NJBIA Hires Ray Cantor as Government Affairs VP

Raymond Cantor, an attorney whose career has included high-level positions in the legislative and executive branches of government, will join the New Jersey Business & Industry Association as Vice President of Government Affairs, NJBIA President & CEO Michele Siekerka said Friday.

Cantor, a former assistant commissioner and, later, chief adviser to the commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, will lead NJBIA’s advocacy efforts on environmental and energy matters affecting the business community, effective Feb. 11, Siekerka said.

“Ray’s wealth of experience and expertise on environmental policy and regulatory matters acquired during more than a decade of service in high-level positions at DEP makes him a great asset to our Government Affairs team and a tremendous resource to the business community whose interests we fight for every day in Trenton,” Siekerka said.

At DEP, Cantor oversaw the offices of Legal Affairs, Dispute Resolution, and Economic Analysis in addition to advising the DEP commissioner on policy, legal, management, and economic matters. Cantor was also responsible for policy formulation related to all DEP regulations, including site remediation, NRD, air quality, water regulation, and land-use management.

“I look forward to joining the team at NJBIA and advocating for environmental and energy policies that are practical, balanced and allow for strong economic growth and job creation,” Cantor said. “We need to make sure that not only is our environment protected, but that people can afford to live here and businesses can grow.”

A graduate of New York Law School, Cantor began his career working at the state’s Office of Legislative Services as senior counsel in the Environment, Energy, & Natural Resources section. He later served as the Assistant Commissioner of Land Use Management & Compliance at DEP until 2002 and also worked as a project consultant for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Cantor’s experience as a business lobbyist includes five years as director of Government Affairs for the Medical Society of New Jersey and then executive director of the New Jersey Apartment Association. He returned to the state DEP in 2010, where he served as chief advisor to DEP Commissioner Bob Martin for eight years.