Joel S. Bloom, former president of New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Richard T. Thigpen, senior vice president of corporate citizenship at Public Service Enterprise Group and chairman of the PSEG Foundation, have been named as the newest members of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center‘s board of trustees.
“Dr. Joel S. Bloom and Richard T. Thigpen are exemplary leaders who have dedicated their careers to enriching the lives of residents across the state of New Jersey. We are proud to welcome them to our board and look forward to their insights and contributions,” said Francis J. Giantomasi, chairman of the board of trustees.
“It is an honor to welcome Dr. Joel S. Bloom and Richard T. Thigpen to our board of trustees,” Darrell K. Terry Sr., CEO and president of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey, said. “These seasoned executives have dedicated their lives to creating sustainable change in our communities. During his tenure at NJIT, Dr. Bloom created opportunities for underserved youth and engendered tremendous growth for the university. Mr. Thigpen has dedicated his career to advocating for the rights of our most underserved citizens, through policy change and his charitable activities. We look forward to working with them as we continue to advance our delivery of excellent patient care and address the social determinants of health that affect the communities we serve.”
Bloom was NJIT’s president from 2011-2022. During his tenure, Bloom established NJIT as a Top 100 National University; he led NJIT’s rise to No. 1 nationally for student and upward mobility; and he completed a $400 million campus transformation that added 1 million square feet of teaching and research facilities to the campus. He is also the founding dean of the Albert Dorman Honors College.
Bloom serves on the Governor’s Commission on Science, Technology and Innovation as well as several boards, and has received numerous honors as an educational and community leader, including the Air Force Public Service Medal and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Thigpen joined PSEG in March 2007. In his roles as senior vice president of corporate citizenship and chairman of the PSEG Foundation, he is responsible for areas of the business that drive public policy through advocacy, including federal, state and local government affairs, sustainability, charitable activities and corporate social responsibility. Thigpen is also a member of PSEG’s senior executive team.
Thigpen has been a public affairs consultant since 1999 and was a co-founding partner of 1868 Public Affairs, which provides lobbying, strategic planning, public relations and government relations services to clients in New Jersey, New York and Washington, D.C.
Thigpen was a former assistant to the president of the NAACP State Conference for Public Affairs. He also is a member of the American Association of Blacks in Energy’s national board and chair of the Legislative Issues and Public Policy Committee.
