I was honored to be selected by the NJBIA Board of Trustees to serve as President, succeeding Joseph E. Gonzalez, Jr, who served this Association so well. I want to utilize my first column to introduce myself and share some of my thoughts about what I hope to accomplish for our members.

I have over 25 years of experience in association management, representing the interests of associations before the state Legislature. For the last 12 years, I have worked for NJBIA, most recently as executive vice president.

Over the years at NJBIA, I have had the pleasure of meeting thousands of New Jersey employers. Because it was my job to represent the members of the Association before the Legislature, I thought it was important to get to know as many members as possible and what they stood for. I quickly learned that New Jersey has a business community of which it can be very proud.

I appreciate and recognize how difficult it is to run a business in New Jersey. I know how dedicated and committed our members are to running their businesses. Employers overwhelmingly provide good products and services at reasonable prices, treat their employees well, and support organizations in their communities. Many people do not understand how difficult it is to operate a business. Some in the Legislature and media think that the money just comes rolling in to employers without any financial risks being taken. I pledge to you that NJBIA will work hard to give legislators, the media and the public a better understanding of what the business community contributes to New Jersey and the challenges you face.

In the Legislature, NJBIA will stand up for businesses and work to create the best business climate possible. It is important for the continued growth of the economy of New Jersey that we have a system of government that either helps the business community grow or at least does not put obstacles in its way.

NJBIA will continue to tell the Legislature that healthcare costs are exploding and need to be brought under control. We will tell them corporate business taxes and local property taxes need to be kept low so businesses can keep and invest more of their money within their companies, instead of feeding a government bureaucracy that often does little to help them. NJBIA will also continue to demand that all employers, not just unionized companies, get an equal opportunity to obtain state and local government contracts.

However, it is most important that NJBIA be relevant to its members. The Association wants to provide employers with services that meet their needs. I will be very active in reaching out to our members and finding out more about the services and programs they want. Please let me know what NJBIA can do for your company. Are we lobbying on the right issues? Are we providing the seminars and information that you need?

In conclusion, I would like the Association to be a place that you can reach out to when your business needs assistance. We should be a central information resource and provide seminars and information that are relevant to our member employers. We must also lobby effectively on issues that are important to the business community.

These are some of my initial thoughts as I begin serving you. Please contact me at New Jersey Business & Industry Association, 102 W. State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608-1199 or send an e-mail to pkirschner@njbia.org to let me know your thoughts.
 

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