Murphy Reveals His Picks for EDA Board

On Dec 17, 2019

Gov. Phil Murphy today announced his intention to appoint four new members to the board of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA).

The appointees include: Aisha Glover, president and CEO of Newark Alliance; Virginia Bauer,  CEO of GTBM, Inc. and former New Jersey Secretary of Commerce for Economic Growth and Tourism; Rosemari Hicks, owner of CoWork Street in Camden; and Marcia Marley, founder and president of BlueWaveNJ.

Last April, Murphy requested the resignation of several EDA board members amid allegations pointed at the organization’s handling of tax incentives under the Christie Administration.

Vacancies on the EDA board will begin on Dec. 21 of this year when three board members’ terms are set to expire. The governor will officially appoint the four new members as board vacancies occur.

“My goal in building this team was simple: to recreate the EDA board into one that mirrors our state in its diversity and breadth of experiences, and one that recognizes that economic development isn’t a one size fits all process, but one in which the unique needs of each business and each community must be given full consideration,” Murphy said. “This team here today meets that high bar.

“We need to direct real and sustainable growth into the communities where it will do the most good, while protecting our ability to make critical investments through the state budget in things like infrastructure and education,” Murphy said. “We want New Jersey to be the place where great companies look to first when deciding where to grow and expand – but even more so, we want New Jersey to be the place where great companies are born. Being pro-growth and progressive are not either or scenarios.”

Hicks thanked Murphy for developing “a board that is more diverse, inclusive and can effectively represent all communities and businesses in our state.”

“I have a keen interest in helping to shape a new and inclusive vision for economic development that will keep New Jersey’s economy vibrant, fair, innovative and prosperous,” Marley said. “If we are to reach our goal of shared prosperity, it is important that we create opportunities for those who have been excluded for far too long, especially women and minorities.”

Bauer cited the state’s talented and diverse workforce, prime location and educational system as key building blocks for expanding and developing economic opportunities in the state.

“As we witnessed during the state’s bid for Amazon last year, the core components to recruit, and ultimately retain, new business are already in place in urban areas,” Glover said. “We must prioritize these areas, while at the same time, establishing a foundation that will allow for inclusive and equitable growth to take root.”

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