COVER STORY
CIANJ Means Business : A Conversation with Chairman of the Board Richard W . Abramson
CIANJ ’ s mission is to make the state a better place to live and work and is committed to advancing free enterprise .
By Diane C . Walsh Contributing Editor
Richard W . Abramson took over as chairman of the Commerce and Industry
Association of New Jersey ( CIANJ ) two years ago with his mind set on rebranding its magazine , COMMERCE , and creating a new digital version .
Little did he know that history would have other ideas for his legacy .
COMMERCE is CIANJ ’ s flagship publication and it brings news , best practices and feature stories to members , their clients and key New Jersey business leaders . Abramson wanted to expand its scope with a dynamic new electronic product .
He tapped board members for their input by establishing a special committee . He stoked the magazine staff ’ s enthusiasm and drew on the advice of industry consultants . Finally , in April , the first sleek digital issue of COMMERCE was delivered to thousands of in-boxes .
The expertly designed digital publication was the perfect complement to its well-respected print sister . Abramson ’ s pride is easily apparent to anybody who talks with him . He wanted it to be his legacy . Abramson expects , however , he will be best known as the CIANJ chairman at the helm during the height of the COVID‐19 pandemic .
Like so many businesses , CIANJ was upended by COVID‐19 . The restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the deadly virus left CIANJ unable to host its popular networking and educational programs . It struck at the organization ’ s core — live meetings and events for its members .
“ I didn ’ t want the organization after more than 90 years to go under on my watch ,” Abramson frankly admitted . He and Anthony Russo , the president of CIANJ , quickly recognized the dire reality and kept in contact almost daily to devise a survival strategy . “ We talked through every scenario and possibility . Together we devised plans to adapt and restructure ,” Russo said . They pivoted the organization from in-person to virtual events . It kept CIANJ relevant by providing value to members . CIANJ also concentrated on keeping members apprised of news and developments from Trenton and Washington , D . C ., while making certain that state and federal leaders heard the concerns of the business community .
CIANJ ’ s leadership team modeled various scenarios and reduced costs where appropriate without sacrificing member services . Abramson said CIANJ ’ s early decisions have well positioned the organization to survive the pandemic .
Abramson ’ s commitment to CIANJ goes back to 1984 when he started his career as an attorney for the Cole Schotz P . C . law firm . His mentor , Ed Schotz , assigned him to one of their biggest real estate clients , Reinauer Realty Corp . It was headed by B . Franklin Reinauer II , who coincidentally was a former chairman of CIANJ .
Through Reinauer , Abramson got involved in CIANJ ’ s inner workings . As he was building his practice , Abramson said he fell away for several years . But then the former president , John Galandak , persuaded him to renew his ties to CIANJ . Abramson has now been active for more than 15 years .
Abramson is a Jersey guy . Born in East Orange , he grew up in Livingston before settling in Franklin Lakes to raise his family .
At every board meeting in the past two years , Abramson surprised the audiences by sharing his research about things quintessentially New Jersey — like the fact that the New Jersey Pinelands is one of the few places where cranberries grow naturally ; or that 57 million pounds of blueberries are grown here .
During his tenure , Abramson also focused on diversifying the board , recruiting more women and younger board members to steer the association ’ s future . He is very proud of the caliber of speakers CIANJ has brought to members , including former governors , top business executives , leading educators and hospital administrators . He only regrets that these programs were not recorded and made available for others . Maybe that ’ s an idea for his successors , he said .
Abramson got his undergraduate degree at George Washington University in Washington , D . C ., and he earned his juris doctorate at the
Richard W . Abramson , Esq ., a member of the law firm Cole Schotz P . C ., has served as CIANJ ’ s chairman for two years .
University of Miami School of Law . After he completed his schooling , he returned to his native state . But his four children do not plan to raise their families in the Garden State . He said they , like many of their generation , do not see opportunity here and he faults state leaders . “ They hear it , they acknowledge it , but there are no pro-business initiatives to draw them ,” he said .
He is also “ upset watching New Jersey ’ s economy crumble ” in the pandemic . The business leader said it is disturbing to see neighboring states , like New York , roll out plans to reopen more businesses while New Jersey lagged behind for months . “ We won ’ t know the long-term effect for a year or two . It ’ s depressing ,” he said . “ This was a great opportunity for New Jersey to attract business away from New York .”
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8 COMMERCE www . commercemagnj . com