Joseph Gurrentz has been named director of external affairs for the New Jersey Utilities Association, the group announced recently.
Gurrentz, from Haddonfield, comes from the New Jersey Senate Majority Office, where he worked the past three years as a policy analyst, managing the development, stakeholder engagement and passage of energy, environmental and labor-focused legislation.
His job there required significant collaboration between state legislators, regulators, stakeholders and staff to reach consensus. Additionally, Gurrentz monitored regulatory actions and developed policy positions for the Senate majority.
In his career as a scientist, Gurrentz also worked for three summers at Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, studying proton radiography. In this unique role, he installed and maintained fiberoptic and vacuum pump systems for scientists investigating material behaviors under high explosive conditions for national security.
CEO Rich Henning was excited about adding Gurrentz to the team.
“Joseph brings incredible breadth and depth in policy to the New Jersey Utilities Association, as we continually advance the issues and priorities of our 13 member companies,” he said. “With his extensive experience as a Senate staffer, and his ability to quickly understand, interpret and discuss complicated matters related to the next generation of energy needs, Joseph has already become a tremendous asset to our advocacy team.”
Gurrentz received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and later his Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin. At Michigan, he studied earth-abundant energy materials for affordable, scalable solar-powered chemical fuels production.
“I am eager to use my specialized experience in the utilities field to advance the goals of the New Jersey Utilities Association, as New Jersey shifts toward a carbon-neutral future,” Gurrentz said. “This is a very exciting time to be an industry leader in utilities. I look forward to taking on many new challenges as a strong, vocal and consistent advocate for New Jersey’s utilities.”
