Everything Manufacturing

Michele N. Siekerka, Esq., President and CEO of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, leads the nation’s largest, most influential employers’ organization, advocating on behalf of New Jersey’s large and small businesses for policies that will make New Jersey more affordable and regionally competitive.

Being known as a collaborative leader, Siekerka is leading an NJBIA established coalition (New Jersey Business Coalition) comprised of more than 100 business and nonprofit associations across the state to tackle the tough economic and business challenges our state is facing during COVID 19.

Well versed on the ‘boots on the ground” issues affecting our state’s business community, Michele is often the “go to” resource for media and is sought after to share her expertise in public forums across the state.

As Chief Government Affairs Officer for the New Jersey Business & Industry Association Christopher focuses on taxation, budget, economic development and workforce development. NJBIA is the largest and most impactful business association in the nation.

Prior to his current job, Emigholz worked in state government for a decade. He was the Budget Director for the State Senate Republican Office for 8 years overseeing economic, fiscal and education policy, and he also directed education policy and legislative affairs in the New Jersey Department of Education prior to that. This is his second stint at NJBIA having served for years as their workforce development and education lobbyist earlier in his career. He was also a teacher through the Teach For America program in a high school in Atlanta, Georgia, and a community liaison/volunteer coordinator for an elementary school in Baltimore City through the AmeriCorps-VISTA program.

Emigholz has a Master of Public Policy degree from Rutgers’ Bloustein School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Johns Hopkins University. He currently lives in Robbinsville, NJ with his wife and 3 children, where he is active in the community including coaching youth sports and serving on the school board to which he was elected.

Peter Connolly is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP), a role he assumed in June 2023 after serving as Chief Operating Officer (COO) since August 2022. With over 40 years of experience in the Aerospace and Defense industry, Peter has held key leadership positions at DRS Technologies, including Vice President of Business Development, International Programs, and General Manager of Avionics.

Peter’s dedication to manufacturing is evident in his long-standing service on NJMEP’s Board of Trustees, where he has been a member since 2008 and Chairman for over 12 years. He is also a Trustee for the New Jersey Junior Achievement and the Foundation for Manufacturing Excellence (FORME).

A graduate of Glassboro State College (now Rowan College of Southern New Jersey), Peter holds a bachelor’s degree in history with a focus on medieval history. He is also a recognized community leader, serving as a Trustee of the Oakland Education Foundation and the Oakland Fathers Club. Peter resides in Oakland, NJ, with his wife Cathy and their two daughters.

Peter’s leadership is marked by his expertise in operations, business development, and strategy. His commitment to supporting New Jersey’s manufacturing sector is unwavering, and under his guidance, NJMEP continues to drive innovation and economic growth through key initiatives. Most chiefly of these, Peter has pioneered workforce development and access to advanced manufacturing training through The Future Makers & Creators Tour and through critical investments like NJMEP’s brand new state-of-the-art mobile training RV—initiatives that have been making waves across New Jersey as they make training and exposure to manufacturing careers more accessible.

Peter has also made strides in better supporting the South Jersey Manufacturing sector, by  providing access to training programs through the NJMEP Mobile Training Center and by also providing special support for South Jersey manufacturers—most notably, through events at local breweries in the region and a legislative meeting at Rowan College of Southern New Jersey that brought together state, education, and industry partners to collaborate, and at the 12^th annual ‘MADE in New Jersey’ Manufacturing Day where South Jersey manufacturers will have access to special discounts, and programs.

In kind, Peter has also championed the continued support of New Jersey veterans through the New Jersey Defense Manufacturing Community Consortium, and also Women in Manufacturing, through certain key initiatives like the Rising Stars Award (given out at ‘MADE in NJ’ Manufacturing Day) and the annual Women in Manufacturing Luncheon, now boasting over one hundred attendees in its third iteration.

Antwan McClellan has been an assemblyman since 2019, serving as deputy Republican leader since January 2024. He was the Republican whip from 2022 to 2023.

A lifelong resident of Ocean City, he served as councilman from 2012 to 2019, and as a member of the Ocean City Board of Education from 2010 to 2012. Additionally, he serves as a trustee on the Ocean City Historical Museum and volunteers for the South Jersey Field of Dreams, which provides the opportunity for special needs children to participate in sports programs.

A 1993 graduate of Ocean City High School, McClellan attended Virginia State University and Old Dominion University. He works as public information officer and personnel director in the Cape May County Sheriff’s Office.

Michael L. Testa Jr.’s family has deep roots in South Jersey and Cumberland County.
On his father’s side, his great-grandparents emigrated from Italy to secure a better future for their children and themselves.

His grandfather became the first elected Mayor of the City of Vineland and later became a Judge, despite not even speaking English until 1st grade. Michael’s father went on to start and build their family law firm.

On his mother’s side, his grandparents were Polish Jews who met in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II and were rescued by Allied soldiers. After the war, they came to the United States, where the Senator’s mom was born. They settled in Buena and ran a family chicken farm.

Sen. Testa is a graduate of Villanova University School of Law and received his Masters Degree at Temple University Beasley School of Law. He and his wife Julie live in Vineland with their three children, Eva Marie, Sarah, and Tripp. He returned to his roots in Vineland and joined his family’s law firm as a defense attorney and is a partner with his father.

Sen. Testa was a former Board Chairman of the Vineland Downtown Improvement District/Main Street Vineland, is a proud lifetime member of the Greater Vineland Chapter of the NAACP, the past Board President of the Vineland Regional Dance Company, and Past Chair of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cumberland and Salem counties.

In 2019, Sen. Testa was elected to the New Jersey State Senate to represent the First Legislative District. He won his second term as a New Jersey Senator in 2021 by a historical margin, and repeated that victory for his third term in 2023.

During the 2020 COVID Pandemic, Sen. Testa dedicated his time to assisting the families of the First Legislative District. With his teammates, Assemblymen Erik Simonsen and Antwan McClellan, the LD1 staff helped well over 6,000 residents to receive unemployment and disability benefits and assisted with other issues from the MVC, Treasury, Licensing, and many others.

In his third term, Senator Testa continues work on enhancing the state environment to foster and support business growth and expansion, protect parental rights for their children in education and health, improve veteran benefits in the state, promote tourism and shore economy, as well as preserving marine life and the fishing industry. His opposition to the wind turbine project has been openly public and is ongoing. Senator Testa started his 5th year on the Senate Budget and Appropriation Committee and his 4th year on the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2024. As the Co-Chair of the NJ Manufacturing Caucus, he remains a champion for revitalizing and re-energizing manufacturing and small business in South Jersey.

Senator Testa continues to practice law while balancing his numerous responsibilities in the Senate. In 2024, Senator Michael Testa was named the Senate Republican Whip.