The Honorable Phil Murphy

Governor, State of New Jersey

Governor Phil Murphy, as he says, “grew up in a family that was middle class on a good day,” the youngest of four children with only one parent who graduated high school. His upbringing – where religion, a strong work ethic, education, and civic awareness were pillars of family life – shaped his values, his priorities, and the leader he is today.

Since taking office, Governor Murphy has focused on building a stronger and fairer New Jersey that works for every family. He has signed legislation putting New Jersey on the path to a $15-an-hour minimum wage, enacted the nation’s strongest equal pay law to combat gender wage discrimination, ensured all workers have access to paid sick days, and expanded the state’s Paid Family Leave provisions.

Governor Murphy has put a new emphasis on restoring the state’s dominance in the innovation economy by reinvesting in workforce development and supporting the growth of innovative and start-up companies.

Under his leadership, New Jersey is also emerging as a leader in combatting climate change through the deployment of offshore-wind energy technologies and banning offshore fossil-fuel exploration and drilling, among other measures to spur growth in the clean and renewable energy sectors.

Governor Murphy has reversed prior years of budget cuts and increased funding for both New Jersey’s top-ranked public schools and NJ TRANSIT. And, he restored state funding for Planned Parenthood and women’s health programs, including family planning services.

He has made New Jersey a national leader in tackling gun violence, and has expanded protections for the state’s immigrant and LGBTQ communities, among others.

Prior to taking office, Governor Murphy had long been deeply engaged in civic life and philanthropic pursuits. He has led and supported charities to lift up troubled teens and domestic abuse survivors. Nationally, he served proudly as New Jersey’s sole representative on the board of the NAACP, the world’s oldest civil rights organization, and as Finance Chair of the Democratic National Committee. The Governor has also led national and state task forces, respectively, on education and public employee pensions and benefits.

In 2009, he answered President Obama’s call to service and, following his confirmation by the United States Senate, became the U.S. Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany, where he served until 2013.

Governor Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy live in Monmouth County and are the parents of Josh, Emma, Charlie, and Sam.

A proud public-school product, Governor Murphy holds degrees from Harvard University and the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Charles L. Marahon, Jr.

Founder & CEO, Strong Towns

Charles Marohn – known as “Chuck” to friends and colleagues – is the Founder and President of Strong Towns and the author of Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity. He is a Professional Engineer (PE) licensed in the State of Minnesota and a land use planner with two decades of experience. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning, both from the University of Minnesota.

Marohn is also the lead author of Thoughts on Building Strong Towns — Volume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3 — as well as the author of A World Class Transportation System. He hosts the Strong Towns Podcast and is a primary writer for Strong Towns’ web content. He has presented Strong Towns concepts in hundreds of cities and towns across North America. He is featured in the documentary film Owned: A Tale of Two Americans, and was named one of the 10 Most Influential Urbanists of all time by Planetizen.

 Marohn is a long-time commentator on KAXE Northern Community Radio. He currently co-hosts KAXE’s Dig Deep program, a monthly examination of public policy issues affecting Minnesotans.

Chuck grew up on a small farm in Central Minnesota. The oldest of three sons of two elementary school teachers, he joined the Minnesota National Guard on his 17th birthday during his junior year of high school and served for nine years. In addition to being passionate about building a stronger America, he loves playing music, is an obsessive reader and religiously follows his favorite team, the Minnesota Twins.

Chuck and his wife live with their two daughters in their hometown of Brainerd, Minnesota.

Leslie Anderson

President and CEO, NJRA

Leslie A. Anderson is the President and CEO of the New Jersey Redevelopment Authority (NJRA), a multi-million dollar independent financing authority created by the state of New Jersey to transform urban communities through direct investment and technical support. Leslie is the only Black woman in the nation to helm an independent redevelopment financing authority, and thanks to her effectiveness she has been reappointed to this position by four consecutive governors. Under her bold leadership, NJRA has used its financial resources to leverage nearly $4 billion in new investments, helping to redevelop some of New Jersey’s most economically challenged neighborhoods. Moreover, the authority committed nearly half a billion dollars in direct investments to the 64 legislatively designated communities that it serves. In 2006, Leslie created the NJRA Redevelopment Training Institute (RTI) to provide learning opportunities centered on the complexities of redevelopment and best practices for community revitalization. Leslie earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Pennsylvania State University.

Mike Berne

President, MJB Consulting

Michael J. Berne is one of North America’s leading experts and futurists on Downtown and Main Street business districts as well as the retail industry more generally. As the Founder and President of New York, NY-based MJB Consulting (MJB), Michael has amassed 20+ years of experience in conducting market analyses, devising tenanting strategies and spearheading implementation efforts across the U.S., Canada and the U.K. He is a regular presenter and keynote speaker at industry conferences, including those of the International Downtown Association (IDA). He served two terms on IDA’s Board of Directors, including two years as a Vice Chair of its Executive Committee. He has lectured at the University of Pennsylvania, Pratt Institute and the University of California, Berkeley. In addition to his widely-read “Retail Contrarian” blog, he has contributed to two recently-published books on Downtown and Main Street retail. He has consulted extensively across New Jersey, including current and past engagements in the Downtowns of Westfield, Atlantic City and Newark, and he has given talks at New Jersey APA’s 2018 annual conference and Downtown New Jersey’s 2020 Downtown Management Forum.

The Honorable Sheena C. Collum

Village President, Township of South Orange Village

The Honorable Sheena C. Collum currently serves as the Village President (Mayor) of Township of South Orange Village and has concentrated her priorities around smart growth and economic development, citizen engagement and volunteerism, and streamlining municipal operations through consolidations, shared services and the expansion of technology. Professionally, Ms. Collum is the Executive Director of the American Planning Association – New Jersey Chapter, a statewide planning organization whose mission is to help build stronger communities and provide more choices for how people work and live while meeting the challenges of both growth and change. Ms. Collum is a proud alumnus of Seton Hall University, where she graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in public policy.

The Honorable Betsy Driver

Mayor, Borough of Flemington

Driver is currently mayor of the historic Borough of Flemington, the 1.6-square-mile seat of Hunterdon County in central New Jersey. Prior to beginning her term as mayor in 2019, Driver served as a borough councilperson (2018-19). Under her leadership, Flemington has spearheaded a downtown revitalization project, now underway, alongside renowned global design experts. The community of just shy of 5,000 is also refurbishing and modernizing several popular local destinations. Flemington is New Jersey’s only rural opportunity zone (OZ) and was the recipient of a $100,000 OZ Grant Challenge Award from the N.J. Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) in 2019. Driver is also an accomplished journalist and former associate producer for CBS News. She is a human rights advocate who was also instrumental in starting the burgeoning intersex rights movement – by launching the first online peer support network.

Stephanie DiPetrillo

Senior Research Specialist, Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center

Stephanie DiPetrillo brings a background in historic preservation, architecture, urban design, and planning to her research, which focuses on transportation-land use connections and ways to promote public and community transit usage through built environment improvements and transit-oriented development (TOD). Of late, her researched has explored improving access to transit by all users, including people with disabilities. She has taught at Hofstra University, Rutgers University, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).

Christina Fuentes

Director of Small Business Services, NJEDA

Christina Fuentes is the Director of Small Business Services at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA). In this role, she leads the NJEDA’s efforts to foster a dynamic, supportive environment for the State’s entrepreneurs and small businesses, with a focus on more comprehensively assisting historically underrepresented firms and underserved communities. Under her leadership, the newly-created Small Business Services unit coordinates and manages the provision of technical assistance and other business support service and regularly engages in outreach to chambers of commerce and other trade organizations and community groups focused on small businesses.

Fuentes is a member of the Downtown New Jersey Board of Trustees.

Robert S. Goldsmith, Esq.

Partner, Greenbaum Rowe Smith & Davis, LLP

Robert S. Goldsmith is Co-Chair of the Redevelopment & Land Use Department at Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP. His practice focuses on redevelopment, downtown and urban revitalization, transit oriented development, project financing and incentives, sustainable building initiatives and public-private partnerships. His experience encompasses counseling clients on the specialized issues in redevelopment related to strategy, process, parking demand, design and construction. Mr. Goldsmith has represented numerous clients within the state in both the public and private sectors. He also has broad experience in complex commercial litigation, construction litigation and appellate work. Mr. Goldsmith lectures frequently on issues related to the redevelopment process in New Jersey for a variety of groups and organizations. He developed and teaches a course in redevelopment law at Rutgers University School of Law.

Goldsmith is a long-time member and Immediate Past-President of the Downtown New Jersey Board of Trustees.

Harriet Harris, RIBA, PFHEA, Ph.D.

Dean of Architecture, Pratt

Dr. Harriet Harriss is a qualified architect and Dean of the Pratt School of Architecture in Brooklyn, New York. Her teaching, research, and writing focus upon pioneering new pedagogic models for design education, as captured in Radical Pedagogies: Architectural Education & the British Tradition, and for widening participation in architecture to ensure it remains as diverse as the society it seeks to serve, a subject she interrogates in her book, A Gendered Profession. Dean Harriss is also recognized as an advocate for diversity and inclusion within design education and was nominated by Dezeen as a champion for women in architecture and design in 2019. Her forthcoming book Architects After Architecture (2020), considers the multi-sector impact of an architectural qualification.

Suzanne Ishee

Director, NJIT Hub for Creative Placemaking

Suzanne Ishee is Director of the NJIT Hub for Creative Placemaking. The NJIT Hub is situated under the umbrella of the NJ Innovation Acceleration Center that is aligned with the Leir Research Institute for Business, Technology and Society. Suzanne is a 40 + year multi-award winning veteran of the theatre who in 2009 expanded her career focus to the nascent field of creative placemaking through supporting the formation of Arts Build Communities at Rutgers University as Advisory Board Chairperson. In 2011, she co-founded and was president of the Center for Creative Placemaking (CCP) where she continued to advance the field of practice through promotion, thought leadership, and training until its close in 2019. She developed the curriculum and leads teaching for the highly regarded Certificate in Creative Placemaking at NJIT. She provides expertise and engagement in numerous CP-related efforts in the region including as Co-Chair of the Livable Task Force for NJ Transportation Planning Authority/Together North Jersey. She serves as a member and engaged in the development of the Western Highlands Scenic Byway, the Morris Canal Greenway Redevelopment Working Group, the 3-state/9-county Scenic, Wild Delaware River Geotourism Initiative and Sustainable Jersey’s Arts and Creative Culture Task Force where she continues to evaluate NJ municipalities’ annual submissions.

Jaime Izurieta

Storefront Ninja, Storefront Mastery

Designer. MFA Historic Preservation and M.Arch from the Savannah College of Art and Design and M.Sc. in Economic Development from IHS, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands. Guiding cities, local organizations, nonprofits, developers and mall businesses to integrate beauty and active design into Economic Development strategies.

Meghan Jack

Township Administrator, Township of Riverside

Meghan Jack is the Township Administrator for Riverside Township in Burlington County. Riverside Township is a small municipality located between the Route 130 Corridor and the Rancocas Creek with Transit Village designation. The Township host two redevelopment areas and a walkable central business district located adjacent to the NJ Transit Light Rail Station. Over the past decade and a half, Mrs. Jack has worked with the Governing Body towards the revitalization of the downtown and the development of the Golden Triangle and Taubels Mill Redevelopment Areas. Mrs. Jack holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Scranton in Political Science and a Master’s Degree from Villanova University in Public Administration.

The Honorable Paul Kanitra

Mayor, Borough of Point Pleasant Beach

Paul M. Kanitra was elected Mayor of his hometown of Point Pleasant Beach in 2019. For two years prior, he served the Borough as Councilman. His administration has focused on putting much needed attention on the Borough’s downtown business district and creating quality of life improvements throughout town.

Kanitra has hired more Public Works employees, purchased necessary maintenance equipment and created a new focus on proper code enforcement. He has automated town hall departments and made it easier for residents to communicate with employees and report concerns. A public art installation of 20 bike racks mirroring the town’s mascot is currently being completed. A first ever lake management plan has been drafted for Point Pleasant Beach’s three coastal lakes and over 100 trees have been planted in the 1.5 square mile Borough in his first twelve months in office.

Efforts are now ongoing to revitalize the Channel Drive commercial fishing district, with a focus on lighting, paving and landscaping improvements. Future development plans are focusing on creating a maritime wharf destination.

Downtown, Mayor Kanitra started his first term by stepping in to rescue the historic, 113 year old Gottlieb’s Department Store building just two days away from the wrecking ball. Staying true to his vision of creating a more vibrant area, Gottlieb’s now has a boutique hotel planned as well as a mixed use local maker’s market and live event venue.

A historic overlay district has been recently introduced that will creatively incentivize building owners to restore downtown properties to their former glory. Additionally, a new sign ordinance is shifting all signage into a more cohesive wood and faux wood, historic look. Mayor Kanitra has recently announced a drive to “Light Up Downtown” with a strung light canopy to create a better nighttime aesthetic. Later this year, Point Pleasant Beach will begin work on a new Business Improvement District to help in these efforts and more.

Richard Kasmin

Chief Economist, NJEDA

Richard Kasmin is the Chief Economist for the NJEDA. Richard brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in economics and statistical analysis to the NJEDA. He spent more than 20 years as an economist and strategist in the financial investment industry, specializing in analyzing and forecasting economic activity, labor market dynamics, and inflation. Immediately prior to joining the NJEDA, Richard spent two years an analyst at the National Institute of Early Education Research, where his work focused on public financing and the net economic benefits of early childhood education. Along with his work for the NJEDA, he is also an adjunct professor of macroeconomics at County College of Morris. Richard holds masters’ degrees in economics from NYU and business administration from Cornell University, and he is currently a PhD candidate in education policy at Rutgers University, specializing in the economics of education.

Isaac Kremer

Executive Director, Metuchen Downtown Association

Isaac Kremer is a transformative leader who has successfully led Main Street revitalization programs in several communities throughout the U.S. As a speaker and writer he has influenced hundreds of fellow practitioners, especially around issues of placemaking and entrepreneurship. His work has been highlighted in numerous national conferences and articles by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, Appalachian Regional Commission, Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design, The Conservation Fund, Environmental Protection Agency, International Downtown Association, National Main Street Center, and National Trust for Historic Preservation.

From 2008-2012 as Executive Director of the Oyster Bay Main Street Association on Long Island he led the restoration of President Theodore Roosevelt’s home town. While there he organized one of the first Better Block projects in the US. As Executive Director of Discover Downtown Middlesboro from 2012-2016, Kremer mobilized hundreds of volunteers to build trails, encourage entrepreneurship, and bring incremental change about through three more Better Block projects. Currently as Executive Director of the Metuchen Downtown Alliance he is leading revitalization of a ‘transit village’ with over $100 million of investment. Key initiatives here have included several citizen-initiated placemaking projects, a robust public art program, and enhanced cleaning and maintenance throughout the downtown. Efforts are underway to build a local economy ecosystem by connecting businesses across the entrepreneurial stack from emerging to established businesses.

His education and training includes a M.A. in Historic Preservation Planning from Cornell University, and a B.A. in Economics and Management from Albion College. Kremer has had additional training in historic preservation tax credits, historic real estate finance, economic development, community philanthropy, and placemaking from the Project for Public Spaces.

Emily Manz

President, EMI Strategy

A cheerleader for America’s downtowns and urban centers, and a perennial optimist, Emily begins each project with a deep dive into a location’s assets, and ends with aggressive implementation of client and EMI determined strategies. Manz serves as a proactive and detail oriented member of a client’s team and she serves or has served Bloomfield Center Alliance, Preservation New Jersey, Project for Public Spaces, RBH Group, the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, Greater Newark Enterprises Corporation, Bound Brook Revitalization Partnership, Downtown Millburn, Audible.com, Ironbound Business Improvement District, Commercial District Services, Select Detroit, the NJ Historic Trust, and Invest Newcastle among others.

Manz is also co-founder of Have You Met Newark Tours, a tour company that has been in operation for 8 years and rated 5-Stars on TripAdvisor. The company also runs the successful food tour – Nom Nom Newark Food Tours and has been featured in the New York Times among other publications.

Manz has a Masters in City and Regional Planning specializing in economic development from Rutgers University and a Master’s in International Relations specializing in International Political Economy from Central European University. She is also a graduate of the University of Delaware where she studied Politics and Economics and worked in the highly competitive tour guide program as a Blue Hen Ambassador for 3 years.

She is a Board Member of the Northeastern Economic Developers Association (NEDA) and a frequent speaker at International Economic Development Council (IEDC). She lives in Newark.

Manz is a member of the Downtown New Jersey Board of Trustees.

Lara Marrero

Retail Leader, Strategy Director, Principal, Gensler

Lara joined the Gensler team in 2002 and has more than 20 years of experience spanning retail, hospitality, and lifestyle and entertainment experiences. As strategy director and one of Gensler’s Retail Leaders, Lara brings insights that result in innovative and powerful strategies that generate engagement between brands, places, and people. With an education that spans psychology, advertising, marketing, and cultural anthropology, she has honed her ability to translate complex global consumer trends into understandable, workable, and profitable outcomes for her clients, including Microsoft, Harrods, C&A, John Lewis, and HB Reavis. She was also named as one of design:retail magazine’s 40 under 40 in 2017 and is considered a leading voice on the future of retail who is regularly sought after to speak at influential events and with leading publications and national media.

Christine Newman

Director of Community Outreach and Volunteer Engagement, AARP New Jersey

Christine Newman, LSW is the Director of Community Outreach and Volunteer Engagement for AARP New Jersey. In this role she works to advance AARP’s social mission of fighting for and equipping the 50+ in NJ with tools and resources to live their best lives; specifically around AARP’s priority areas of: creating vibrant livable communities, supporting family caregivers, and financial security. She also leads AARP NJ’s state-wide work around Livable Communities and Age Friendly initiatives, with a focus on engaging and empowering local communities and volunteers to effect positive social change where they live.
Prior to joining AARP NJ, Ms. Newman has had an extensive career in healthcare, particularly in the long-term care sector. She has held roles as both a Licensed Social Worker and Executive Director of several long-term care, assisted livings, and sub-acute centers across NJ.
Ms. Newman attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick for both her undergraduate and graduate education; receiving her MSW from the Rutgers School of Social work with academic focus areas of Gerontology and Non-profit Public Management.

Larisa Ortiz

Managing Director, Research + Analysis, StreetSense

Larisa brings over 20 years of experience advising public, private, and non-profit sector clients on retail real estate strategy in urban environments. Prior to joining Streetsense, Larisa founded Larisa Ortiz Associates, leading award-winning projects including The City of Cambridge Massachusetts Retail Strategy, The City of New York’s Commercial District Needs Assessment, and the formation of the first Business Improvement District in Latin America. Larisa is the author of Improving Tenant Mix, published by the International Council of Shopping Centers, and currently serves as a Mayoral Appointee to the NYC Planning Commission. She also serves on the Boards of the International Downtown Association, the Coro New York Leadership Center, the National Advisory Committee of the ICSC P3 Retail Program and is Co-Chair of the City of New York’s OneNYC Plan Advisory Committee. A Fulbright Scholar and Watson Fellow, Larisa has traveled the world studying successful downtown and mixed use environments. She holds an undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University and a master’s in city planning with a certificate in urban design from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Lyneir Richardson

Executive Director, CUEED at Rutgers Business School

Lyneir Richardson is an entrepreneur working to empower urban entrepreneurs and strengthen economic conditions in ethnic and underserved areas across the United States. He wears multiple hats, investing in commercial real estate, educating and advising urban entrepreneurs and MBA students, and structuring deals that increase resources for urban entrepreneurs.

Lyneir is the Executive Director of the Center for Urban Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (CUEED) and an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in the Department of Management and Global Business at Rutgers Business School. Lyneir is also CEO of The Chicago TREND Corporation, a social enterprise funded by prestigious impact investors to stimulate and invest in urban retail development. Chicago TREND has raised over $17M of capital from impact investor.  It owns two shopping centers and has invested over $9M in commercial real estate in urban neighborhoods. 

Lyneir served as the Chief Executive Officer of the primary economic development corporation in Newark, NJ, for two different mayoral administrations. As Vice President of Urban Development at General Growth Properties, Inc., he led the national initiative to bring quality shopping centers to ethnic neighborhoods in large U.S. cities. Early in his career, Lyneir founded his first company and was named a U.S. Small Business Administration “Young Entrepreneur of the Year”. Lyneir started his career as a corporate attorney at the First National Bank of Chicago.

Lyneir graduated from Bradley University and the University of Chicago Law School.

William Rodgers, III, Ph.D.

Chief Economist, Heldrich Center for Workforce Development

William M. Rodgers III is professor of public policy and chief economist at the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Social Insurance, and serves as the Academy’s Board Chair. Rodgers also serves as Treasurer for the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. He is a Non-Resident Fellow at The Century Foundation and has served in many public capacities, including on President Obama’s Department of Labor transition team, and as chief economist at the US Department of Labor from 2000 to 2001. Rodgers also served on the US Board of United Way Worldwide and currently works on the Board of Trustees of McDaniel College. He just joined the Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank as a Visiting Scholar.  

Rodgers’ expertise on compensation, pay equity, diversity and inclusion, labor market and general economic trends is frequently called upon by journalists for articles in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Financial Times, and many other publications. He is a frequent guest on numerous television and radio talk shows: MSNBC, Yahoo Finance, CNBC, NPRs Marketplace, Weekend Edition, and America Amplified. 

Paul Silverman

Principal, SILVERMAN

Paul Silverman is a Principal of SILVERMAN, the real estate development company he and his brother, Eric, founded in 1981. SILVERMAN has restored historic landmarks, championed the development of mixed-use buildings, and created residential, commercial, office and industrial spaces. With an eye on the big picture, Paul works hard to build a neighborhood and not just build a building. Successfully searching for enthusiastic entrepreneurs, Paul has helped SILVERMAN attract a great variety of retail, restaurant, office and commercial tenants. These tenants bring so much vitality to SILVERMAN’s community-oriented neighborhoods in Jersey City. The company tag line fits; Building Neighborhoods. Paul is an active philanthropist, supporting many educational and Hudson County not-for-profits including New City Kids, Rising Tide Capital, Art House Productions, as well as Jersey City Public and Charter schools, NJCU and Hudson County Community College.

Darius Sollohub

Associate Professor, Hillier College of Arch & Design, NJIT

Darius Sollohub AIA is an award-winning architect and educator at NJIT who teaches architecture and planning courses, conducts funded research, and lectures and publishes on various design issues at multiple scales. His research focuses on design pedagogy, affordable housing, the evolution of retail, transit-oriented development, parking, earth art, and transportation systems. Darius’s book: Millennials in Architecture: Generations, Disruption, and the Legacy of a Profession was released in June of 2019. Darius has worked closely with many institutions and agencies including the National Endowment for the Arts, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and many New Jersey State agencies. He has collaborated extensively with the Regional Plan Association, the nation’s oldest independent planning organization, and serves on the RPA’s New Jersey and Transportation Committees. Darius has been involved in the recovery planning for New Orleans and helped lead NJIT post-Sandy efforts. He has advised the Newark NJ administrations of Mayors Cory Booker and Mayor Ras Baraka on housing, parking, bus rapid transit policies, and airport redevelopment. In 2010, he was awarded the NCARB Grand Prize for Creative Integration of Practice and Education in the Academy.

The Honorable Sean M. Spiller

Mayor, Township of Montclair

Mayor Sean M. Spiller was first elected to serve the residents of Montclair in May of 2012 as the Third Ward Councilor. Successfully running for Mayor, on July 1, 2020, he was sworn in as the 21st Mayor of Montclair. Since first being elected, he has worked hard to find creative ways to bring in new revenue for our town, to look for greater efficiencies and to solve our existing challenges. He currently serves on the township’s Economic Development Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Education Committee. He additionally previously served on the Board of School Estimate, the Public Safety Committee, and Montclair Business Improvement District (BID) board. Through those committees and normal Council action, he has worked to increase smart, green development in town – helping to reduce our tax burden and he has helped to implement a debt-reduction plan. A strong supporter of great public schools, Sean has pushed to maintain our dynamic school system and is helping to make our schools even stronger. Understanding the key role our businesses play in the vibrancy and long-term health of our Township, Mayor Spiller has sought balance in making Montclair more business-friendly while protecting the unique character of our community.

Sean is also a member of the Montclair NAACP, the League of Women Voters, and many other local groups and organizations. A graduate of Montville public schools, he completed undergraduate studies at Rutgers University (Rutgers College) and earned an MS degree from Ramapo College. Mayor Spiller is excited for the service ahead and will continue to look at everything through a lens of social justice, racial equality, positive public service policy, and fiscal responsibility.

Deb Tantleff

Founding Principal, TANTUM Real Estate

As Founding Principal of TANTUM Real Estate, Debra Tantleff operates a certified Women’s Business Enterprise boutique development and advisory firm focused on creating vibrant multi-family and mixed-use communities in the New Jersey region. Prior to founding TANTUM, Ms. Tantleff was a Vice President of Development at Roseland Property Company, where she established a highly-acclaimed reputation for delivering exceptional mixed-use projects, with a portfolio that grew to more than 5,000 residential units and 200,000 square feet of retail space. Ms. Tantleff serves as Builder Vice President to the New Jersey Builders Association (NJBA) and as a member of the Executive Committee at the Center for Real Estate at Rutgers Business School; she sits on the Board of Trustees for the Meadowlands Regional 2040 Foundation and the Board of Directors for Downtown New Jersey. She has been listed on ROI-NJ’s Real Estate Influencers List, named a “Top Forty Under 40” both by Real Estate Forum and NJBiz, and received the Women Builders Council’s Outstanding Women Award. She has also been recognized numerous times by the National Association of Home Builders and the NJBA, including twice being awarded the Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Political Action and the Special Service Industry Award. An honors graduate from Rutgers University, Ms. Tantleff holds a B.A.S. from the School of Communication and Information Studies. She holds a Masters in Real Estate Finance from the Schack Institute of Real Estate at New York University.

Ms. Tantleff is a member of the Downtown New Jersey Board of Trustees.

Bob Zuckerman

Executive Director, Downtown Westfield

Bob is the Executive Director of the Downtown Westfield Corporation, serving in this position since March, 2020. Bob is also a member of the South Orange Board of Trustees, where he was elected in May, 2019. Bob served from 2013-2019 as the Executive Director of the South Orange Village Center Alliance (“SOVCA”), the nonprofit organization that manages the special improvement district for downtown South Orange. Bob is a graduate of Livingston High School, received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Emory University and a law degree from American University. After spending a number of years living in Brooklyn and Manhattan, Bob, along with his husband Grant Neumann, a Vice-President of Random House, returned to his Essex County roots in 2014 to make a new home in South Orange.

Bob presided over the opening of over two-dozen new businesses during his tenure at SOVCA, and personally recruited many of those businesses, including Pet Wants SOMA which he co-owns. Prior to leading SOVCA Bob served as Executive Director of the Lower East Side Business Improvement District in New York City, where he led that organization’s efforts to attract more shoppers, diners, businesses, and investment in one of the city’s most rapidly changing neighborhoods.

Bob is the President of the Downtown New Jersey Board of Trustees.

Jonathan Tyler

Senior Associate, Gensler

Jonathan Tyler is a retail architect and Senior Associate in Genlser’s Morristown office, he also serves on the board of directors for Downtown NJ. Trained as an architect in London, Jonathan has a keen interest in in how downtowns function as community hubs and the level of environmental sustainability they potentially offer. Since 2010 Jonathan has established himself in Gensler’s retail practice area as client liaison and design manager for several high-profile international retail clients as well as providing design services for local businesses within the state. His experience ranges from small one-off projects through to ‘one-off’ international hub flagship stores. Jonathan is Gensler’s NE regional retail practice area leader.

Jonathan is Vice President of the Downtown New Jersey Board of Trustees.