On May 3, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. at The Palace at Somerset Park, Executive Women of New Jersey (EWNJ) will honor the contributions of New Jersey’s most influential and accomplished women leaders at its signature biennial gala, Salute to the Policy Makers. This year’s gala is special because it is in commemoration of the organization’s 40 year anniversary. To view the full Policy Makers List, visit ewnj.org/salute.

Dr. Chris T. Pernell, Chief Strategic Integration & Health Equity Officer at University Hospital, will serve as the keynote speaker and Ralph LaRossa, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer at Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG), will serve as the Honorary Chair.

“This year, our list of high achieving women leaders is especially meaningful, after the pandemic has had such a devastating impact on women in the workplace. In December, women accounted for the entire number of job losses to the US economy at a total of 156,000 jobs lost, while men gained 16,000 jobs,” explained Anna María Tejada, President of EWNJ and Partner at Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP. “Despite their expertise, talents, and the quantifiable benefits that they bring to an organization, women are often in the most vulnerable positions when economic turbulence strikes. It is crucial that the New Jersey business community recognizes the measurable value that women deliver and create more policies to ensure equity and inclusion in the workplace. As consistently documented in EWNJ’s “A Seat at the Table” report, gender and racial diversity not only generates stronger financial performance for organizations but also fewer governance-related issues such as bribery, corruption, shareholder battles, and fraud.”

Salute to the Policy Makers funds EWNJ’s various programs and initiatives aimed at advancing women’s leadership. Most notably, it benefits the organization’s Graduate Merit Award Program, which provides scholarships to women who are non-traditional graduate students with the goal of establishing a pipeline of future women leaders. As the largest provider of scholarships to women who are non-traditional graduate students in New Jersey, EWNJ has provided tuition assistance to nearly 350 women graduate students at New Jersey colleges and universities. over the last 30+ years.

The event sponsor for this year’s Salute to the Policy Makers Gala is PSEG.

About EWNJ:
EWNJ’s mission is to ensure that women have equal opportunities and representation in senior corporate leadership. Through our mentor program and our Graduate Merit Award Program, we are seeking to establish a pipeline for future women leaders to excel and flourish in corporate spaces. We are the largest provider of scholarships to women who are non-traditional graduate students in New Jersey.

In support of our mission, we publish a biennial report on the number of women on boards and in the senior governance of publicly traded companies in New Jersey. This report is the only one of its kind in the state. We also host events to build connections and amplify our work. To learn more about EWNJ, visit www.ewnj.org.