CONTENTS

President's Message 6

Recipe for Success: Partnering with AI 104th Annual Meeting Luncheon 8

Investing in the Future Of Morris County 12

Summer Brings Vacations – and Staycations 16

The Expanding Boundaries of Architecture 20

Member Search 25

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE: AI, NEW INVESTMENTS & PLANNING YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE

As we welcome spring in Morris County, at the chamber we strive to continually deliver to our members fresh ideas and opportunities to meet, learn, network and grow their businesses. Please visit our spring calendar on the chamber web site to see a full list of our coming events, including our new Power Lunch networking and discussion group and Spring Golf Classic June 9.

As many of us plan for summer vacation, in this issue of Business Edge we bring you an article about travel abroad and also the abundance of “local leisure.” Millions of Americans travel widely for vacation each year and chamber members Let’s Globe Trot travel and DM AIRPORTS at Morristown Municipal Airport provide a look at where people are heading in 2025. Yet many families choose to stay local for staycations each year and Morris County has plenty to offer them, as well, including Bridge Marina and an array of historical, recreational and downtown destinations.

Our lead story covers our 104th Annual Meeting Luncheon, at which keynote speaker Sudeep Kesh, chief innovation officer at S&P Global Ratings, spoke about the role AI is playing helping businesses succeed, along with related challenges. We also heard from Morris County Commissioner Director Tayfun Selen, who provided a State-of-the-County overview, outgoing and incoming chamber board chairs, Deirdre Wheatley-Liss and Dr. Tony Iacono, and also reflections from Christine Cox-West, winner of this year’s Saint Clare's Health William P. Huber Award.

Our third feature article is an overview of the tremendous investments in Morris County institutions being made by the county government, Morristown Medical Center and County College of Morris totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. Morris County is a very desirable place to live, work and play, and that does not happen by accident. This article provides on overview of how collectively Morris County is improving its quality of life, health care and education, all important considerations for both residents and businesses, including those drawn to relocate here.

Our final feature looks into the ever-changing world of commercial architecture here in Morris County and the region. In recent years, corporate clients are depending more on architecture and interior design, which must capture a wide array of elements, including the requirements of businesses, the preferences of workers and the interests of the wider community. Three members, each leading architectural firms, share their thoughts on current trends.

Finally, we are enrolling for LeadMorris 2026. Please reach out to Danielle Grayson for additional information, including an early bird special.

Thank you, as always, for your membership. It is you, our members, who make the Morris Chamber one of the best in the state and country! Please spread the word and qualify for an incentive for each new business that joins based on your referral. Reach out to Kevin Murphy to learn more.

Sincerely,

Meghan Hunscher

President

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS:

PARTNERING WITH AI 104TH ANNUAL MEETING LUNCHEON

By Christopher Reardon

Coffee is Sudeep Kesh’s favorite drink. It has just two ingredients – water and coffee beans – yet has spawned a multi-billion-dollar industry. Similarly, the two most important ingredients for a business navigating today’s economy with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the imperatives for innovation are connection and service, according to Kesh.

Kesh served as the keynote speaker at the 104th Annual Meeting Luncheon of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce, held at the Hanover Marriott in Whippany. Chief innovation officer at S&P Global Ratings, Kesh leads a team dedicated to research, development and training in emerging risks, including cyber threats, artificial intelligence and technology disruption.

Kesh said a business has assets, things it can control, such as inventory and people. It also has customers who judge it based on its offerings. The two combine to create the business model – connection and service.

Kesh asked the audience how many of them can draw and noted about two-thirds of hands went up. He asked how many can sing and received about a one-third response. He said if he asked a room full of kindergarteners the same two questions, all would raise their hands.

“Kindergarteners think they can do more than adults do,” he said.

Kesh noted that throughout school and then a career, people are pressed to demonstrate what they know in order to get a good grade or a promotion.

“All these incentives push us to demonstrate what we know and forget what we learned,” he said.

To succeed today, businesses need to identify who they are and what they have learned. What makes the business a workplace of choice? What do they offer their employees? What technology and processes do they use? What is their brand? What data do they rely on?

AI can help them tie all this together, Kesh explained.

“That’s the secret with AI,” he said. “It’s not about answers. It’s about the questions.”

In the question and answer period, Kesh was asked about how people can co-exist with AI going forward and if AI threatens people’s jobs. He offered practical insights on mitigating risk while incentivizing creativity, strategies for navigating an increasingly connected economy, the possibilities of a future where humans and AI work together and the critical “Innovation Imperative” for thriving in a rapidly changing world.

“Our workforce needs better AI technology (and) better analytical skills,” he said. “They need to ask better questions and they need to talk to robots…As a worker, you need to recognize this agent is working with you and you need to manage it…But it’s all about context. Why am I doing this?”

The annual meeting also featured a State of the Chamber presentation by chamber president Meghan Hunscher, a State of the County summary by Morris County Commissioner Director Tayfun Selen, comments by outgoing chamber board chair Deidre Wheatly-Liss and incoming chair Tony Iacono, and the presentation of the annual Saint Clare's Health William P. Huber Award for Outstanding Community Leadership.

Hunscher noted that the Morris Chamber membership increased to 766 in 2024 and that the chamber held more than 250 events, drew thousands of followers to its social media channels and sent out more than a million emails (which drew laughter).

“When I think about success here at the Morris Chamber, I think of the many stories of all of you and your successes in building your businesses and networking,” she said. “I look forward to developing new ways to connect our members to valuable resources, opportunities for growth and rewarding relationships with members across the region.”

Selen noted all that Morris County has to offer residents and businesses, alike, including five years with no tax increases, a AAA bind rating for the 49th year in a row, the second-lowest unemployment rate among New Jersey counties, a very safe community with an excellent education system, and more than 5 million visitors each year. The county also has a thriving business community and is home to more than 25,000 companies, with 600 more joining in 2024, he noted.

“That is why we invest in education and training, so that skilled talent can be found right here in Morris County,” he said. “It doesn’t happen by accident. It takes planning, smart decisions and hard work.”

Wheatley-Liss, principal at the law firm Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, told the audience she joined the chamber to network and meet people before volunteering as an event chair for a Women in Business Forum luncheon.

“What started as a volunteer role turned into something much bigger,” she said. “I am so grateful to the chamber and our business community to have played a role here.”

Iacono, president of the County College of Morris, spoke about how CCM has changed in recent years from a degree-only college to training for the needs of the business community. He cited creation of the Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Center, the Morris County Vocational School District Career Training Center, the Center for Entrepreneurship and Culinary Science and the Center for Health Professionals.

“This couldn’t have happened without the partnership of the chamber,” he said. “There’s a difference between belonging to the chamber and being active. You’ll be surprised how much you can grow.”

Christine Cox-West, partner and co-founder of The Fortis Agency, was honored as the winner of the Saint Clare's Health William P. Huber Award. She began her philanthropic activities in high school when she volunteered to help others.

“It was the beginning of a journey for me,” she said.

Today, The Fortis Agency Foundation – which she co-founded – focuses on fundraising through networking and events. Most recently, the foundation raised tens of thousands of dollars for small businesses during COVID, local food banks, Children’s Specialized Hospital and RWJ Community Medical Center.

“Your impact, no matter how big or small, can make such a difference,” she said of volunteering and giving back. “It’s a ripple effect for those around us.”

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF MORRIS COUNTY

By Christopher Reardon

If you keep building it, they will come – and stay.

Morris County boasts a gross regional product of more than $73 billion and nearly 24,000 business call the county home. Last year nearly 600 businesses moved into Morris County.

Yet keeping Morris County an attractive location for businesses and their employees requires ongoing progress in community services, health care and education. That progress was on display at a recent event titled Investing in Morris County, hosted by the Morris County Chamber of Commerce at the Park Avenue Club in Florham Park.

County Administrator Deena Leary spoke about the investment the county is making in county facilities in the next year and beyond, in part to keep Morris County a desired location to live, work and play. Robert Peake, vice president of facilities management and real estate at Atlantic Health System, provided an overview of the proposed expansion for Morristown Medical Center to meet the growing health care needs of the community. Tony Iacono, president of County College of Morris (CCM), outlined the investment the college is making in facilities and programs to better fulfill the skills requirements of the local business community.

The 10 projects Leary discussed are being financed by county, state or federal funds, or a combination of those, and included:

•  Cricket fields, Morris County’s first designated for this purpose alone.

•  Pompton Valley Rail Trail, a five-mile paved path.

•  Mobile Outreach Building to host county providers that bring essential services to the community.

•  Historic Courthouse exterior restoration.

•  Back-Up 9-1-1 Communications Center.

•  Lee’s Pavilion Marina on Lake Hopatcong restoration.

•  Public Health Multipurpose Building.

•  Wharton Garage building replacement.

•  Criminal Courthouse addition.

•  Sheriff’s Office K-9 Facility Replacement.

“You just saw a combined $150 million investment from a number of sources,” Leary told the audience. “I wanted to give you a taste of what’s going on in Morris County.”

Morristown Medical Center (MMC) is a nationally ranked acute and specialty care hospital that in 2023 had more than 43,000 admissions (including births) and more than 100,000 emergency room visits. The hospital is experiencing a 6.5-7% increase in patients each year and needs to grow its capacity to accommodate this rising demand, according to Peake. Yet MMC cannot expand any farther horizontally so vertical expansion is the only solution.

“We moved everything we could out of the hospital (to ancillary buildings) to make room for these acute care needs,” Peake said. “We needed room to grow.”

If approved, the proposed expansion will include:

•  West Pavilion with 180 additional ICU-capable beds, 20 state-of-the-art operating rooms, an imaging suite and a relocated a helipad.

•  New parking garage with 2,400 spaces.

•  Specialty medical building to free up room in the main hospital for acute care.

•  Goryeb Children’s Hospital two-floor expansion with 25 additional inpatient beds.

•  Traffic flow improvements.

According to Peake, benefits to the community of the approximately $1 billion proposed expansion will include enhanced acute and specialty care, improved patient outcomes, and 500 additional permanent and 1,500 temporary jobs.

County College of Morris educates approximately 11,000 students annually, nearly one-fourth of them – or 2,900 – in industry credential programs with direct entry into the workplace, according to Iacono.

“That is the biggest change we made in recent years, moving from degree-only programs to training for community needs,” he said.

As a result, CCM is educating for a wide variety of career paths, from technology to mechanics and from medicine to culinary disciplines.

“Companies know for a very healthy Morris County…we need to give them qualified employees,” Iacono said.

Toward that end, CCM has invested or is investing in:

•  Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Center – Opened in 2020, Morris County funded the building and local manufacturers have donated and continue to donate equipment.

•  Morris County Vocational School District Career Training Center – Through a unique partnership with MCVSD on CCM’s campus, 46,000 square feet to accommodate an additional 400-600 students seeking non-four-year degree careers, set to open in 2025.

•  Center for Entrepreneurship and Culinary Science – In partnership with the Morris County Chamber as well as other area chambers and businesses, more than 11,000 square-feet that will offer new and expanded programs and degrees in business and culinary science, and home to CCM’s new Culinary and Hospitality Arts Institute of New Jersey. The center will provide opportunities for community members to launch or scale their businesses.

•  Center for Health Professions – In partnership with Atlantic Health, St. Clares, Delta Dental and other area medical and dental providers, 80,000 square feet that will provide training for half the nurses and 90% of the respiratory and radiology professionals working in Morris County.

SUMMER BRINGS VACATIONS – AND STAYCATIONS

By Christopher Reardon

With spring in full bloom and summer just around the corner, vacation is on the radar for many people and overseas destinations are often the target. More than 80 million Americans vacation abroad each year, spending more than $200 billion, according to travel data.

Immediately after the pandemic, multiple vacations in a year and bucket list-trips were the hot trends. In 2025, a number of different tendencies are shaping the overseas vacation landscape.

Customized vacations are very popular this year, according to Nish Verma, founder and owner of Lets Globe Trot travel agency in Berkeley Heights.

“People are looking for vacations that are more customized to their wants and interests, rather than the one-size-fits-all trip,” Verma said.

Also, the one-week vacation does not cut it anymore.

“Now (vacationers) want 14 days or more, spending more time at a destination or visiting multiple destinations,” Verma said.

Finally, this is the age of the solo traveler.

“A lot of travel companies are now promoting solo traveling,” Verma said. “People are enjoying their independence.”

While the traditional popular destinations – Italy, Greece and France, for instance – remain top choices, other less-frequented vacations spots have emerged or re-emerged as hot spots since the pandemic, according to Verma, including Malta and Cypress in Europe, Peru and Chile in South America, Japan and Thailand in the Pacific and St. Kitts and Cuba in the Caribbean.

As appealing as traveling abroad is for many, other Americans choose to vacation in the United States each year. One-quarter of Americans have never traveled internationally and about 60% vacation within the U.S. borders each year, according to vacation statistics.

Locally, Morristown Municipal Airport (MMU) supports a number of domestic travelers and the carriers serving them. While popular international destinations for flights originating at MMU include Bermuda, the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, most flights are up and down the Eastern Seaboard, according to Cory Hanlon, manager of communications for the airport management company, DM AIRPORTS, LTD, at the airport.

“There’s a good mix of flights to Florida during the winter months,” Hanlon said. “As we move more toward the summer months, we’re looking at flights to Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. We see people going as far as Maine and Vermont…Other popular destinations include Charleston, Hilton Head and Nashville.”

Similar to Verma, Hanlon is seeing longer stays and off-peak travel.

“The airport used to be very predictable in terms of what days we were going to be busy,” he said. “Fridays and Mondays, the holidays, especially the day before or after Christmas. There is no real pattern anymore. People are extending their trips.”

Yet, local has its appeal, as well. Many American families take staycations each year, spending more than $900 per family member, research shows. A staycation generally means staying at home and taking day trips or traveling very close with short overnight trips. Here in New Jersey, Morris County is a favorite for staycationers.

In 2023 (the latest numbers available), Morris County experienced more than 5.73 million visits. Those visitors generated more than $2.2 billion in revenue – including $340 million in lodging, $747 million in food and beverage and $370 million in recreation – supporting more than 18,800 jobs.

Moreover, those numbers do not include the thousands of day-trippers from within the county.

According to Samantha Rutledge, director of strategic partnerships at the Morris County Tourism Bureau, the county has a unique combination of attractions few other New Jersey counties offer, including:

•  Vibrant downtowns with a wide variety of dining and shopping, including Morristown, Madison and Chester.

•  Outdoor recreation, such as Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Schooley’s Mountain County Park and agritourism

•  Arts and culture, including the Mayo Performing Arts Center, the Morris Museum and the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey.

•  History and heritage, such as Morristown National Historical Park, Acorn Hall and Macculloch Hall.

“Here in Morris County we have really great downtown main streets that are also very close to other draws, such as outdoor offerings and recreation,” Rutledge said. “What also makes Morris County unique is our historical character. From parks, to performing arts to history and great downtowns, there is great diversity in what you find here. There’s more to do here.”

One of the crown jewels of Morris County for attracting visitors and county residents, alike, is Lake Hopatcong and its immediate environment. Lake Hopatcong is New Jersey’s largest freshwater lake and hosts a thriving community of homeowners, seasonal renters, disparate dining and retail.

Bridge Marina is a third-generation boating hospitality company on the lake, which today offers multiple ways for guests to access and enjoy boating, including boating lessons, luxury boat rentals and boat sales, all supported by a full-service marina.

“Our goal is to get people into boating or keep them there,” said Ray Fernandez, president who grew up on the lake. “We do everything from rentals to education to sales and support.”

Bridge Marina also operates a boating club.

“It makes you feel like you own something but you don’t have the hassles,” Fernandez said. “Everyone wants the good stuff and none of the bad stuff. We clean it, we maintain it and we train you.”

Fernandez sees first hand all the Lake Hopatcong region offers visitors, including water sports, a wide array of waterfront dining and plenty of recreational activities besides boating, such as hiking and biking. In addition, the lake is easily accessible from Interstate 80 and Route 15.

“The in-water experience here is extremely unique for the New York-metro area,” he said. “It’s this mountainous lake that is pretty much just an hour drive from New York City. You’re close to things but you’re not…There is an outdoorsy, small town lifestyle. You can interact with the environment. The fact someone living as close as Milburn or Livingston has a second house here tells you that it’s different.”

“I’ve got to fly to Saint Somewhere.”
Jimmy Buffet, Boats Drinks

THE EXPANDING BOUNDARIES OF ARCHITECTURE

By Christopher Reardon

Today’s world of architecture entails everything from imagination to understanding workforce mindsets and preferences, to a grasp of the needs of the greater community. Oh, and an appreciation that architectural trends evolve with the above.

“With all architectural trends, there is the overriding theme of experience,” said Becky Button, managing director and principal at Gensler in Morristown. “Architecture is not something you design every five seconds. Things evolve.”

Button cited the office of today – and tomorrow – designed to enhance the employee experience and foster motivation. The days of people at certain levels being given identical cubicles or offices are gone, she said.

“It’s about flexibility,” Button said. “Because people can work anywhere, (office space) has to be more flexible…You want businesses to be able to change their environment quickly and sustainably. It gives people the choice of where they want to work.”

Marcus Rosenau, principal at SSP Architects in Somerville, agreed.

“Healthy buildings have features that are going to attract and retain employees,” he said. “Certainly, that means the aesthetics, but it goes beyond that. It entails more flexible spaces, not cubicle farms. Not just desks – sometimes employees want a lounge to work in. Also, daylight, good air and temperature, as well as noise control. It makes people want to come to the office and it makes them more productive.”

For Stephen Aluotto, president and CEO of NK Architects in Morristown, architectural firms must be responsive to the changing needs of the community.

“For example, there is tremendous growth in the health care sector today,” he said. “(With) our aging population, bringing health care to the local communities being served by (large) health care providers and advances in medical technology are some of the major influences being embraced in our practice. Acute care settings in hospitals as well as diversified and specialized services provided in out-patient settings are influencing health care facilities.

“We like to maintain focus on community-based organizations,” Aluotto continued. “Our work in health care has increased dramatically in the last 10 years and that’s a reflection of the community needs.”

Likewise, as community needs have changed – including those of businesses – so have the demands of the education sector, according to Aluotto.

“We have recently seen a drop in college-age demographics,” he said. “The pandemic hit colleges and universities hard. But we’re seeing a need for specialized disciplines, such as nursing and STEM. These specialties require specific needs of space.”

Colleges also are catering to younger students seeking nontraditional paths to careers and older students looking for new careers, and NK is working with CCM to modify its Culinary and Hospitality Institute.

Button agreed that the needs and wants of the overall community have changed and pointed to the rise in mixed-use lifestyle and entertainment districts, combining hospitality, retail, entertainment and sports.

“This is about making sure people have a well-rounded experience,” she said. “It’s very much like today’s workplace – it needs to be multifunctional. You need variety and diversity of uses, of people and experiences to give people a reason to come and stay.”

Sustainability is another important issue facing architects today.

“Sustainability entails several aspects,” Rosenau said. “One is interior air quality. Lighting – quality lighting interspersed with natural daylight – is important. Energy efficiency, water and things that are good for the environment, such as locally sourced and recycled materials. We call it the triple bottom line – energy efficiency, indoor environment for the benefit to the occupants, and the benefit to the earth.”

Button agreed.

“Five years ago the majority of our clients did not raise sustainability,” she said. “Now they are coming to us with mandates. They realize employees care about it.”

Then there is adaptive re-use, a popular trend cited by all three architects.

Aluotto noted former big box retail buildings are being transformed into medical malls while colleges and universities are turning vacant pharmaceutical campuses into medical schools with other medical-related tenants. NK Architects is also helping convert an existing commercial property in Dover into a community center and arts-based facility. Button cited adaptively re-using retail space for sports purposes, office buildings for science/laboratory and senior housing, and isolated corporate campuses for manufacturing.

“You make use of infrastructure already there, thereby saving money,” Rosenau said of adaptive re-use. “You don’t have to extend roads or utilities. You don’t have to demolish and start from scratch…These buildings still have life.”

The modern workspace designed for its occupants, responding to the needs of the community, sustainability and adaptive re-use – these are parts of the ever-changing boundaries of the architectural arena today.

“While our focus as designers is specialized space, we have a responsibility to be aware of all the ties that bind,” Aluotto said.