The New Jersey CEO Council has integrated into Choose New Jersey — creating a powerful partnership that will strengthen the state’s leading nonprofit economic development organization’s mission to grow the state’s economy, according to a Monday announcement.
The creation of the CEO Council was announced in October 2020 as part of Gov. Phil Murphy’s COVID-19 Restart and Recovery Commission. At its inception, the CEO Council’s mission was to leverage the resources of some of the state’s largest companies to aid those communities disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly minority communities.
The Choose New Jersey board of directors formally approved the integration of the CEO Council into the organization on Oct. 27. Current CEO Council members Becton Dickinson & Co., Campbell Soup Co., Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co. and Bristol Myers Squibb have joined Choose New Jersey at the ambassador level.
The other CEO Council members, Verizon, Public Service Enterprise Group, Prudential Financial, RWJBarnabas Health, Hackensack Meridian Health and American Water, through its New Jersey American Water subsidiary, are existing Choose New Jersey board members, several of which are founding members.
“The integration of the New Jersey CEO Council into Choose New Jersey will bolster the organization’s effort to grow New Jersey’s economy, while leveraging the resources of additional major players in the New Jersey corporate community,” Murphy said in a statement. “The CEO Council is a prime example of the public and private sectors working together to address structural inequality across the state. Its effort to provide employment opportunities for underserved communities, as well as to support women and minority-owned businesses, reflects New Jersey’s values of fairness and equality.”
“Since its inception, Choose New Jersey has been committed to attracting businesses to New Jersey and growing its economy,” Ralph LaRossa, chairman of Choose New Jersey, and CEO and president of PSEG, said. “By adding the CEO Council and four new board members, Choose New Jersey is gaining valuable experience and influence from some of the state’s leading corporate citizens. I’m excited to continue the work PSEG has done with the CEO Council and to see how the mission of Choose New Jersey can be supplemented by the addition of these globally recognized brands.”
“For more than a decade, Choose New Jersey has shown businesses domestically and abroad why New Jersey is the best state in the country to grow and expand,” Wesley Mathews, CEO and president of Choose New Jersey, said. “I am excited to welcome the New Jersey CEO Council to our organization. The addition of these globally recognized business leaders to our already distinguished board will greatly enhance our ability to market the state and recruit businesses to New Jersey.”
Phillip Loureiro, business development officer at Choose New Jersey, will have day-to-day management of the CEO Council.
