NJ Chamber elects Dahms as board chairman

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The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce board of directors announced the election June 6 of Gary Dahms as its new chairman.

Dahms, president, CEO and chairman of Middletown-based T&M Associates, has served as first vice chair for the past two years and has been a member of the board since 2011.

He succeeds Jim Fakult, president of Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), and will serve a two-year term.

“I’m proud to have served as a New Jersey Chamber of Commerce board member over the past 12 years, working alongside some of the best and brightest business leaders in the Garden State,” said Dahms in a press release. “I am honored to take on the role of chairman, and I look forward to expanding our DEI initiatives while cooperating with businesses and higher education institutions to address our labor shortage.”

“We are extremely fortunate to have Gary’s leadership at this crucial time,” said Tom Bracken, president and CEO of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. “Gary has long been a powerful supporter of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, the business community and the State of New Jersey. Gary’s experience and dedication will serve the Chamber and New Jersey well.”

In addition to spearheading the growth of T&M Associates for 37 years from a municipal engineering firm into a national, multi-disciplined engineering firm with 350 employees nationwide, Dahms also sits on the board of directors for the New Jersey Alliance for Action, serves as vice president and trustee at HabCore, and sits on the board of trustees for the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

As he takes the helm, Dahms acknowledged his predecessor’s leadership tenure, especially navigating the challenges of COVID-19.

“Throughout the onset and peak of a pandemic that challenged us in ways we never could have imagined, our business community showed incredible resilience, and I applaud Jim Fakult’s exceptional board leadership during this time,” said Dahms.

In addition to the election of Dahms, the board also announced another set of moves:

Confirmed slate of officers for the 2023-2025 term

• First Vice Chair – Gil Medina, executive vice president, CBRE
• Second Vice Chair – Lisa Chowansky, president, HC Constructors
• Treasurer – Walter Brasch, chief success officer, Prager Metis
• Secretary – Ted Zangari, chair, Redevelopment Law & Public Policy Practice Group, Sills Cummis & Gross
• Immediate Past Chair – Jim Fakult, president, JCP&L

Confirmed new Executive Committee members for the 2023-2025 term

• Samuel Donelson, senior vice president, AECOM
• Mike Reagan, senior vice president, consulting services, CGI
• Diane Wasser, partner-in-charge, New Jersey, EisnerAmper

Confirmed new board members

• Erica Drozd, vice president of financial planning & analysis and management reporting, Quest Diagnostics
• Mark McDonough, president, New Jersey American Water
• Brian McEvily, managing director & marketing executive, JPMorgan Chase

“Working together, the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and its members will lead the way in preparing New Jersey for its next phase of economic growth,” said Dahms.