Emerge New Jersey Announces New Cabinet, Most Diverse in Organization’s History

Trenton, NJ—On Thursday, Emerge New Jersey, the state’s premier organization for recruiting, training and providing a powerful network for Democratic women running for office, announced it’s newest Cabinet to help lead the state to higher heights. The 11 Cabinet members, consisting of community leaders, political activists, and elected officials, will help Emerge New Jersey recruit and train powerful and diverse classes for its Signature Training Programs and Boot Camps, guide alumnae in their journeys to public office, and grow the already storied reputation of the organization as they focus on 2022 and beyond.

Every member of Emerge New Jersey’s Cabinet is included in the New American Majority (NAM): Black, Brown and Indigenous women, LGBTQ+ women, young women, and unmarried women. At a time when NAM women are grossly underrepresented in New Jersey’s political institutions and public offices, the unique identities of the Cabinet will foster new thoughts, ideas, and outcomes and ensure the needs of the diverse communities across New Jersey will be represented.

“Emerge New Jersey is honored to have this group of 11 powerful women continue our mission as Emerge New Jersey Founding Cabinet Members,” said Geri Jannarone, Executive Director of Emerge New Jersey. “These women represent both the present and the future of New Jersey. Whether it’s leading our County Parties and Town Governments in elected office, heading some of the most crucial organizations across our state, or serving as nationally-recognized experts in their fields, these trailblazers understand what our state needs and why Democratic women are at the forefront of it.”

“I’m also proud to announce that this is the most diverse Cabinet in Emerge New Jersey history with every single member being included in the New American Majority. Voices from these communities have been intentionally left out of our offices and institutions for centuries and we refuse to let that injustice continue. By having such unique backgrounds and identities in our Cabinet, Emerge New Jersey is ensuring that we will be recruiting classes that look like our state,

interacting with communities that deserve to have their seat at the table, and giving our alumnae and sisters the most comprehensive set of knowledge and tools they need to run, and win, in our state’s history. We’re deeply honored to have achieved this groundbreaking milestone together. The work’s only just beginning but with this powerful group of women, it’s work we can’t wait to do.”

You can find our new Cabinet members below. Click here for their full biographies.

• Rupande Mehta
• Moira Nelson
• Dania Martinez
• Lauren Albrecht
• Sam Parker
• Dahlia Vertreese
• Edina Brown
• Priscilla Garces
• Anjali Mehrotra
• Suchitra Kamath
• Nichelle Santos

Emerge New Jersey has a proven track record for getting Democratic women elected. Since the organization launched in 2014, the program has equipped 79 women with the skills needed to bring change to their communities. 38 of the alumnae have gone on to run for political office or been appointed to local boards or commissions, and of those who have gone on to run for an elected position, 15 have won including Assemblywoman Britnee Timberlake and Assemblywoman-elect Sadaf Jaffer. Emerge New Jersey’s commitment to diversity also means that the women selected for the program come from a multitude of different backgrounds and all walks of life. In fact, 55% of the program’s graduates are women of color.

For more information, please visit https://nj.emergeamerica.org.