Stevens & Lee Public Affairs announced this week that New Jersey energy industry leader James E. Benton has joined the growing public affairs firm as a senior advisor.
Benton served for four decades as the state director of the New Jersey Petroleum Council, a division of the American Petroleum Institute, the largest oil and natural gas trade association in the country. With a nuanced understanding of the interplay between energy industry and public policy needs, he provides clients with insight on navigating state government frameworks to advance their goals, the firm said.
During his tenure with the New Jersey Petroleum Council in Trenton, Benton represented the energy industry in all facets of New Jersey and regional operations, including refining, marketing, transportation, shipping, homeland security, research and development. He contributed to energy policy at all levels of New Jersey state government and his successful advocacy has formed petroleum and natural gas initiatives and alternative energy development, including wind and solar, and nuclear energy policy.
“I am very pleased to welcome Jim to the firm,” Anthony J. “Skip” Cimino, senior managing director of Stevens & Lee Public Affairs said Thursday. “He brings a depth of strategic knowledge about energy industry needs and has helped to shape energy policy across the state.”
Benton has a reputation for creating broad coalition advocacy, including engagement with the New Jersey Society of Environmental and Economic Development (NJSEED), the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce (NJCC) Board of Directors, and the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA). Along with many other constituencies, Benton developed close ties to the New Jersey Food Council, AFL-CIO, various state utilities, the New Jersey Building and Construction Trades Council, and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).
With the addition of Benton, Stevens & Lee Public Affairs has grown to include 10 professionals since its launch in early 2022, including most recently Christine Shipley, the former executive director of the New Jersey Senate Republican Office, and energy industry leaders.
These energy sector leaders include Gladys Brown Dutrieuille, former Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PAPUC) chairwoman and immediate past-president of the Mid-Atlantic Conference of Regulatory Utilities (MACRUC); Bob Gordon, former New Jersey state senator and BPU commissioner; and Erick Ford, who has two decades of public sector leadership and private sector experience in the energy industry.
About Stevens & Lee Public Affairs
Stevens & Lee Public Affairs provides New Jersey-focused legislative interaction, governmental process, regulatory affairs and consulting services to a wide range of private companies, energy and utilities, health care and non-profit organizations. Stevens & Lee Public Affairs is part of The Stevens & Lee Companies, a platform of affiliated professional service firms which provides a full range of legal, investment banking, financial advisory, public affairs and government consulting services.
