NJ has officially announced the 21 members of its COVID Taskforce. According to Governor Murphy, the NJ taskforce "is composed of experts in a multitude of fields — from academia to industry to the arts to labor, and so much more," he said. "They bring passion and vision to the table. And, if there's anything we need right now, it's both."

The group will include 16 members and 5 ex-officio members from the Murphy administration. It will be co-chaired by Merck Chair and CEO Ken Frazier and former Princeton President Shirley Tilghman.

"They will address core economic issues, but also issues which directly impact economic health — notably public health, workforce issues and transportation," he said. "And, they will seek ways to sustain our recovery by maximizing future federal support, especially for our small business sector."

The members are:

Co-chairs:

Ken Frazier, Merck chairman and CEO;

Shirley Tilghman, president emerita of Princeton University and professor of molecular biology & public policy.

Sitting members:

Ben Bernanke, former two-term chair of the Federal Reserve and distinguished fellow in residence with the Economic Studies Program at the Brookings Institution;

Rich Besser, CEO and president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
Evelyn McGee Colbert, founding board member and president of Montclair Film, and vice president of Spartina Productions;

Anthony Coscia, chairman of Amtrak, partner and executive committee member of Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf, and chairman of Suez North America Inc.;

Jessica Gonzalez, founder and CEO of InCharged and founder of Experience VendX.

Jonathan Holloway, incoming Rutgers University president;

Lisa Jackson, vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives at Apple Inc. and former administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Barack Obama;

Jeh Johnson, former secretary of homeland security under Obama, and partner at the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP;

Charlie Lowrey, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial Inc.;

Denise Morrison, founder of Denise Morrison & Associates, senior adviser for PSP Partners and former CEO and president of Campbell Soup Co.;

Bill Rodgers, professor of public policy and chief economist at the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University and former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Labor;

Neera Tanden, president of the Center for American Progress and CEO of the Center for American Progress Action Fund;

The Rev. Dr. Regena Thomas, director of the Human Rights and Community Relations Department of the American Federation of Teachers and former New Jersey secretary of state;

Richard Trumka, national president of the AFL-CIO.

Ex-officio members:

Sheila Oliver, lieutenant governor;
Judith Persichilli, health commissioner;
George Helmy, chief of staff;
Matt Platkin, chief counsel;
Kathleen Frangione, chief policy adviser

Duane Morris has created a COVID-19 Strategy Team to help organizations plan, respond to and address this fast-moving situation. Contact your Duane Morris attorney for more information. Prior Alerts on the topic are available on the team's webpage.

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Be well and stay safe!

Originally published 29 April, 2020

Disclaimer: This Alert has been prepared and published for informational purposes only and is not offered, nor should be construed, as legal advice. For more information, please see the firm's full disclaimer.