Choose New Jersey, the state’s lead economic development agency for business attraction, has been working tirelessly to bring and keep businesses and jobs in New Jersey. The individual leading this charge is Tracye McDaniel.
McDaniel, founding president and chief executive officer of Choose New Jersey, Inc., was the featured speaker at the launch of the Conversations at the Cliffs speaker series. Each event in this unique series will be held at the Saint Peter’s University Englewood Cliffs Campus and will be open to business and industry professionals in the area. Each discussion will feature a leader from New Jersey’s business, non-profit or educational community in an up-close and engaging setting.
McDaniel was the ideal speaker for the kick-off event as she gave attendees an in-depth look at the overall business environment in the state of New Jersey. She was chosen to build and lead Choose New Jersey, Inc., after a comprehensive nationwide search for a leader with extensive experience in marketing and promoting states and metropolitan areas to both U.S. and foreign business location decision-makers. She brings more than 29 years of executive and senior management experience in all facets of economic development and has held cabinet-level positions in three gubernatorial administrations.
Choose New Jersey, Inc. is a nonprofit organization, whose mission is to encourage and nurture economic growth throughout the state of New Jersey, including a focus on making New Jersey’s most distressed cities engines for growth and opportunity. The organization helps the state remain competitive in the fight for jobs and has created a pipeline that includes more than 70 active projects. These projects have the potential to impact the state’s economy with nearly 8,000 new and retained jobs and $663 million in capital investment.
McDaniel spoke about the competitive advantages the State has to offer such as the highly educated, exceedingly capable workforce and New Jersey’s perfect location in the heart of the Northeast, which is in close proximity to a huge consumer market and provides unparalleled global access through seaports and airports. She also touched on the impact of higher education on the business environment in the State. She discussed the value of the Building Our Future Bond Act, which authorized $750 million in State bonds to be used to provide New Jersey’s higher education institutions with a much-needed capital investment, and the importance of STEM education.
“In New Jersey we have more scientists and engineers per square mile than anywhere else in the world,” said McDaniel. “That says we are competitive in STEM and that we have a stronghold in that market. We have a workforce that can attract companies very quickly.”
Beyond McDaniel’s informative presentation, the event also offered networking opportunities and introduced the local business community to the Englewood Cliffs campus.
“When I tell people that Saint Peter’s has been in Englewood Cliffs for more than 20 years, they often look puzzled,” said Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D., president of Saint Peter’s University. “You could say we’re the best kept secret in BergenCounty, but frankly, we aren’t interested in being a secret any more! We look to promote the wide-array of programs we offer and to develop collaborative corporate partnerships with area businesses.”
“At Saint Peter’s, we are making a concerted effort to better serve local businesses and the Englewood Cliffs community,” said Michael A. Fazio, vice president for advancement and external affairs at Saint Peter’s University. “Over the next year or so we will be investing a lot of energy into positioning the Englewood Cliffs campus as a destination for students in BergenCounty and the surrounding areas.”
Arthur Aranda of Hudson City Savings Bank learned about the event through the Fort Lee Regional Chamber of Commerce and was impressed with the event and was glad he chose to attend. “The presentation was very informative and was full of fascinating facts. I have never been to this campus and it is wonderful to learn that a great resource like this is right here in our backyard,” he said.
The next event in the Conversations at the Cliffs speaker series is scheduled for the spring of 2014. For additional information, please email eccinfo@saintpeters.edu.
