PRESIDENT ’ S VIEW
PRESIDENT ’ S VIEW
Six Top Executives Bring Talents to CIANJ Board of Directors
By Anthony Russo President , CIANJ
CIANJ prides itself on being an organization that represents every industry in New Jersey . Our board of directors reflects our diversity . We rely on their backgrounds and expertise to steer CIANJ policies and initiatives . This month we are pleased to welcome six new members to our board . Join us now in applauding the commitment of these new directors :
Philip I . Brilliant is an environmental scientist and the founder and owner of Brilliant Environmental Service in Toms River , which he established in 2006 . He is responsible for the day-to-day operations , marketing , business development and administration of underground storage tank and industrial projects .
Brilliant received his Bachelor of Science degree in international environmental studies / law and institutions from Rutgers University . In 2010 he was nominated by Gov . Chris Christie and confirmed by the state Senate as an inaugural member of the Site Remediation Professional Licensing Board . The board is an intrinsic part of the new state program to alleviate the backlog in the state Department of Environmental Protection by having license professionals oversee the clean-up of contaminated sites . He continues to serve on the board . He is also a frequent lecturer and instructor at professional courses relating to the field of site remediation , rules and regulations and remedial action . Brilliant has also been recognized by the state Superior Court as an expert in site remediation and hydrogeology and has testified on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants .
The new board member is experience in the workings of business advocacy organizations since he is the immediate past chairperson of the Greater Toms River Chamber of Commerce and a past president of the Ocean County Business Association .
Daniel Fowler currently serves as vice president of corporate services and special projects at J . Fletcher Creamer & Sons , Inc . In this capacity he is responsible for the executive leadership of several Cream teams , including Safety & Risk , Human Resources , Marketing , Technology , as well as acting as Project Executive on
high-profile heavy construction and utility projects . Fowler holds a degree in civil and environmental engineering from Rutgers University and is licensed in New Jersey , Pennsylvania , and North Carolina .
Fowler worked for two years in design before taking his first role at Creamer as a project engineer in 2002 . He left the firm in 2004 and formed a small business specializing in communications and audio-visual contracting . For over a decade Fowler worked as a partner in the company developing and refining his skills in estimating , site supervision , project management as well as project and corporate financials . His company performed work for institutions such as Rutgers , Army Corps of Engineers , and various K-12 schools in the state . He found his way back to Creamer in 2015 , joining the company as a project manager . Since then , he has been involved in multiple lines of business ranging from roads and bridges , pump stations , to underground utilities and substations . During his
Our board of directors reflects our diversity . We rely on their backgrounds and expertise to steer CIANJ policies and initiatives .
career Fowler has developed a commitment to helping his staff become leaders . He currently serves as a board member of the ACE Mentor Project of NJ .
Sarabeth Gaver is a partner at White and Williams LLP . She is an experienced real estate finance lawyer with almost two decades of experience closing loans . She represents lenders , institutional investors , and borrowers in commercial real estate transactions across the United States covering all asset types , including , multi-family , hospitality , industrial , self-storage , and mobile home parks . While taking a break from the practice of law , Gaver obtained a master ’ s degree in real estate finance and gained experience underwriting multi-family loans . This business perspective and financial acumen gives her a unique understanding of the needs of her clients and applies this to their legal representation .
Gaver has been at White and Williams for almost three years and , in that short time , she proved her ability to work collaboratively with the leadership of the firm . She is actively involved with the strategic planning for the future of White and Williams by serving her second year on the Operations Committee , as well as serving as Co-Chair of the Women ’ s Initiative which focuses on the professional and personal develop of White and Williams women lawyers and fostering their success in the workplace , and also serving on the Young Partners Committee which has most recently been tasked with analyzing an upcoming lease expiration and how to leverage office efficiency in the post-COVID hybrid work environment . Graver was a speaker at a CIANJ program last July entitled : Exploring Alternatives to Address Challenges Facing Higher Education .
Bob Gordon joins the CIANJ board as a vice president of Stevens & Lee Public Affairs , a consulting firm that provides a full range of legal , investment banking , business , and government consulting services . But CIANJ is most familiar with Gordon from his prior positions , having frequently worked with him as an assemblyman , state senator , commissioner for the state Board of Public Utilities and a board member at New Jersey Transit Corp .
Gordon served 14 years in the New Jersey Legislature , first as a member of the General Assembly and then 10 years in the Senate . As a state senator representing parts of Bergen and Passaic counties , he rose to be Senate Majority Conference Leader and chaired two key committees , Transportation and Legislative Oversight . As chair of the latter , he led an 18-month investigation into the condition of New Jersey Transit and enacted remedial legislation to improve and agency ’ s transparency and governance . Other major legislative initiatives supported the state ’ s manufacturers , reformed the governance of community associations , and streamlined the remediation of contaminated sites .
In 2018 , Gov . Phil Murphy appointed Gordon as one of five commissioners of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities . During his five years at the board , Gordon was intricately involved in all major agency initiatives , including development of offshore wind industry and the first offshore transmission project in American , electrification of the transportation sector , revamping of all solar programs , upgrading utility infrastructure and integrating new sources of energy into the grid .
Michael Murphy is vice president of sales for AmeriHealth and oversees new business and retention for AmeriHealth ’ s entire sales
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