Featured Speaker:

Bernard Baumohl 

Chief Global Economist Bernard Baumohl is Chief Global Economist at The Economic Outlook Group. He is well known for being ahead of the curve in assessing the direction of the U.S. and world economy. The Wall Street Journal ranked him the most accurate forecaster in a major national survey of economists. Mr. Baumohl began his career with the Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank specializing in international affairs and national security. He later served as senior economist at European American Bank with responsibilities to monitor the global economy. Mr. Baumohl was also an award-winning journalist with TIME magazine who covered the White House, Federal Reserve and Wall Street. He is the author of an international best seller, The Secrets of Economic Indicators: Hidden Clues to Future Economic Trends and Investment Opportunities. The book is in its 3rd edition and has been translated into multiple languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Russian, and German. A sought out speaker with an ability to translate complex economic concepts into plain English, Mr. Baumohl frequently makes keynote presentations before conferences, corporate boards and legislatures on the economic and geopolitical outlook. He has lectured at NYU, Duke University and Florida Gulf Coast University, and served as a regular commentator on TV’s Nightly Business Report. Mr. Baumohl is a member of the Wall Street Journal Economic Forecast Panel and his projections on the economy and geopolitical risks are frequently cited in the news media. He holds an M.A. in International Affairs and Economics from Columbia University. 

André Béliveau 

André Béliveau is the Senior Manager of Energy Policy at the Commonwealth Foundation.  

André leads the Commonwealth Foundation’s energy and environmental policy initiatives in Pennsylvania and with our national partners. Before joining the Commonwealth Foundation, he served as a policy advisor in the North Carolina General Assembly and as the strategic projects and government affairs manager for the John Locke Foundation—where he now concurrently serves as a visiting fellow.  

In 2021, André was the chief advisor on a transformative, bipartisan energy bill signed into law to secure a reliable and affordable energy future for North Carolina. His work in North Carolina, both in the legislature and at Locke, was instrumental in achieving legislative victories in energy policy, Second Amendment rights, regulatory reform, and election integrity.  

André holds an MA in Government with an honors thesis from Johns Hopkins University and is a Marist College graduate with a BA cum laude in History. His academic expertise includes American political development, conservatism, political thought and history, American governance, early American history, and intellectual history. He regularly comments on contemporary and historical political topics and aims to provide analysis that bridges the gap between theory and practice.  

He is a member of the American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network and an alumnus of the State Policy Network Generation Liberty Fellowship and the E.A. Morris Fellowship for Emerging Leaders. 

Thad D. Calabrese Ph. D. 

Professor Calabrese is a Professor of Public and Nonprofit Financial Management at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University where he currently serves as the head of the school’s finance specialization. 

He has published academic articles on public and nonprofit pensions, operating reserves, and debt issuance, among other topics. Professor Calabrese served as the Chair for the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management and as a member of the Governmental Accounting Standards Advisory Council. He also served as the Treasurer for the Association for Research on Nonprofit and Voluntary Action. Prior to academia, Professor Calabrese worked in the City of New York’s Office of Management and Budget and as a financial consultant for healthcare organizations. 

Professor Calabrese is a co-author of the GSI report Toward a Fiscally Sustainable New Jersey: Analysis & Recommendations which was issued in September 2021. In addition, he authored New Jersey’s Fiscal Cliff Explained for GSI which was published in 2023. 

Anthony Cimino 

A business executive, long-time government leader and former elected public official, Skip Cimino brings over three decades of experience to his representation of clients before the New Jersey state legislature and executive branch. Skip has served in chief executive and other leadership roles for a number of significant New Jersey institutions. As President and CEO of RWJ Hamilton, an acute care hospital with more than 1,800 employees, he strategized the acquisition of surgical and specialty care units, developed a $200 million revenue stream to ensure the long-term stability of the organization, and enhanced the services and marketability of the institution. He also served as President and Chief Administrative officer of CMX Engineering the successor firm to Schoor DePalma, a multi-state engineering firm, and served on the Board of Directors of Spiezle Architectural Group and First Bank. Skip also has a deep background in New Jersey’s public sector. Immediately prior to joining Stevens & Lee Public Affairs, he was Executive Director to the New Jersey General Assembly Majority Office, advising the Speaker and leadership on policy, research and outreach program efforts. Earlier in his career, he served as an Assemblyman of the 14th Legislative District for the State of New Jersey, worked on the gubernatorial transition teams for Governor McGreevey and Governor Florio, and was Commissioner of Personnel on Governor Florio’s Cabinet. As an advocate for his home state and neighborhoods, Skip has led many non-profit, philanthropic and community organizations focused on the region’s economic advancement and well-being. He is Chairman Emeritus of Greater Trenton and Immediate Past Chair of the Princeton Area Community Foundation, and he has helped to lead the Mercer County Chamber of Commerce, the Independent College Fund Foundation of New Jersey, and the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey, among numerous others. 

Regina Egea 

Regina M. Egea is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Garden State Initiative (GSI), an independent research and educational organization dedicated to promoting new investment, innovation and economic growth in New Jersey. She brings diverse private and public sector leadership experience to the organization’s mission and among many honors been recognized as one of NJBIZ magazine’s Best 50 Women in Business in 2019; ROI-NJ’s Influencers Power List 2019 – 2023; ROI Women in Business 2023 and InsiderNJ’s Top 100 Policymakers 2021. 

Previously, Regina enjoyed a 30-year career at AT&T, holding leadership positions with expanding responsibility in Product Management, Network Operations, Human Resources, and Sales & Marketing. In her final year, as Senior Vice President in Global Business Marketing, she led a globally diverse workforce supporting AT&T’s business sales force to deliver on revenue goals and numerous new product introductions. 

While working at AT&T, Regina was involved in her community, being elected to her hometown’s School Board of Education (2003-2007) and then to the Township Committee (2008-2012), serving as Deputy Mayor in 2010. 

Regina served as Governor Chris Christie’s Chief of Staff from 2015 to 2016.  She joined the Christie Administration in 2010, first as the State Treasurer’s Chief of Staff, where she was instrumental in pension reforms enacted in 2011, and then was brought into the Governor’s Office as Director of the Authorities Unit in 2012. 

Regina earned an M.B.A. in Marketing from Fordham University and a B.A. from Montclair State University. Regina previously completed the International Executive Program at the International Institute for Management in Lausanne, Switzerland and more recently completed Harvard University’s Women on Boards program in 2018. 

Regina serves on the board of the Friends of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. 

She and her husband, Emilio, have two grown children.

Christopher Emigholz 

Christopher “Chris” Emigholz is the Chief Government Affairs Officer of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA), the largest, most impactful statewide organization representing New Jersey businesses. 

Before his promotion to Chief Government Affairs Officer, Emigholz served as NJBIA’s vice president of Government Affairs covering taxation, budget and economic development. Prior to coming to NJBIA, Emigholz worked in state government for 10 years. He was a budget director for the State Senate Republican Office for eight years and directed education policy and legislative affairs in the New Jersey Department of Education prior to that. This is his second stint at NJBIA, having served for years as the association’s workforce development and education lobbyist earlier in his career. He was also a teacher through the Teach For America program in a high school in Atlanta, Georgia, and community liaison/volunteer coordinator for an elementary school in Baltimore City. 

Emigholz earned a Master of Public Policy degree from Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Johns Hopkins University. He currently lives in Robbinsville, New Jersey with his wife and three children. Emigholz is active in the community, having served on the school board, the economic development advisory council and currently volunteering as a youth sports coach. 

Gail Gordon 

Gail is an attorney and President of GBGordon Associates. Her diverse clients include a telecommunications Fortune 500 giant, beverage company White Claw, a movie studio and prominent real estate firms. Impressive crisis communications expertise, legal skills and unique knowledge of government established her on NJ “most powerful” lists for more than a decade. Equally inspiring is her service as Trustee of Hackensack Meridian Health, Commissioner of the NJ Sports & Exposition Authority, board member for not-for-profit Community Options, assisting persons with severe disabilities, and the Advisory Board of Provident Bank. She is Finance Vice Chair for gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli. Gail takes pride in mentoring young women, speaking and teaching at FDU, Rutgers, Yale Campaign School and Berkeley College. Married to former state Senator Bob Gordon earned them the title as the “Carville and Matelin of New Jersey.” She is recipient of numerous awards, including the CIANJ “Women of Influence” award.  

Brent Johnson 

Brent Johnson is a political reporter in the Statehouse bureau of The Star-Ledger and NJ.com, covering the governor and state Legislature. He has worked at the bureau since 2013 and won multiple state journalism awards, including for his work on the COVID-19 pandemic and Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration. Before that, he covered both local news and sports for the company and wrote about James Madison University sports for The Daily News-Record in Harrisonburg, Va. He grew up in Central Jersey (yes, it’s real) and graduated from Rutgers University with degrees in journalism and American Studies. You can follow him on Twitter at @johnsb01 and email him at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. 

Greg Lalevee 

Greg Lalevee rose through the ranks of the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 825, and was elected Business Manager in 2010 – representing over 7,000 men and women throughout New Jersey and New York’s lower Hudson Valley. A second-generation operating engineer, he worked as a crane operator from 1984 through 2000 when he became Local 825’s first organizer. In his role as Business Manager, he champions creating opportunities for members through direct advocacy and keeps a laser focus of regional economic development. Mr. Lalevee also serves as a Vice President on the International Union of Operating Engineers’ General Executive Board. 

Under his leadership, Local 825 orchestrated several changes and transactions to strengthen the union’s financial footing, consolidate its membership and establish a new labor-management coalition, all while taking every opportunity to relentlessly pursue job opportunities for his members.Greg has always believed that growing the economy as a whole is the best way to grow the building trades for the future. Through his efforts, Local 825 training centers in 2018 will become accredited two-year technical colleges with apprentices receiving associated degrees upon completions of training – a program founded by Lalevee and found nowhere else in the nation. 

In 2010 he was appointed by then Gov. Chris Christie to serve on the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority and serves as Vice Chairman. He is on the Executive Committee of ChooseNJ and is a trustee of NJ SEED. He is a vice president of the N.J. Building Trades and a member of the State of New Jersey’s Licensed Crane Operators Advisory Board. He also served on Governor Phil Murphy’s Transition Team focusing on Workforce Development. 

Lalevee’s leadership during the 2016 New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund crisis garnered him state-wide notoriety – with his efforts being recognized by NAIOP New Jersey, ROI Magazine, NJ SEED and landed him a place on PolitickerNJ’s PowerList. 

Mr. Lalevee lives in Bridgewater, New Jersey. He and his wife Tricia are raising a blended family of six children. 

Audrey Lane 

Audrey Lane is a public relations and communications professional focused on positive change through strong policy. She is known for her advocacy and creative awareness campaigns working with grassroots organizations, legislators, and organizations at the local and state level. 

Lane previously held the role of Executive Director for Jersey1st where she developed campaigns for New Jersey families and businesses focused on issues including education, overregulation, and community safety. Lane worked directly with state legislators to positively impact the lives of people with disabilities in New Jersey as the state emerged from the pandemic shutdowns. 

Simultaneously, Lane served as a Council member in her hometown of Mountain Lakes, NJ as a member of the Financial Advisory Committee, Environmental Commission, Planning and Zoning Boards, Community Development, Woodlands Committee and Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. She also volunteers on a regular basis supporting the senior citizens community in Mountain Lakes. 

Lane has served as Communications Director and Campaign Manager on a New Jersey congressional campaign and local council campaigns throughout the state and previously owned a small retail business. She was named as a “2022 Right Women to Watch” by Save Jersey Media and was selected as member to American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network in 2021. 

Lane graduated from Johns Hopkins University where she was a student athlete and a recipient of the Louis Azrael Fellowship in Communications. She currently lives in Mountain Lakes, NJ with her husband and has three children who attend colleges and universities on the east coast. 

Anthony Russo 

Anthony Russo is president of the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey (CIANJ), a business association representing the interests of more than 900 companies.  In this capacity, Mr. Russo is responsible for all aspects of the association.  Mr. Russo is also the CEO and publisher of COMMERCE Magazine.  COMMERCE magazine is a business to business magazine with a readership of more than 40,000 professionals.   

Prior to his current position, Mr. Russo served as Executive Vice President of Government Affairs and Communications for CIANJ as well as Deputy Executive Director of the National Lime Association in Washington, DC representing the interests of mining companies producing calcium oxide (aka lime) at the federal level. 

Mr. Russo started his career at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection as a senior engineer issuing water quality permits.  He then spent 5 years as an environmental consultant working for two firms, GES and ERM.  He began his government affairs career when he served as Director of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs for the Chemistry Council of NJ, representing chemical and pharmaceutical companies in Trenton on legislative and environmental matters. 

Mr. Russo is a graduate of the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) with a degree in mechanical engineering. 

Mark Schottinger 

In his roles as President and Chief Legal Officer, Mark oversees Solar Landscape’s legal, policy, new products and subscriber acquisition functions. 

Mark pioneered the commercial rooftop solar lease structure that has now become the industry standard and is considered one of the preeminent legal experts on the national expansion of front-of-meter solar energy models. He speaks regularly to national policy and commercial real estate audiences about how commercial rooftop solar projects can quickly and efficiently meet the country’s growing energy demands. 

Solar Landscape has deployed more than 500 megawatts of renewable energy projects – totaling over $1.5 billion in capital investment – and leased 150 million square feet of commercial rooftops. It now employs over 300 employees in 20 states across the country. 

The company was named Inc. Magazine’s Best in Business in 2024 and the #1 Distributed Generation developer by New Project Media. Solar Landscape was recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy for advancing clean energy and workforce development. 

Prior to joining Solar Landscape, Mark practiced law at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Washington, DC, and earned his law and undergraduate degrees from the University of Virginia. 

Charles Steindel, Ph.D. 

Charles Steindel, Ph.D. is a contributor of analysis on economic issues and government data reports reflecting the health of New Jersey’s economy. Dr. Steindel most recently served as a Resident Scholar of the Anisfield School of Business at Ramapo College. He was previously Chief Economist of the New Jersey Department of the Treasury and, earlier, a Senior Vice President at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Emory and his Ph.D. from MIT. 

Dr. Steindel’s work is highly regarded in New Jersey and across the nation. In the words of Janet Yellen, former Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank, and current Secretary of the Treasury, “Charles Steindel is a pro. He guided the Federal Reserve for decades on the interpretation of U.S. economic statistics.” Former New Jersey Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff similarly praised Dr. Steindel’s work, noting “As the New Jersey Department of the Treasury’s first Chief Economist, Dr. Charles Steindel leveraged his experience and deep understanding of economic context to curate dry, frustratingly limited, and easily misinterpreted data series into important, practical insight for New Jersey’s policymakers dealing with everything from annual budget planning to Superstorm Sandy recovery.” 

Senator Doug Steinhardt 

Doug Steinhardt is a named partner at Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton & Taylor. He is a highly successful and experienced litigator with a strong record of favorable verdicts and settlements. Doug is licensed in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and handles a variety of matters including litigation, land use, commercial transactions, labor and employment, and family law. 

He is the State Senator for the 23rd legislative district, having taken office in December 2022.  Senator Steinhardt previously served as Mayor of Lopatcong Township from 2000 to 2015, and as Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee from 2017 to 2020. 

Senator Steinhardt received his BA from Gettysburg College and JD from Widener University School of Law. 

Doug and his wife Trudy live in Lopatcong Township with their dog and two children.