CONTENTS

President's Message 8

Mainstreaming Mental
Health Care 12

Human Resources Adapts
to a New World 18

Student Interns Grade A+
for Businesses 24

Celebrating Leadership 28

Public Policy Perspective 32

Morris County Chamber of Commerce

325 Columbia Turnpike – Suite 101

Florham Park, NJ 07932

973.539.3882 | morrischamber.org

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at mike@morrischamber.org.

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to Chris Reardon at chris@reardoncommunications.com for

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Managing Director | David Small

Director of Production | Ryan Moore

Pre-Production Manager | Stefanie Nugara

Contributing Editor | Chris Reardon

Media Coordinator | Mike Nickells

Sales Executive | Dede Harmell

president's

MESSAGE

MORRIS COUNTY BUSINESSES LEAD THE WAY IN RESPONSIVENESS TO EMPLOYEE NEEDS

I hope you had a wonderful summer! The fall issue of Business Edge highlights the ways our members have adapted to changing circumstances to address the needs of employees in particular. We highlight how mental health practitioners, employers themselves, provide valuable services to those in need. The chamber’s Thrive Morris program is proud to support collaborative efforts that seek to destigmatize mental health issues in the county.

Our cover story this issue looks at the mental health care services available locally and the noble efforts to de-stigmatize mental illness, one of the key impediments to people seeking help. The pandemic brought great stress into our lives and resulted in an increase in people experiencing mental health issues, which impacts their quality of their lives both personally and professionally. At the same time, the pressure of being mental health care providers during a pandemic led many in this field to depart. Read about how the mental health facilities and organizations committed to providing comprehensive mental health care here in Morris County have adapted and continue to be there for those who face these challenges.

In today’s environment of worker shortages and significant competition for talent, HR leaders play essential roles in recruitment and retention while also furthering their companies’ interests. Our second article takes a look how Human Resources departments have undergone significant changes over the last few years. The roles that HR professionals play have evolved and they have become instrumental in implementing their companies’ strategies. Today they are C-suite leaders expected to create and implement high performing workplaces while addressing employee needs and concerns.

Similarly, internship and coop programs have gained greater importance to companies as they look to recruit the brightest young talent coming out of college. Companies are reporting an intention to hire more college graduates than in previous years and our third article shares how three of our members use their internship programs to build a better workforce.

In our final feature we celebrate the winners of the 2022 Leadership Morris Awards, Trish O’Keefe of Morristown Medical Center and Brian Finestein of Saint Clare’s Health. We also hear from the keynote speaker at the awards breakfast, Rev. Sidney Williams, Jr., who shared with the audience the lessons of leadership he learned on his remarkable professional and personal journey.

Our mission at the Morris County Chamber of Commerce and Morris County EDC is to provide our members with the resources and support you and your employees need to succeed, especially as you adapt to changing circumstances. Please join the chamber at a monthly “Maximize your Membership” seminar to learn more about the benefits included with membership. You can register through the Events Calendar on the chamber’s website. Contact Wendy Long at wendy@morrischamber.org with any questions.

Meghan Hunscher

President

More than one in five Americans experience mental illness each year yet nearly half do not seek professional help, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the Mental Health Illness Project. One of the drivers to not seeking help is the stigma that comes along with that outreach, a fear of being labeled weak, per NAMI.

Fortunately, Morris County is home to a wide range of resources for those experiencing mental health issues, organizations providing support, spreading the word that help is available and fighting to de-stigmatize the illness.

Mental health illness covers a broad range of issues, most commonly including depression and anxiety, eating disorders and substance abuse but also issues such as psychotic and personality disorders.

“Mental health issues are anything regarding the brain, emotion or behavior, anything that affects your ability to function, be a member of the family, community or workforce,” said Robert Davison, CEO of the Mental Health Association (MHA) serving Northern New Jersey. “The overwhelming majority of us in our lifetime will have a mental health issue.”

There is help waiting.

MHA offers counseling, day programs, employment assistance, housing, psychological services and school-based services.

Saint Clare’s Behavioral Health for children, adults and seniors, offers counseling, outpatient and inpatient care, medication management, career services, psychiatric emergency services, intensive family support services, post-partum wellness program, hospitalization, alcohol/chemical dependency services, emergency room, urgent care services and wellness and recovery.

Atlantic Health System offers psychiatric care including crisis intervention, outpatient care, partial hospitalization, inpatient care and collaborative care. Patients are offered treatment modalities such as evaluations, individual and group psychotherapy, consultations, medication management and Electroconvulsive therapy.

Local mental health experts report that there was a 20-30 percent increase in people experiencing issues during and since COVID. Yet still many people in need of help do not reach out.

“A lot of people do experience mental health, behavioral health issues, but they are unable to identify it,” said Dr. Sarabjit Singh, chair and executive medial director for Saint Clare’s Behavioral Health. “People are used to medical language in which symptoms are communicated to a physician…The problem is when people are experiencing mental health issues, it is difficult for them to identify it and seek assistance.”

Dr. Sunil Khushalani, system medical director, behavioral health at Atlantic Health System, agreed.

“It’s different for different conditions,” he said. “It’s not unusual to hear someone say they're seeking help for anxiety. It’s different for someone with Schizophrenia.”

Complicating the issue is a national shortage in mental health care professionals. Davison of MHA reports a shortage of licensed clinical professionals, nurses and psychiatrists. Singh of Saint Clare’s Behavioral Health noted that fewer new psychiatrists are being trained than older ones are retiring, with the average age being 57 years. Khushalani of Atlantic Health said COVID has taken its toll on the field, with many mental health professionals becoming overwhelmed and opting for a less grueling career.

“There’s a very high degree of burnout in the mental health profession,” he said.

Then there is the issue of the stigma often associated with someone seeking help for a mental health illness. Yet the fight is on to de-stigmatize the issue. For example, three local health care providers – Mary Ellen Zung of Coach Mary Ellen, Lindsay De Stefano, a certified health education specialist, and Jaime Pula of Art of Health Sciences – have teamed up to form Team De-Stig, with its mission to provide awareness, education, action and empowerment to destigmatize mental illness and its consequences. Team De-Stig is an outgrowth of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce Health and Wellness Forum and a philanthropy project to support local nonprofits, including MHA.

“We want to get the message out to destigmatize mental health,” said Zung, a health coach. “Back in the day no one talked about cancer. Mental health needs to be talked about to put more resources behind it and help people.”

Toward that end, Team De-Stig brought to Morris County the People’s Picnic: INT-O YELLOW project, a movement of creating yellow picnic tables to encourage positive communication in the community. To date the team has helped create 27 such tables throughout the county.

MHA, Saint Clare’s and Atlantic Health all have robust outreach efforts to help destigmatize mental illness and spread the word that resources are available for those who need help.

“We need to send a message it’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Davison said. “People don’t get embarrassed if they have cancer or diabetes…Mental illness is not a character issue. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. It just means you need help.”

Saint Clare’s Behavioral Health’s outreach efforts include community education, including through events; primary care physician education, because they see people with mental health issues first; and outreach to businesses and schools. Atlantic Health System performs patient and community education and in 2021 facilitated 63 behavioral health educational opportunities attended by 3,308 participants.

Bill Olderman of Titan Energy sits on the MHA board and has great personal interest in mental health. He has been recovered from a substance abuse issue for decades and has a family history of mental illness.

“The general dynamic about the stigma is the common belief that people who are afflicted are embarrassed,” Olderman said. “Intellectually they understand it is a disease but it’s looked at differently by society.

“When I speak informally to people, I always make two points,” he continued. “One, if you’re breathing, there’s hope. These addictions are not straight lines of recovery and relapses are common. That can be discouraging. Second, I’ve been in recovery for 30 years and I’m an example that recovery is possible.”

On July 15, a national mental health crisis hotline was launched – 988. In addition, anyone concerned they or a loved one may be experiencing mental health symptoms can visit screeningMHAnational.org.

HUMAN RESOURCES ADAPTS TO A NEW WORLD

By Christopher Reardon

This is not your grandfather’s human resources department. In fact, it is not even your father’s. The corporate HR function has dramatically evolved over the last few years, driven by recognition of employees as individuals, rising employee expectations and changing work environments. While in the past HR professionals were charged with protecting the company and managing the workforce, they now have a much broader mandate and strategic role.

“Night and day,” said Lois Nagie, director of human resources at Delta Dental. “It had been very employer-centric and much less employee-focused. It used to be you felt lucky to have a job and were loyal to your employer. That has changed. Now employees want their employers to be loyal to them. We have to be more flexible…to stay alive in the (job) market and be an employer of choice.”

Barbra Katz, chief human resources officer at Crum & Forster, agreed.

“It’s about recognizing the importance of people,” she said, citing considerations such as inclusivity, generational issues, how people live and what motivates employees and connects them to their company. “The world has become a very stressful place and the HR function has been called on to consider the employee well-being and the whole person.”

In short, HR has become strategic.

“The HR function focuses on people, leadership and culture and ensuring the business strategy is linked to those three things,” said Laura Osborn, CEO and founder of Crothers Consulting. “The HR function has become one of the strategic functions of the business.”

One of the primary ways HR professionals implement the corporate strategy today is through implementation of their company’s Diversity/Equity/Inclusion strategy.

“It is a necessary function now in the operation of any HR department,” said Pam Kapsimalis, a principal and team leader of the business law department at Porzio Bromberg & Newman P.C. “At our firm we have a person spearheading our DEI efforts. We have many women and minority employees. We cannot run our firm without DEI.”

At Delta Dental, the DEI initiative was launched in 2019 with a Diversity Council. In 2021 the company held 13 programs, from Black History Month to a celebration of LGBTQ to What is Sikhism. This year an employee on the autistic spectrum presented his story to more than 180 co-workers.

“To me DEI is not something that stands alone,” said Katz of Crum & Forster. “It is something that is integrated into everything you do.”

According to Osborn, DEI also ties into another hot button for HR professionals, recruitment and retention.

“What they do around DEI may attract or deter candidates,” she said.

In today’s job market, where workers change jobs frequently, attracting and retaining employees has become one of the most essential HR functions.

“It’s really pushed HR to think outside the box, to be more creative and flexible,” said Taryn Abrahams, president and founder of Employer Behavioral Services. “There’s been a shift to thinking about what the employee needs…We’re realizing the employee is directly tied to the company’s bottom line.”

Katz agreed.

“Talent acquisition used to focus discussions on salary and benefits. Now some of the first questions people ask are indicative about what they care about,” she said, citing such topics of interest to candidates as paternity leave policies, work flexibility, charitable giving and stands on social issues. “It’s about, ‘Do I like you as an employer?’ They’re dating.”

After they are hired, keeping employees becomes the next challenge. For example, Delta Dental offers upper tier benefits, continuing education and, especially for millennials, a recently renovated office space to be green, enjoyable and comfortable.

Training also has changed in the new HR world and today focuses intently on employee development.

“People want to be aware of their career path and development prospects,” Osborn said.

Crum & Forster offers a variety of learning opportunities in many formats, such as networking events, mentorship, virtual learning journeys and on-demand industry and leadership content while every employee at Delta Dental goes through a Leadership Development Program.

Much like the term “human resources” replaced “personnel” in the 1980s to recognize the humanity and value of workers, today’s HR function has again shifted its focus from the business to the employee.

“People are not willing to do things that don’t matter to them anymore,” said Nagie of Delta Dental. “That’s not a bad thing. Employers have to find ways to make work more engaging and enjoyable.”

Added Osborn of Crothers Consulting, “Everybody has different things they need. One size fits all doesn’t work in this new world. We need to create HR programs and approaches that recognize that…The more choice and variety…the more successful the company will be.”

STUDENT INTERNS GRADE A+ FOR BUSINESSES

By Christopher Reardon

At a time when the nearly half U.S. businesses report difficulty finding qualified candidates to fill openings, according to the National Association of Business Economics, internships and co-op programs have taken on a greater importance. College students represent a rich pool of talent.

In fact, more than 56 percent of businesses responding to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers said they planned to increase the number of college graduates they hire in 2022. NPR recently described the job market for graduating college seniors as “booming.”

Internships and co-ops offer businesses an opportunity to test out potential employees and showcase the organization while also allowing students to get a taste of a business or industry. In the process, students gain valuable experience and training.

This is no longer the day of giving college students a summer job of make-work chores.

“Our goal is to hire them full-time, to train them and have them become full-time employees upon graduation,” said Lisa Murray, director of human capital solutions at Wohlsen Construction, with an office locally in Parsippany.

Each year Wohlsen brings in 11-15 college students for three-month internships in various roles, including project engineers, estimators, marketing assistants and IT positions. The students receive comprehensive training, including technical systems training, OSHA 10-Hour certification, professionalism in construction, emotional intelligence, team-building, conflict management and presentation skills. They also receive mentoring.

“Our program is very robust,” Murray said. “We embed them right into projects and they contribute. Our interns are asked to put together a presentation about the projects they’re on and come up with solutions to the challenges they see. It’s extraordinary what they come up with…We learn as much from them as they do from us…We create a pipeline of learning.”

GAF offers both internship and co-op programs. Internship positions are available in the summer for 11 weeks, with positions in finance, IT, marketing, legal, sales, communications, human resources and supply chain management, most at the company’s Parsippany headquarters. Interns work on meaningful projects and have access to senior leadership. They are trained in cross-function problem-solving, work in small, mentored teams and present their findings to the CEO.

The company’s co-op program entails students working as full-time employees for six months and earning college credits toward their major. The program focuses on GAF’s field operations and positions are available in engineering, supply chain and cost accounting. Benefits to students include working on meaningful field projects, exposure to senior management and tuition reimbursement if hired.

“The goal of the program is to seed the organization with high-potential talent (while) ensuring a meaningful experience for the students,” said Denise Allocco, senior director of talent acquisition.

“We are trying to present an accurate depiction of life at GAF, because there is so much competition in the marketplace,” she continued. “We’re trying to whet their appetite so they understand we are committed to serious employment.”

GAF has 33 interns and 50 co-op participants this year.

Crum & Forster has a two-tiered program – full- and part-time internships year-round and a Leadership Development Internship Program.

“We look at the internship program as a tool to finding leaders of tomorrow,” said Barbra Katz, chief human resources officer. “It’s not a traditional internship program.”

Intern candidates must be approved by a panel of senior management and those who are accepted receive both an education about the insurance industry and the opportunity to see if Crum & Forster is right for them.

Interns develop their business skills in various disciplines, work on projects individually and in teams, and have direct access to senior management.

“It’s intense training,” Katz said. “The exposure is tremendous.”

Of the 25-30 interns Crum & Forster brings in each year, about half are then invited to participate in the company’s leadership development program, in which they work on meaningful projects, receive mentorship, learn to network and interact with senior management.

“The goal is to identify people we look to be future potential leaders,” Katz said.

While Wohlsen, GAF and Crum & Forster enjoy high success rates of hiring interns upon graduation from college, these programs do not always lead to perfect matches.

“It doesn’t always work out and that’s okay,” said Murray at Wohlsen. “We’ve given them everything they need to be successful.”

CELEBRATING LEADERSHIP

By Christopher Reardon

They are found throughout Morris County, in corporate C-suites and humble offices of nonprofits, at law firms and small businesses and government halls. They are the graduates of Leadership Morris, a community education and leadership development program.

Leadership Morris enables business, nonprofit and government leaders to deepen their understanding of and involvement in the issues of Morris County. Program graduates – more than 900 – are committed to the region’s success, and to supporting one another.

“At the Morris County Chamber of Commerce, we build strong networks and we take pride in also building strong communities,” said Meghan Hunscher, president of the chamber. “We are especially proud of the Leadership Morris Program, which is a premiere program in the country and one of which the chamber has had stewardship for more than 30 years.”

Each spring the Leadership Morris Alumni Association hosts the Alumni Achievement Awards to honor two of their own who exemplify the goals and mission of the program: servant leadership, civic engagement and community improvement. The award program was started in 2007 by Joe Nazzaro, Leadership Morris executive director, and has honored 20 prominent alumni for their exemplary community service.

This June the association recognized Trish O’Keefe (LM’99), president of Morristown Medical Center and senior vice president of Atlantic Health System, and Brian Finestein (LM’16), CEO of Saint Clare’s Health.

“Both Trish O’Keefe and Brian Finestein represent outstanding examples of servant leadership, which is at the heart of our program,” said Nazzaro, who was unable to attend the event due to illness. “We are proud of their accomplishments.”

Said O’Keefe, “Our Leadership Morris community is truly remarkable and reflects the power of building relationships with professionals from myriad industries throughout the county. The insights and learning that we share, as well as the support we provide one another, has truly been instrumental in my professional career.”

O’Keefe said she learned about teamwork in Leadership Morris and told how important that became as she and her team at Morristown Medical Center worked hard to adapt, adjust and innovate to support the public during the pandemic.

Finestein agreed.

“One of the many invaluable benefits of Leadership Morris is the opportunity to develop relationships, within and outside your industry, with other key leaders,” he said. “It is from those relationships and the exchange of challenges and experiences we face daily that strengthened my own leadership skills, particularly leading a health care system through a pandemic.”

Finestein said he faced challenging events before as a leader but nothing like COVID and cited Saint Clare’s Health personnel for pulling together during unprecedented times to respond to the pandemic, from daily leadership meetings to front line employees being there for patients and their families.

Rev. Sidney Williams, Jr. (LM’11), senior pastor at Bethel Church of Morristown, served as the keynote speaker at the awards ceremony. Williams is a social impact investment advisor and practical theologian. He spoke about how in his first career in finance he worked two jobs at Goldman Sachs for six months to show his commitment and skills and launch his career.

“What Goldman Sachs taught me was how to be a transactional leader,” he said.

Williams related how he later moved his family to South Africa to be a missionary but was told there was no church for him to lead. After considering returning to the United States, he chose to wait it out and was rewarded with a church in Jamestown that was in dire condition. Again he chose to stay and was thankful for the opportunity to serve, he said. When the time came for Williams to return home, a parishioner told him God sent him to South Africa to change himself, not others.

“That taught me to be a transformational leader,” he said. “Transactional leaders want to change others. Transformational leaders want to change themselves (and then) develop others.”

Finally, Williams told of how he was asked to sit on the board of Valley Bank.

“I thought it was my accounting and finance background I was bringing to the boardroom,” he said. “But the dimension I brought was my spiritualism.”

He told the story of meeting a pilot in Israel who had been shot down and disabled yet who went on to become a paralympian. Williams said his experience at the bank and meeting the pilot taught him to be a transcendental leader.

“You weren’t put in a position of leadership because you’re smart,” he told the audience of Leadership Morris alumni. “You were put in that position to create other leaders.”

Public Policy Perspective

Join The Effort

At the Morris County Chamber of Commerce, we believe in the first quote, not the second. Through the chamber’s Government Affairs Committee, we look to champion the interests of chamber members by ensuring their voices are heard by those elected to represent them.

Formerly, our mission is to monitor and address legislative and public policy issues at the local, state and federal levels of government as they relate to the interests of business and economic development in Morris County and among chamber members.

One key to that is providing direct access to New Jersey legislators for our members. Each meeting the committee hosts a member of county, state or federal government, including New Jersey’s congressional delegation, the state Legislature or Cabinet and county commissioners.

This provides our members with face-time with the officeholders who are shaping the laws and policies that impact their businesses. Members can ask questions, offer opinions and attempt to influence the thinking of elected officials.

For example, in addition to our regular meetings with legislators, each year the Government Affairs Committee hosts our annual Legislative Luncheon, which is usually attended by the New Jersey Senate President and minority leader. We hosted both Gov. Phil Murphy and his opponent, Jack Ciattarelli, during last fall’s gubernatorial campaign.

In addition, we coordinate on positions impacting the business community with the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and the New Jersey Business and Industry Association to strengthen our collective voices. We also coordinate with office holders when we feel that best serves our members’ interests, such as creating a white paper to lobby Gov. Murphy to reopen the state more quickly during COVID, complete with supporting arguments from the medical community.

Many members mistakenly believe the Government Affairs Committee is only for people who are active in government or government lobbying. Not true. The committee is open to and welcomes any and all members. Because every business is impacted by the laws and policies of local, state and federal government, every member has a stake. There is no better way for you to talk directly to your elected officials than by joining us. If you are interested, please email chamberworks@morrischamber.com.

While we may not actually fight City Hall, we try hard to influence it.

Mike Stanzilis

Vice President Membership and Government Affairs