On the Move: Tilghman, Management Moves, and More

Tilghman, Besser Named to State Commission

Former Princeton University president Shirley Tilghman, a molecular biologist, has been named a co-chair of Gov. Phil Murphy’s Restart and Recovery Commission along with Merck CEO Ken Frazier.

“Reinvigorating the economy of New Jersey while protecting the safety and health of its residents is the most important challenge we now face,” Tilghman said in a statement when the commission was announced.

Several other members of the 16-member group tasked with charting a path to reopen the state and restart its economy have connections to the Princeton region. They include Richard Besser, a Princeton native and former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control who is now CEO of the College Road East-based Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (U.S. 1, January 31, 2018), and Ben Bernanke, a former professor and chair of the economics department at Princeton University and former chair of the Federal Reserve.

NJM, Princeton University Announce Relief Funds

NJM Insurance Group, 301 Sullivan Way, West Trenton 08628. 609-883-1300. Mitch Livingston, president and CEO. www.njm.com.

West Trenton-based NJM Insurance Group announced that it was committing $400,000 to COVID-19 relief efforts. The funds will go to nonprofits, healthcare providers and emergency responders, and statewide efforts in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The group has also donated 15,000 pieces of personal protective equipment and provided warehouse space to the Mercer Street Friends food bank.

“Community support and corporate giving are essential in times of challenge and uncertainty,” NJM president and CEO Mitch Livingston said in a press release. “Our commitment to these relief efforts is rooted in NJM’s core principles. During this very difficult time we will remain true to our pledge to support the communities we are privileged to serve.”

Princeton University, 1 Nassau Hall, Princeton 08544. Christopher Eisgruber, president. www.princeton.edu.

Princeton University also announced the establishment of a $1 million relief fund to be disbursed to entities that provide grants and other direct support to organizations, businesses, and families.

“Many local families, service organizations, and businesses are struggling as a result of the pandemic. Princeton has been actively engaged in early efforts to alleviate pressing needs, and we believe there will be an opportunity to continue to do so over the long term as the response continues,” said President Christopher L. Eisgruber. “The iniversity is proud to be a member of the local community. At this critical time, we want to find ways to support those who serve our closest neighbors.”

Part of the fund has already been allocated to ongoing relief efforts. The university gave $400,000 to the Princeton Area Community Foundation’s COVID Relief Fund, which supports community organizations, and $100,000 to the Princeton Children’s Fund, which provides financial support for economically disadvantaged families and individuals.

More information on the university’s response to COVID-19 can be found at www.princeton.edu/content/covid-19-coronavirus-information.

Goldsmith Named PU Engineering Dean

Princeton University has appointed Andrea Goldsmith as dean of its School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. She replaces Emily Carter, who left the university in September, 2019, for a position at UCLA.

Goldsmith is currently a professor of electrical engineering at Stanford, where she is an expert on information theory and communications. She was also the co-founder and chief technology officer of Quantenna Communications, which produces chips for high-speed WiFi. She also co-founded Plume WiFi, which sells WiFi mesh networks.

She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in electrical engineering at the University of California-Berkeley.

“Andrea Goldsmith brings tremendous expertise and leadership to Princeton,” said Princeton president Christopher Eisgruber. “She is a brilliant and creative scholar, a successful entrepreneur, and a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in the academy and industry.”

Goldsmith will start at Princeton on September 1.

Management Moves

Preservation New Jersey Inc., 310 West State Street, Trenton 08618. 609-392-6409. Emily Manz, executive director. www.preservationnj.org.

Emily Manz has been named executive director of Trenton-based Preservation New Jersey, a statewide member-supported nonprofit that promotes the economic vitality, sustainability, and heritage of New Jersey’s diverse communities through advocacy and education on historic preservation.

Manz, an economic development and tourism professional with a master’s in city and regional planning from the Edward J. Bloustein School at Rutgers, succeeds Courtenay Mercer, who had served in the role since 2017.

“It’s been a rewarding experience working with a group of dedicated volunteers working to preserve NJ’s historic resources for generations to come,” Mercer said in a statement. “I know I am leaving the organization in good hands with Emily, whom I have admired for a number of years for her energy in marketing and promoting NJ’s downtowns.”

Barton Ross, president of the Preservation New Jersey board of trustees, stated, “We are very excited to welcome Emily, who is already familiar with PNJ’s work and brings a wealth of nonprofit leadership, place branding, and event planning experience, which we hope to capitalize on as we continue to move the organization forward.”

Manz started her career at Newark’s economic development agency before transitioning to work in economic development consulting. She founded her own company, EMI Strategy, based in Newark, and also co-founded Have You Met Newark Tours, which offers fun, informative tours of Newark’s history and current vibrancy to residents, visitors, students, and corporate clients.

“I am excited to bring my deep-rooted appreciation for learning, understanding and sharing American history and a wealth of experience in events, tourism, and planning to this role,” Manz said in a statement.

Garden State Pharmacy Owners, 44 West Taylor Avenue, Hamilton 08610. 609-439-0860. Brian Oliveira, executive director. www.gspo.org.

Brian Oliveira has been named executive director of Garden State Pharmacy Owners, an association of independently owned pharmacies. He replaces Marty Miller, who had served in the role since 2014.

Oliveira earned his doctor of pharmacy degree from Rutgers in 2009 and has served on the GSPO board since 2016. He was most recently president of Baker’s Pharmacy in Sussex.

Billtrust, 1009 Lenox Drive, Lawrenceville 08648. 609-235-1010. Flint Lane, founder and CEO. www.billtrust.com

Billtrust, the Lenox Drive-based provider of automated invoicing systems, has named Jay Johnson as senior vice president of sales.

Johnson was most recently senior vice president of sales for data management software company Syncsort.

“Jay has been successful in several roles within diverse enterprise software companies, and his go-to-market expertise and demonstrated success scaling sales organizations will be a great addition to our strong team,” Billtrust founder and CEO Flint Lane said in a statement.