Regina Egea, the longtime President of The Garden State Initiative (GSI), announced that she is taking on the role as Chairman of the GSI Board of Directors, and current GSI Policy Director, Audrey Lane, has been promoted to the role of President effective April 1st.
Egea, who was the driving force behind the launch of GSI in 2017 – and its ascension into New Jersey’s leading center-right think tank for economic and fiscal policy issues – said the time was right to evolve the organization.
“I couldn’t be more proud of what we’ve accomplished over the past 6+ years in establishing GSI as the undisputed policy thought leader in New Jersey when it comes to promoting common sense ideas to spur investment, innovation and economic growth,” said Egea, who among many honors, has been recognized as one of NJBIZ magazine’s Best 50 Women in Business in 2019; ROI-NJ’s Influencers Power List every year since 2019, ROI Women in Business 2023, and InsiderNJ’s Top 100 Policymakers 2021.
“Our entire organization – from the board, to our research contributors, to our generous donors – has remained true to our mission of not just criticizing what we see as the policy challenges and missed opportunities in Trenton, but also detailing solutions. We believe our state government needs to be more efficient and transparent, and the state more affordable and prosperous for residents and business.
“As I assume this new role, I will continue to support Audrey and am confident that she is the right person to continue that tradition and more importantly, to expand GSI’s influence.”
Prior to becoming Policy Director at GSI in 2022, Lane, served as a government policy and strategic messaging professional on both the municipal and state level, and served as an elected councilwoman in her hometown of Mountain Lakes.
She was named as a “2022 Right Women to Watch” by the Save Jersey blog and was selected as a Member of the American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network in 2021.
“I am honored and humbled that Regina and the Board have afforded me this opportunity and I am eager to build on what Regina has accomplished – and carry forward what she has taught me – during her time as President,” said Lane, a Johns Hopkins University graduate. “New Jersey is undoubtedly at an economic and fiscal crossroads. Absent a significant shift in policy, we will continue to ‘lead’ the nation in all the wrong categories when it comes to high taxes, wasteful spending, outmigration, and hostility towards business and job creators. As President, I look forward to not just making noise about those challenges, but in the GSI tradition, making a real difference when it comes to solving them.”
