On October 21, the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the Saint Peter’s College Guarini Institute for Government and Leadership, co-hosted a networking breakfast and legislative roundtable for the local community.
Maria Nieves, chair of the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee, welcomed the audience to the event before turning the microphone over to Nicholas A. Chiaravalloti, executive director of the Guarini Institute for Government and Leadership, who served as moderator for both the dialogue and resulting Q&A session.
Guests were treated to a discussion by New Jersey legislators including Hon. Sandra B. Cunningham, New Jersey state senator & majority whip; Hon. Sheila Y. Oliver, New Jersey state assembly speaker; Hon. Charles Mainor, New Jersey state assemblyman; Hon. Jason O’Donnell, New Jersey state assemblyman, and Hon. Joan M. Quigley ‘77, New Jersey state assemblywoman.
The panel discussed the upcoming election on November 8, including the importance of voting and encouraging youth to get involved in the election process.
“Young people on college campuses need to be involved. Get them involved in community. Get them involved in having a say in what happens in their lives,” urged Cunningham.
One thing was for certain, the state of the economy was on the minds of everyone in attendance. All of the panelists emphasized the importance of job creation, small business support and stimulating the real estate market in New Jersey.
“If we don’t get New Jersey back to work, our economy cannot grow. If we can’t get businesses to stay in New Jersey, i.e. retention, we can’t get our economy to grow,” said O’Donnell.
Guests were able to ask questions during a formal Q&A session and the legislators made themselves available following the conclusion of the event to answer personal questions specifically.
The event was a great success; one that provided an opportunity for local members of the community and business owners to make connections with one another as well as voice their opinions to the local decision-makers.