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TRENTON – Gov. Phil Murphy issued Executive Order 131 April 28, creating a 21-person Restart and Recovery Commission, a blue-ribbon panel of CEOs, ex-cabinet secretaries, prominent economists, and even an ex-chairman of the Federal Reserve. The commission was appointed to advise the governor on how to restart the New Jersey economy in ways that maintain public health and still position the state for a sound recovery.
The credentials assembled on the expert panel were never in doubt, but some felt that South Jersey, and especially Cape May County, had unique needs that required the county to push for a seat at the table as the state’s recovery was mapped out. South Jersey was conspicuously unrepresented on the commission.
By May 8, Murphy issued Executive Order 140, creating a complimentary advisory group, a Restart and Recovery Council, with broad representation from across the state and spanning nine distinct industry subcommittees. With three co-chairs and 289 individuals appointed, the council is as large as it is diverse.
The smallest of the industry subcommittees is professional services, with 26 members. The largest is facilities and construction, with 40. The other seven include government (33 members), healthcare (32), Main Street (30), manufacturing and supply chain (31), tourism and entertainment (27), social services and faith (31) and transportation and infrastructure (39).
Cape May County gained some representation in the recovery process, with four appointments to the Tourism and Entertainment Subcommittee:
- Curtis Bashaw, owner and operator of Congress Hall and several other tourist attractions and properties in Cape May City.
- Vicki Clark, of the New Jersey Tourism Industry Association, and better known in the county as president of the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce.
- Will Morey, of Morey’s Piers, in Wildwood, and also freeholder and co-chair of the county’s Recovery Initiative Task Force.
- Brendan Sciarra, owner of county restaurants and a Wildwood brewery, also county Democratic Committee chairman.
The three co-chairs of the newly-appointed council are State Secretary of Education Zakiya Smith Ellis, Economic Development Authority Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan and president and chief executive officer of Choice NJ, Jose Lazano. The nearly 300 person council will begin virtual subcommittee meetings immediately.
Murphy explained the role of the new council as a “statewide group of leaders” who will help the state “gather local intelligence” vital to getting the economy running again. He also said he would look to the group “to create a framework for coping with new long-term economic realities.”
In terms of the relationship of the commission and the council, Murphy’s order creating the council emphasizes the larger body’s role, representing “diverse stakeholder across a number of economic sectors,” a group able “to provide insight into the unique facets of the New Jersey economy and society.”
The smaller commission with its national expertise was hand-picked by the governor to advise him on restart strategies.
The larger council with its industry-specific expertise and with membership that boasts roots in the Garden State will focus on the individual challenges in the economy’s many sectors. Other than the appointment of the three co-chairs, the governor personally selected many members of the council. That task was specifically left to Sullivan, in the executive order. What was not discussed in the orders that established either group is how an emerging strategy will manage to wed the two approaches.
In her remarks upon being named a co-chair, Ellis hinted at yet another group that may enter the planning arena. She referred to “a group of higher education leaders who will consider the role of higher education in the state’s recovery effort.”
The council’s immediate task is to focus on the short-term issues involved in the restart of the economy. Its other role, according to the governor, is to position the economy for long-term recovery.
“We understand that we need a smart, granular approach to recovery,” Murphy said. “How you reopen a restaurant at the Shore is different from how you restart a factory in South Jersey.”
No timetable was provided for either the work of the commission or the council. The governor promised hard dates on the reopening soon. The council may have the added task of advising on a restart that begins as it convenes.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.
