Contents

06 Welcome

10 CCSNJ Leadership

16 Summer Institute for Educators

22 Chamber Events

26 2025 State Budget

30 Regional Economic
Perspective

38 Chamber Sponsors

42 TD Executive Series

ADVOCATE

Volume 1 | Number 2

Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey

220 Laurel Road, Suite 203 | Vorhees, NJ 08043

856.424.7776 | chambersnj.com

This publication was created and produced by
Town Square Publications for the
Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey.

Copyright © 2024 Town Square Publications

P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006

(847) 427-4905 | tbusby@tspubsdigital.com

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Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication. The Chamber and Town Square assume no responsibility for misinformation. Please contact the Chamber with any additions or corrections. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission of the Chamber and Town Square is prohibited.

Chairman, CEO and Publisher | Douglas K. Ray

President and Chief Operating Officer | Scott Stone

Vice President / Director | Scott Ray

Managing Director | David Small

Director of Production | Ryan Moore

Director of Operations | Joseph Nugara

Account Executive | Angie Riffel

Editor | MaryRose O’Donnell

Project Manager | Sandy King

_____________________________________________

Contributing Writer | Marene Gustin

WELCOME from the President

Welcome to the second edition of the CCSNJ’s digital magazine, Advocate. Thank you to our many members for their overwhelming support as we launched this new endeavor earlier this year, as well as the thousands of people and companies that supported us through advertising, sharing or simply reading our publication.

Our latest edition features a hidden gem of a program the Chamber runs through the South Jersey Chamber Foundation, the South Jersey Summer Institute for Educators. For the past 32 years, our foundation has proudly organized and overseen this incredible professional development program for South Jersey-based educators. We cannot wait for you to read the feature article about the Institute and learn more about the exciting and informative three-week program we designed for 17 educators throughout the month of July. After learning more, please reach out to the Chamber’s Director of Education & Workforce Development, Nicole Pacera at npacera@chambersnj.com if you have questions or are interested in more information about sponsorships and participation.

In this edition, we also highlight informational events the Chamber hosted on both Camden County’s and Gloucester County’s economic development initiatives and feature an overview of our incredible TD Executive Series featuring former Philadelphia Eagle Malcolm Jenkins and former New Orleans Saint Marques Colston. During the program, both former-NFL players discussed Malcolm’s new book, “What Winners Won’t Tell You: Lessons from a Legendary Defender”, which contained great lessons from the football field that are easily translated to the business world.

We hope you enjoy the latest edition and as always, I welcome your feedback, suggestions and input on the Advocate, which can be sent to me at
crenna@chambersnj.com. Enjoy!

CHAMBER Leadership

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Welcome to our newest Board members!

Justin R. Ackerman, CLCS, CISR

Senior Vice President

Conner Strong & Buckelew

Cort Adelman

Vice President of Government Relations

Virtua Health

Andrew G. Agger

Senior Vice President/Commercial Market Executive

Fulton Bank

James Andreacci

Commercial Team Leader - SNJ

& Market President - Southern Division

OceanFirst Bank N.A.

Anthony Bawidamann

Vice President of Government Affairs

Comcast

Stephanie Sanderson-Braem, Esq.

Partner

Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP

Jeffrey Brown

Vice Chairman & President

NFI Industries

Gregory Carlisle

Southern NJ and Coastal Market President

TD Bank

Aaron Chang, FACHE

President

Jefferson Health-East

Jon Cofsky

Co-founder & Creative Director

Whitepenny

Daniel Cuneo

Market President

Southern New Jersey
Truist

Manuel Farinas, CPA

Controller

Lassonde Pappas and Company, Inc.

Brandon Ford

Senior Vice President

PNC Bank

Adam E. Gersh, Esq.

Shareholder

Flaster Greenberg PC

Kate Gibbs

Deputy Director

Engineers Labor-Employer Cooperative 825 (ELEC)

Todd Glickman

EVP, Chief Revenue Officer

Comcast Spectacor

William Gruccio

Founder and President

Renati Solutions

Brian Hancock

Chief Program Officer

Bancroft

Phillip W. Heath

President & CEO

Samaritan

Pamela Hisler

Senior Vice President & Retail Manager

New Jersey Republic Bank

Amr Hussein

Vice President

& General Manager

Lockheed Martin

Sarah E. Jones, Esq.

Director, Government Affairs

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey

Sean Kennedy

New Jersey Director

CGI

Kenneth L’esperance

Vice President-Chief Financial Officer

Subaru of America, Inc.

Robert Lee

Director, Community Outreach

Joseph Jingoli & Sons, Inc.

Jesse Levine

Senior Director of Operations

Ravitz Family Markets

Matthew Levinson

Vice President, External Affairs & Development

AtlantiCare

Dr. Anthony Lowman

Provost and Senior VP of Academic Affairs

Rowan University

Marcela Ospina Maziarz

Vice President for Community & Government Affairs

Thomas Edison State University

Kristin McEvoy

Director of External Affairs

Atlantic City Electric

Charles “Chaz” McFeaters

President & Chief Nuclear Officer

PSEG Nuclear, LLC

Denise V. Monahan

Executive Vice President

Market Leader, Pennsylvania & Southern New Jersey

Wilmington Trust

Anthony Mongeluzo

President

PCS

Michael Munoz

Market President

AmeriHealth

Kevin M. O’Dowd, JD

Co-President and Chief Executive Officer

Cooper University Health Care

Nichelle N. Pace

Vice President

Camden Business Association

Karen Primak

CEO & President

IPAK

Dana L. Redd

President & CEO

Camden Community Partnership, Inc.

Kimberly S. Reed, M.Ed., CDE

Chief Transformational Officer

The Reed Development Group

John D. Rogers, Esq.

Director, Legislative Affairs

NJM Insurance Group

Brent “Bubba” Schomber

President & COO

South Jersey Gas

Michael Schwab

Vice President

Holman

Michael Sepanic

Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs/

Chief of Staff

Rutgers University-Camden

Kevin D. Sheehan, Esq.

Shareholder, Chair of Real Estate and Land Use

Parker McCay P.A.

Jennifer Sweeney

Head of Government Affairs & Public Liaison

Campbell Soup Company

BethAnne Tarum

Technical Manager

Paulsboro Refinery/PBF Energy

Vincent J. Tucci

SVP/Commercial Banking

Bank of America

Gerard “Jerry” Velazquez, III

President & CEO

Cumberland County Improvement Authority

Michael J. Vostenak

Global Senior Director Human Resources

Radwell International

Jennifer P. Young

State and Local Government Affairs

Verizon

James Ziereis

Vice President of Hotel Sales

Golden Nugget Atlantic City

John Zimmerman

Region Bank President

Wells Fargo

LIFETIME MEMBERS

AMBASSADORS

Summer Institute for Educators

Preparing to Prepare Today’s Youth

How do you teach teachers to prepare our youth for tomorrow’s workforce? If you are the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey, you do it by hosting the annual South Jersey Summer Institute for Educators, a three-week program that the Chamber has offered for educators every July since 1991.

The program was created by a Chamber member, Dale Choate, who was the plant manager at the Mobil Oil plant in Paulsboro. Nicole Pacera, Director of Education & Workforce Development for the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey, and a facilitator for the South Jersey Summer Institute for Educators, shared, “Dale was having difficulty filling positions at the plant and noted that those who applied were unprepared for the workforce, so he came up with a truly innovative idea. Instead of bringing students into businesses for internships, why not bring teachers into different businesses so they could hear firsthand about the South Jersey economy, the types of businesses that exist in their backyard and the skills needed to fill those jobs. To say it was a groundbreaking concept would be an understatement. Most educators are lifelong educators, never having experienced the corporate world or having been exposed to the myriad career paths that exist for their students. Without this type of knowledge, how can teachers truly prepare their students for a successful career once their schooling is concluded? A few years later, the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey was approached by Dale to take over the program and the rest is history.”

The goal of the Institute is to build a link between the business and education communities by familiarizing teachers with key economic, business and public policy issues that impact business and industry; providing teachers with a better understanding of the skills and characteristics their students will need to be successful in the workforce; and involving participants in team projects to develop curriculum that incorporates the lessons of the Institute in the classroom.

“When I heard about the opportunity to participate in the Chamber’s Summer Institute, I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to expand my knowledge of the career opportunities for my students and allow myself to expand my abilities within the classroom,” said Michael DiFrancesco, a 9th- and 10th-grade teacher of wealth, finance and business leadership at Kingsway Regional High School.

“Throughout the tours and presentations from businesses, what stood out to me the most from a college and career readiness standpoint is how diverse the workforce truly is from an educational background,” he said. “The majority had undergraduate or graduate degrees, but how they went about obtaining that varied greatly.”

The Institute takes a truly unique approach to better preparing the future workforce by targeting educators, who can reach hundreds of students each year, with the lessons necessary to make their students successful in the workplace. In its 33-year history, the Institute has graduated more than 700 teachers from dozens of schools throughout Southern New Jersey, estimated to have reached more than 65,000 students with the messages they learned in the Institute. The business community ultimately benefits by having a pool of better prepared workers. This year’s class includes 17 participants from throughout Southern New Jersey which will bring the total number of educators graduated from the program to 725. 

Denise V. Monahan is Executive Vice President and President of PA & SNJ, Wilmington Trust. Wilmington Trust offers a wide array of personal trust, planning, fiduciary, asset management, private banking and family office services designed to help high-net-worth individuals and families grow, preserve and transfer wealth. Wilmington Trust focuses on serving families with whom it can build long-term relationships, many of which span multiple generations. They’ve been involved in the program for more than six years.

“One of the reasons we support this program is to stress the diversification of industry and businesses that exist in South Jersey and the career opportunities that exist to live and work here in South Jersey,” Monahan said. “It’s important for developing skills, knowledge and an understanding of how transferable these are to a variety of industries that fuel career options. Our support of this program provides a unique opportunity to collaborate with the Chamber and reinforce our commitment to take an active role in our communities and build long-lasting relationships that can make a difference in people’s lives.”

This type of program may be more important than ever these days.

“The employment landscape continues to evolve in a post-pandemic world and as such, workforce trends continue to change,” said Pacera. “Employers must provide employees with flexibility in order to attract top talent, which is oftentimes more valuable to job seekers than salary range or benefit structures. Additionally, with the pandemic many industries saw mass retirements and with those retirements, a loss of institutional knowledge. The new generation of workers bring to the table a different skill set, which forces employers to adjust to and adapt how they look at internal roles and responsibilities. Lastly, educators learn throughout the program that they should focus on the importance of “soft skills” in the classroom as it is the most often cited “red flag” during the interview process. Specifically, job seekers that do not know how to communicate effectively, collaborate with others, have strong time management skills or seem friendly and eager to work during interviews are all frequently encountered and make the hiring process more challenging in the current climate.”

2025 STATE BUDGET

Highlights & Concerns

On June 28, Governor Murphy signed the $56.6 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 State Budget, the largest in state history. Throughout the budget process, the CCSNJ expressed our concerns about the negative impact this budget will have on the South Jersey business community.

For years the CCSNJ warned lawmakers that the unsustainable year-over-year increases in spending will inevitably lead to an increase in taxes on the overburdened residents and businesses of the state and that is just what the signed budget did.

Signed along with the budget was bill number A4704/S3513, which imposes a 2.5 percent corporate transit fee on businesses with a net income in excess of $10 million. The tax is retroactive to January 1, 2024, and is set to sunset after five years rather than as a permanent tax, which Governor Murphy proposed in his Budget Address.

The CCSNJ vehemently opposed this proposal as it unfairly taxes South Jersey-based businesses for NJ Transit rail and bus services they have limited access to.  With this proposal signed into law, the Corporate Business Tax (CBT) is now 11.5 percent, making New Jersey the state with the highest CBT rate in the nation, yet again. The Corporate Transit fee makes South Jersey less competitive compared to our neighbors in Pennsylvania, who’s corporate business tax is slated to be lowered to 4.99 percent by 2031.

The budget bill also included funding to maintain ANCHOR property tax relief benefits at their current levels, although businesses were once again excluded from the program. New funding of $220 million was earmarked for a new program dubbed Stay NJ, which will provide homeowners ages 65 and older making up to $500,000 with annual benefits of as much as $6,500, depending on the size of their annual property-tax bill.

Community colleges statewide received $145.3 million in this year’s budget. They were originally facing a $20 million decrease.

Removed from the Governor’s initial proposal was a proposed $1 “truck traffic excise fee” that would have been imposed on warehouses throughout New Jersey based on the number of truck departures in and out of facilities.

The CCSNJ stands ready to work with the legislature to ensure that South Jersey receives its fair share of investment from the corporate business tax.

The FY2025 budget passed by a vote of 55-22 in the Assembly and 27-13 in the Senate. A4704/S3513 passed by a vote of 41-31 in the Assembly and 22-15 in the Senate.

Regional Economic Perspective

Camden & Gloucester Counties

In the second and third of five Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey Regional Economic Perspective events, the focus was squarely on Camden and Gloucester counties. The second event held April 29 at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, featured keynote speaker Louis Cappelli Jr., Commissioner Director of Camden County, and a panel discussion moderated by Stradley Ronon Managing Counsel Brandon M. Riley, Esq. Panelists included City of Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen, Township of Winslow Mayor Marie D. Lawrence, Township of Cherry Hill Mayor David Fleisher and Township of Haddon Mayor Randall W. Teague.

“The event was an outstanding opportunity to bring our local stakeholders, elected officials and private industry together to go over the current state of the local economy and talk about the future,” said keynote speaker Commissioner Director of Camden County Louis Cappelli, Jr. “At this time, I think the most important part of our economy is harnessing and supporting the vast diversity of industries that call Camden County home. The county is home to one of the largest Eds and Meds corridors in the nation with employers like Cooper University Health Care and higher education institutions like Rutgers University, but then also the home of the largest law firm, Archer, in South Jersey and an ever-expanding technical manufacturing hub with companies like Holtec International and ResinTech. Another incredibly important aspect to our economy is our regional roadway infrastructure that enhances a company’s access to our ports, airports and roadway access to Philadelphia, New York City, Wilmington, Baltimore and Washington D.C. And another important aspect of the Camden County economy is certainly the trained and educated workforce that lives and works here. Ultimately, the people that live and get educated here are one of our best assets and when municipalities are being spotlighted by Good Morning America as a special place to live, I think the message is clear that Camden County is a destination for businesses and people.”

Camden County has world-class infrastructure and an educated and skilled workforce, thanks to nationally ranked colleges, and a growing gross domestic product that was $23.3 billion in 2021, making it 11th in the state.

“You’re familiar with Cherry Hill as a vibrant economic driver, but that’s not the complete story,” said Mayor David Fleisher. “We strike a balance and focus on things that make Cherry Hill ‘special.’ Our parks, open spaces, historical properties and programs for families, seniors and veterans. A dozen neighborhood swim clubs and more than 60 parks and sites for active and passive recreation, including our trails. The balance between open spaces and a thriving economy makes Cherry Hill a special place and ideal for residents and businesses alike. I am committed to preserving and protecting the things that make Cherry Hill special and reinvigorating a sense of pride in our community.

“Cherry Hill is well positioned for economic growth, and open for business. We have a diverse economic base and are a regional driver with commercial, retail, healthcare, hospitality and professional services.  It’s a great place to live for people at all stages in life.  And I understand the need to strike the right balance between growth and the needs of our community—including preserving open space. At April’s meeting I challenged all of us to think bigger … 2026 brings the FIFA World Cup, the US Semiquincentennial and the MLB All-Star Game all to the Philadelphia Region. Let’s make sure we lean into this moment and capitalize on the opportunity to showcase the South Jersey region.”

The third Regional Economic Perspective held June 14 at the Adelphia Restaurant and Events space, which was also presented by Stradley Ronon, focused on Gloucester County. Frank J. DiMarco, Commissioner Director of the County of Gloucester gave the keynote address while the mayors of Township of Washington, Laurie Burns; Township of Harrison’s Lou Manzo; Township of Deptford’s Paul Medany; and the Borough of Glassboro’s John E. Wallace, III sat on the business panel.

“The highpoints of my keynote address outlined the Economic Landscape Overview in Gloucester County’s desire to be a diverse and dynamic region with a rich mix of industries, including small businesses — which is 93 percent of the county’s businesses — manufacturing and technology,” said Commissioner Director DiMarco. “This only happens with a strong strategic collaboration that emphasizes the importance of forging partnerships with neighboring counties and stakeholders to foster growth and innovation. And finally, providing opportunities for all residents which includes our special needs population.  Our new special needs housing initiative at the Stephen M. Sweeney Center for Special Services on our education campus that includes 24 one-bedroom apartments and comprehensive support services, funded by a combination of state and county funds”.

The Gloucester County township is thriving and growing yearly, said Deptford Township Mayor Paul Medany. “We just completed our Master Plan update. Local business is doing well, but it will be a constant battle between brick and mortar versus online shopping.” said Mayor Medany. He also brought up affordable housing as one of the biggest problems the community is facing with the untenable numbers being forced on them.

David Fleisher

Mayor

Township of Cherry Hill

Frank J. DeMarco

Commissioner Director

County of Gloucester

Louis Cappelli, Jr.

Commissioner Director

Camden County

Paul Medany

Mayor

Township of Deptford

CHAMBER Sponsors

We gratefully acknowledge the generous support of the following corporate sponsors that enable the CCSNJ to produce our annual programming and events.

Acenda Integrated Health

AmeriHealth

Anbaric Development

Archer & Greiner

Archer Public Affairs

AT&T

Atlantic City Development Corporation (AC DEVCO)

Atlantic City Electric

AtlantiCare

Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind

Bancroft

Beechtree Marketing

Burton Trent Public Affairs

Campbell Soup Company

Cumberland County Improvement

Authority

CGI

Ciaccia CPA

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Comcast

Comcast Business

Cooper University Health Care

Coperion K-Tron, Inc.

Creative Content OnDemand

Delta Dental

Doordash

ELEC 825

EMR Metal Recycling

First Harvest Credit Union

Five Below

Five Below Foundation

Flaster Greenberg

Fox Rothschild

Fulton Bank

Grassi Advisors & Accountants

Hempstead & Co.

Holman

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey

Hudson Community Enterprises

Hutchinson

Insperity

Inspira Health

Invenergy

IPAK

Isolved

Jefferson Health

Johnson & Johnson

Jingoli-DCO

KD Law

Leading Light Wind

Lockheed Martin

M&T Bank

Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox

Mannington Mills, Inc.

Mercadien

Mindset Strategies, LLC

New Jersey American Water

New Jersey Cannabis Association

NJEDA

NJM Insurance Group

NJMEP

OceanFirst Bank

Parker McCay

Paulsboro Refining Company

PCH Technologies

PCS

PhRMA

PNC Bank

Primepoint HR & Payroll

PS&S Architects & Engineers LLC

PSEG

PSEG Nuclear

Radwell International

Ravitz Family Markets

Republic Bank

Rizzieri

Rowan University

Rutgers University - Camden

Samaritan

SJI

South Jersey Coping Clinic, LLC

South Jersey Gas

South Jersey Glass

South Jersey Port Corporation

South Jersey STEM Ecosystem

South Jersey Transportation Authority

Stevens & Lee P.C.

Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young

Subaru of America

TD Bank

Thomas Edison State University

Tixforgood

TopGolf

Truist

United Airlines

Vanguard Building Solutions

Virtua Health

VOIP Doctors

Wells Fargo

Whitesell

Wilmington Trust

Withum

Worldwide Glass Resources

Workplace HCM

WSFS

TD EXECUTIVE SERIES

Malcolm Jenkins

As a two-time Super Bowl champion, three-time Pro-Bowler, first round draft pick and former Jim Thorpe Award recipient, Malcolm Jenkins knows a thing or two about winning.

That’s the description from Malcolm Jenkins’ book “What Winners Won’t Tell You: Lessons From a Legendary Defender.” Jenkins was July’s featured TD Executive Series guest on July 17. The event, held at The Legacy Club in Cherry Hill and moderated by Super Bowl champion Marques Colston, was well attended by those wanting to hear the star’s life advice.

After 13 seasons in the NFL, Jenkins now keeps busy in civilian life as CEO of his custom suit store, Damari, in Philadelphia and his activism and charity. He is co-founder of the Players Coalition with fellow athletes Anquan Boldin and Byron “Whizzer” White to promote social and racial equality and he has his own charity, The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation (TMJF). Started in 2010, the foundation is dedicated to nurturing the potential of youth in underserved communities and committed to fostering positive change through education, advocacy and empowerment.

Providing fans and readers alike with an intimate portrayal of life on and off the field, detailed breakdowns of Malcolm’s greatest moments against the game’s premiere players like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, navigating harrowing personal defeats and poignant reflections about what it means to straddle the narrow line between victory and defeat on and off the field, “What Winners Won’t Tell You” is the best kept secret for those who want to know what it takes to be a champion. As the father of two daughters, he understands the challenges of loving his children and preparing them for an often unkind and hostile world. But, for every triumph, there is a tragedy and for every loss, a lesson. Jenkins also signed copies of his book at the event.

“Winning is not something you arrive at, it is something you continually do,” said Jenkins. “When we see the wins in peoples’ success, we usually see the end product and not the process to that success of what they had to endure and learn along the way and the evolution of losses that took place that shaped them and made them who they are.”

While TMJF’s reach is wide, the foundation has made significant impact in the Camden community supporting thousands of local youth and families through various programs and initiatives aimed to address immediate needs while fostering long-term success. Their commitment is to bridge the wealth gap by empowering youth and future generations and to provide them with the tools they need to be confident, responsible and successful citizens.

TMJF, with its partner Money Vehicle, and the Camden City School District, will launch its financial literacy curriculum, Closing the Wealth Gap, for Camden High School and Eastside High School students for the upcoming 2024-2025 academic school year. Additionally, Closing the Wealth Gap will be offered this fall under Cooper Medical School at Rowan University’s Junior Urban Medical Pioneers program (JUMP), a monthly Saturday program for high school students who excel in math and science.

The program will be offered to students and their parents/guardians who will together learn the financial literacy curriculum. “I’m excited about our joining the Camden City School District’s efforts and Cooper Medical’s efforts to ensure that youth are prepared and ready for their bright futures by learning about how to handle money and build wealth,” said Jenkins, Founder and Chairman of TMJF. “I believe the best first steps to closing the wealth gap in our communities is to educate our youth in understanding the language of finance; how their relationship with money correlates with their personal value system; and how their values are key determinants in achieving financial freedom.  It’s a mindset shift from one of a consumer, spender and scarcity, to one of a saver and investor and abundance,” he added.

TMJF recently held its signature community resource event, Get Ready Fest®, at the Kroc Center on August 17. Get Ready Fest® provided 1000 families, pre-identified by our local social service partners, with fresh and shelf-stable food and produce, health and wellness products and screenings, essential social services and other resources for youth, seniors and veterans. This was the Foundation’s 10th year hosting Get Ready Fest® in its core cities and its fourth time hosting in Camden. “We’re thankful for the generous donations from corporations, and our public and nonprofit partners who make such a significant undertaking of serving 1000 families at one site possible,” said Gwendolyn V. Jenkins, TMJF President & CEO who also happens to be Malcolm’s mother. The 2024 Presenting Sponsor for Get Ready Fest was the American Water Charitable Foundation and the sponsor of its Health and Wellness Village was Virtua Health.

Another TMJF program that addresses food insecurity is Holiday Dinner Basket Surprise

(HDBS) that supports families by helping them celebrate the holiday season by enjoying a hearty meal with loved ones without the burden of balancing bills and a nutritious meal.

For more information about Get Ready Fest, Holiday Dinner Basket Surprise and how to sponsor, donate and/or volunteer, visit themalcolmjenkinsfoundation.org