Jersey Call to Service Summit – June 9th in New Brunswick

by Heather Taylor on May 24th | Email View on Map

The Citizens’ Campaign is hosting the first-ever “Jersey Call to Service Summit,” a free statewide event expected to draw more than 1,000 citizens to New Brunswick on June 9, 2010. The Summit will bring citizens together with leaders in government, politics, and media. This event will show Jersey residents how they can participate in the leadership of their community.

The Summit will be held on Wednesday, June 9th from 5:40 pm to 8:30 pm at the New Brunswick Hyatt, with registration beginning at 5:15pm.

Attendees can choose from four leadership forums, which will include discussion with respected government experts and will provide insider tips and the political know-how for citizens to exercise leadership in their hometowns. One panel, "Citizen Journalism: A Cure for Closed Door Government" will feature InJersey's very own, Ted Mann, and other notable experts in Citizen Journalism. Learn best practices for reporting what is happening in your town hall.

Another panel will focus on government cost-cutting measures, and includes State Comptroller Matt Boxer, former gubernatorial candidate Chris Daggett, Tom Byrne, Jr. and Hoboken Councilman Michael Lenz. Participants will recieve access to ready-for-adoption resolutions that can produce significant savings in municipal and school district budgets.

The Summit is part of the “Jersey Call to Service,” a non-partisan campaign to inspire and empower 5,000 citizens to become leaders in their communities and reverse the tide of government waste and self interest.

Some of New Jersey’s brightest business, political, and governmental leaders will be on hand to share their insights and expertise. Former New Jersey Secretary of State, DeForest “Buster” Soaries will give the keynote address at a cocktail party and “Celebration of Citizen Service” following the leadership forums.

Other speakers include:
· Governor Brendan Byrne
· Dennis Bone, President, Verizon; Chairman, New Jersey Chamber of Commerce
· Bart Oates, three-time Super Bowl Champion and President of the New Jersey Hall of Fame

The Summit will offer the following Leadership Forums:

Tools for Citizens to Control Property Taxes & Cut Government Waste
·Matthew Boxer, New Jersey State Comptroller
·Christopher Daggett, former gubernatorial candidate
·Tom Byrne, Jr., Chair of NJ Tax and Fiscal Policy Study Commission
·Councilman Michael Lenz, City of Hoboken, and former municipal CFO (Moderator)

New Opportunities to Serve on Government Policy Boards
· Michele Brown, Appointments Counsel to Governor Chris Christie
· Mayor Dana Redd, City of Camden
· Gil Medina, former Secretary of Commerce
· Mayor Eldridge Hawkins, City of Orange (Moderator)

Citizen Leadership In Political Parties
·Assemblyman John Wisniewski, State Democratic Chair
·Senator Joseph Kyrillos, former State Republican Chair
·Dale Florio - Somerset County Republican Party Chairman
·Cristina Maria Rojas, Citizens’ Campaign Hudson County Chair (Moderator)

Citizen Journalism: A Cure for Closed Door Government
·Debra Galant, Baristanet.com
·Ted Mann, InJersey.com
·Bruno Tedesch, Principal, Jaffe Communications and veteran reporter and editor at Star-Ledger
·Michael Shapiro, TheAlternativePress.com (Moderator)

This Summit is free to participants who attend one of the citizen leadership forums at the Summit or who complete an online leadership forum prior to the Summit. Tickets for those attending the cocktail reception without participating in a leadership forum are $50 per person. There is limited seating, so advanced registration is required online at http://www.JoinTheCampaign.com or by calling (732) 548-9798 x2.