The state’s booming television and film industry is getting a full-time voice at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.
Darryl Isherwood will assume the role of senior adviser for economic development communications and sector lead for film and digital media on Monday.
In this new role, Isherwood will be tasked with developing and managing strategic business relationships with large and high-growth companies in the film and digital media sectors.
Isherwood will work to help companies to understand the state’s overall value proposition, connect with other industry and academic stakeholders and advise them on products and programs from the EDA and other state entities that could support their growth.
He also will be responsible for developing and implementing strategies and initiatives to support the overall growth of these industries in the state, working with EDA’s leadership team and members of Gov. Phil Murphy’s economic development team and the state’s film commission.
The inner workings of the job will be familiar to Isherwood, who has been working as a senior adviser for economic development communications — serving as a bridge between the Governor’s Office and the EDA — since March 2019.
“I’m thrilled to continue working with Darryl as he takes on this important new role within the EDA,” EDA CEO Tim Sullivan said. “Film and television represent a huge growth opportunity for New Jersey’s economy, and Darryl has already been a key part of Gov. Murphy’s strategy to attract new productions and studio development.”
The television and film industry, long a priority for Murphy, had a surge of activity in 2021. Despite setbacks related to COVID-19, the industry was expected to top $500 million in projects.
The state also has confidence it will be able to turn a 289-acre parcel of land at Fort Monmouth into a state-of-the-art production facility for Netflix.
Isherwood is well-known in the communications world around Trenton and across the state.
Prior to joining the EDA in 2019, Isherwood worked for nearly five years as a senior vice president for Mercury Public Affairs, a well-known public relations and communications firm.
Before that, Isherwood worked as a political reporter and editor at a number of outlets, including New Jersey Advance Media, Politicker NJ and the Times of Trenton, among others.
Isherwood earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond and a master’s degree from Boston University.
