Christie Names Ferzan to Manage Sandy Recovery

TRENTON – Taking a critical step forward in the recovery and rebuilding of New Jersey communities in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Governor Chris Christie today tasked Marc Ferzan to manage Hurricane Sandy Recovery efforts within the Office of the Governor. Mr. Ferzan will be responsible for directing the vital task of overseeing and coordinating Governor Christie’s long-term recovery efforts for New Jersey in cooperation with all federal, state, local, private, and non-governmental partners.
Mr. Ferzan’s first task will be assembling a core team to guide this effort and the different areas of focus that require long-term strategic planning. Additionally, Mr. Ferzan will begin to immediately work with Governor Christie’s Cabinet, state personnel, federal and local governments and sources outside of government to bring together all information and resources established since Hurricane Sandy to build on and effectively execute the rebuilding efforts for the State of New Jersey.
“The magnitude of the challenges we have faced from Hurricane Sandy was met in equal measure with the bravery and selflessness of first responders and public servants, the resilience of families, and our collective hope to move forward, rebuild, and restore our state. We have a long way to go to rebuild, but the people of New Jersey have already shown that we are ready to meet the challenge,” said Governor Christie. “This will not be an easy task, but it is a top priority of my Administration. To make steady progress and to ensure our commitment to our communities that have been devastated by the storm, I’m naming Marc Ferzan, a smart, proven and capable manager, to bring people and government together, build consensus, and effectively handle the many facets of this effort moving forward. I thank him for returning to the service of our state in this critical role.”
In addition, Governor Christie announced the retention of Witt Associates, a team with vast experience in disaster recovery and large scale mitigation management, to assist in the long-term rebuilding process. James Witt is a special advisor to the State of Louisiana, assisting with the nation’s largest long term recovery effort in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and previously served as FEMA director under President Bill Clinton. Witt Associates will provide strategic support to the state in all facets of recovery and mitigation; resources for appropriate resolution services to assist in the state reconstruction; and senior level consultation in all facets of the intermediate and long term recovery process.
Mr. Ferzan will be returning to public service from PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisory, where he is a Managing Director in the firm’s investigative consulting practice. He is an experienced manager and attorney who previously worked for and coordinated with various state and federal agencies for more than fifteen years in government practice. Between January of 2010 and June of 2012, Marc served as part of the front office management team at the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General as Executive Assistant Attorney General. There, he was responsible for helping to manage a staff of more than 8,000 employees, and providing legal and policy guidance on a broad range of civil and regulatory matters to the Attorney General, as well as the Governor and Lt. Governor, senior statehouse staff, and executive-level management of all departments of New Jersey State government.
“There is no more important task for New Jersey at this moment than to ensure that our families, neighborhoods, and communities recover and rebuild from the destruction of Hurricane Sandy,” said Marc Ferzan. “I am honored to have the opportunity to return to public service under the leadership of Governor Christie. I share the strength of his commitment and advocacy for the victims of the storm and am dedicated to ensuring that New Jersey emerges from Sandy even stronger, more resilient, and more economically robust.”
Critical among his duties, Mr. Ferzan will be charged with collecting an inventory of all available public and private funding source for rebuilding and examining strategies to ensure their most effective deployment, factiliating the development and execution of plans in a strategic, well-coordinated and efficient manner, and ensuring that the development of rebuilding and recovery plans will include consideration of Mitigation Strategies so that New Jersey communities rebuild in ways that will be more resistant to future weather events. This analysis will touch on a broad range of complex issues that relate to Housing and Community Planning, Infrastructure Repair and Restoration, Education, Healthcare and Social Services, Businesses and Workforce Revitalization, and the State’s many Natural And Cultural Resources.
Before joining the Attorney General’s Office, Mr. Ferzan served for more than 8 years as a federal prosecutor with the U.S Attorney’s Office in New Jersey where he held various leadership positions, including Chief of the Commercial Crimes Unit, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, and Acting Deputy and Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney. He also previously served as a Trial Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Tax Division and a Senior Counsel with the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement. Marc received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1989 from Rutgers College and his law degree in 1992 from Fordham University School of Law.