John Sarno, president of the Employers Association of New Jersey, will be leaving his position at the end of 2023 for other professional and academic pursuits.
Hired in 1995, he is only the third chief executive in the organization’s 107-year history.
EANJ’s board announced a search for a new leader in November.
Known for his high energy and creativity in supporting employers and developing multistakeholder initiatives, Sarno leaves a legacy of innovative leadership in both the private and public sectors, and an extensive body of work in employment law, labor standards, management training and public policy.
Most of his work at the association has been at the center of law and the workplace, advising employers on best management practices and training good employers to be better. During his tenure, he trained thousands of managers and supervisors from the executive suite to the shop floor, at innumerable worksites, from manufactures to nonprofit agencies, at universities and municipalities, at financial and health care institutions.
During much of that time, he also taught management, law, ethics and public policy at several universities.
During the COVID pandemic, he served on the Governor’s Task Force on Small Business and as a member of HealthyNJ, helping to develop the state population health strategic plan. During the pandemic, he delivered bimonthly webinars attended by over 1,000 employers and the association published a comprehensive report on employer policies and procedures.
In addition to his executive and strategic leadership, Sarno led an expert staff of lawyers and subject matter experts to advise employers on labor and employment issues, provide workplace training, in addition to offering access to benefits’ plans.
According to an employer-member on his LinkedIn Profile: “John was an excellent business partner. He helped us design and implement the executive-level training on legal issues, which collectively guided the company to achieve great results.”
Sarno participated in all three branches of government, working on legislation, proposed regulations and cases before the appellate and supreme courts of the state.
