TRENTON, NJ – Nine individuals representing members of the New Jersey Utilities Association (NJUA) and their parent companies, including Board Chair Jim Fakult, President of Jersey Central Power & Light, were among the business leaders named to Governor Phil Murphy’s Restart and Recovery Advisory Council on Friday.

The statewide council of leaders from various industry, community, and faith-based groups and institutions will work in conjunction with the Restart and Recovery Commission to advise state leadership on economic issues impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“New Jersey’s utilities are the backbone of the State’s economy. The presence of most of NJUA’s member companies on the Governor’s Restart and Recovery Advisory Council is further evidence of their significant role and far-reaching impact,” said Thomas R. Churchelow, Esq, President, NJUA. “As major employers and significant contributors to the State’s overall wellbeing, I know these company representatives will provide valuable expertise and insight to the discussions around reopening the economy in the short-term as well as addressing the long-term implications of the COVID-19 on the business community.”

The nine individuals representing NJUA’s member companies named to the Governor’s Restart and Recovery Advisory Council are:

Name Company Subcommittee
Jim Fakult Jersey Central Power & Light Transportation & Infrastructure
Kim Haneman PSE&G Transportation & Infrastructure
Melissa Lavinson Pepco Holdings-Atlantic City Electric Transportation & Infrastructure
Nadine Leslie SUEZ Transportation & Infrastructure
Cheryl Norton American Water Transportation & Infrastructure
Braxton Plummer Verizon Professional Services
Mike Renna SJI Transportation & Infrastructure
Rick Thigpen PSE&G Transportation & Infrastructure
Steve Westhoven New Jersey Resources Transportation & Infrastructure

About NJUA
The New Jersey Utilities Association is the state-wide trade association for investor-owned utilities that provide essential water, wastewater, electric, natural gas and telecommunications services to New Jersey residents and businesses. NJUA has provided a forum for the exchange of ideas and a unified voice in the public policy arena for its members since 1915. NJUA’s 13-member utility companies are dedicated to the delivery of essential services to more than 7 million residential customer accounts and nearly 1 million non-residential customer accounts across the Garden State. For more information on NJUA, visit www.njua.com.

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