Sgt. Maj. Jennifer Long, financial adviser, Integrated Financial Concepts
Stronger and Fairer Economy
- Demelza Baer, senior counsel and director, Economic Mobility Initiative at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice
- John Ballantyne, executive secretary-treasurer, Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters
- Vivian Cox Fraser, CEO and president, Urban League of Essex County
- Luis O. De La Hoz, vice chairman of the board of directors, Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey
- Julie Diaz, state political director, 32BJ Services Employees International Union
- Laurence Downes, chairman of the board and CEO, New Jersey Resources
- Carl Van Horn, director, John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University
Transportation and Infrastructure
- Imam Wahy-ud Deen Shareef, former senior adviser and director of logistics and industrial opportunities, Mayor Cory Booker
- Pam Fischer, former director, New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety
- Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, former executive director, New Jersey Turnpike Authority
- Jack Lettiere, former commissioner, New Jersey Department of Transportation
- Ray Pocino, vice president and Eastern regional manager, Laborers’ International Union of North America
- Martin Robins, director emeritus, Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center
Urban and Regional Growth
- Leecia Eve, former deputy secretary for economic development for New York
- Peter Kasabach, executive director, New Jersey Future
- Kimberly McLain, CEO and president, Newark Alliance
- Preston Pinkett, chairman and CEO, City National Bank
- Richard Roper, retired director, Planning Department at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
- Dawn Zimmer, mayor of Hoboken
