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.

brings over three decades of experience managing multi-disciplinary teams in advancing complex transportation and land development initiatives, including preparation of master plans, environmental impact statements (EIS), feasibility studies and alternatives analyses (AA) for major transportation and site development projects throughout New Jersey and the country. He has collaborated with clients to develop fundable, practical phased implementation programs that build momentum and provide early tangible benefits for long-term economic development. Dan’s notable projects include the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Transit System, Secaucus Transfer Station, Port Authority Bus Terminal and the Transportation Plan for American Dream and the Sports Complex. Dan also served as Mayor of Millburn Township, NJ.

As the Vice President of State Programs, Zoe works to expand RPA’s presence and efficacy in each state, helping to build diverse support for policies that promote a stronger, more connected region. Zoe also leads research, planning, and advocacy activities in her home state of New Jersey, where she draws on her considerable experience in public policy and community engagement to develop and advance policies and projects that facilitate equitable, vibrant, and resilient communities.

Zoe has over twenty years’ experience in public policy at the state and federal levels. Before joining RPA, Zoe was the Director of Government Affairs for the Utility & Transportation Contractors Association where she advocated for increased federal and state investment in water and transportation systems, and for greater transparency and efficiency in public procurement. In that role, she was successful in getting language included in the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that established a federal marketplace allowing states to buy and sell toll credits – a program that has the potential to generate several billion dollars in new transportation capital funding for NY and NJ.

Prior to her work in the private sector, Zoe served as Projects Director for United States Senator Cory Booker and as Senior Specialist for Transportation and Environment for US Senator Frank Lautenberg. Zoe got her start in infrastructure policy as the New Jersey Advocate for the Tri-State Transportation Campaign and began her career as the Legislative Director for NJ State Senator Loretta Weinberg.

Outside of her work at RPA, Zoe is a Commissioner on the board of the South Jersey Transportation Authority, which oversees the Atlantic City Expressway and Atlantic City International Airport, and a member of the board of directors for three nonprofit organizations: Downtown NJ, the Women’s Political Caucus of New Jersey, and Gardenship Art.

Clinton Calabrese is honored to represent the 36th district in New Jersey’s General Assembly. Appointed to the General Assembly in February of 2018, he was elected in a special election in November 2018 to complete the final year of the term and then reelected continuously in each subsequent election. He currently serves as the Chair of the Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee and as the Vice-Chair of the Assembly Tourism, Arts, and Gaming Committee. In past sessions, he has held positions as the Vice-Chair of the Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee and the Assembly Oversight, Reform, and Federal Relations Committee. Additionally, he has served on the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee, the Assembly Housing Committee, and the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. During his first term, he served on the Assembly Higher Education Committee. He continues to serve as the Assembly Speaker’s appointee to the Education Commission of the States and the Intergovernmental Relations Commission. Additionally, he has served on the Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee and remains a member of the bipartisan New Jersey Legislative Manufacturing Caucus and the New Jersey Legislative Disability Caucus.

Clinton is a principal in Alkova Companies’ Cliffside Park real estate development and investment firm. He graduated from New York University with a Master of Science in Real Estate with a concentration in Finance and Investment. He also graduated from St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, where he majored in Finance and Management and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree.

Clinton hails from a family that has been committed to public service in his hometown of Cliffside Park for generations. He has served on the Cliffside Park Board of Education and the Cliffside Park Zoning Board of Adjustment.

Clinton is a resident of Cliffside Park.

Justin Davis is the Senior Vice President for Regulatory and Government Affairs and the Chief of Staff at NJ TRANSIT, the nation’s largest statewide transit system and the third largest overall in the country. He currently heads Corporate Compliance and Government & External Affairs.  He previously served as the Chief of Staff for State Senator and Former Governor, Richard J. Codey.

Jim Kirkos is the President & CEO of the Meadowlands Chamber, whose mission is to accelerate economic, community and business development by providing its membership with networking & relationship building opportunities; destination & tourism marketing services; business education and leadership training; legislative and public affairs advocacy, and workforce development initiatives to businesses of all sizes across all industry sectors throughout the Meadowlands region.

Francis (Fran) O’Connor was nominated to serve as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation by Governor Murphy in January 2024. He currently is awaiting New Jersey Senate approval and is serving as Acting Commissioner.

Fran returns to New Jersey State service with over 40 years of public and private sector transportation experience. He began his public service career at the New Jersey Turnpike Authority as a toll collector and rose to be the Deputy Director of the NJTA’s Electronic Toll Collection Program. In that role he launched the Authority’s first electronic toll collection installation.

While in the private sector, Fran advised transportation agencies across the country on the development and execution of critical projects with a strategic focus on toll roads. In this work, Fran has overseen hundreds of employees at a time, implemented large-scale customer service centers, and engaged with regulatory entities at all levels of government.

He graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s in accounting from St. Peter’s University.

Daniel Ortega joined ELEC 825 in October 2014 and currently oversees the Community Affairs Outreach. His primary responsibility is to establish and maintain relationships with local governmental entities, agencies, authorities, and relevant organizations. He actively participates in municipal council meetings, public hearings, Planning and Zoning boards, and community organizations like chambers of commerce, business associations, and economic development agencies. Through these efforts, Mr. Ortega continues to advance ELEC’s mission to foster economic development and construction across New Jersey and five counties in New York’s Hudson Valley: Delaware, Orange, Rockland, Sullivan, and Ulster.

He takes pride in giving tours of the IUOE Local 825 Training Center in Wawayanda, NY. Mr. Ortega has also testified before the New York Legislative Committees, advocating for transportation projects in the Hudson Valley and legislation aimed at improving water systems and sewerage facilities. Through his work with ELEC and the 17 Forward 86 Coalition, he secured both state and federal funding for NY Route 17, including $5 million for a Planning and Engineering Linkage study in 2018, $34 million for the Environmental Impact Statement, and $1 billion for construction as part of the 2022-2023 New York State Budget.

Mr. Ortega was an active participant in the New Yorkers for Clean Water and Jobs coalition, which helped pass the 2022 New York Bond Act, securing over $4 billion in environmental investments for the state over the next decade. He has participated in infrastructure forums and coauthored an op-ed on the importance of the Environmental Bond Act. In April 2023, his op-ed on the need for cost-conscious energy policies was published by Newsday.

Daniel joined Pattern for Progress as a Board Member in Fall 2022, where he chairs the Education and Outreach Workgroup. Since February 2021, he has served as Co-Chair of the Government Affairs Committee for the Orange County Chamber of Commerce, and in January 2024, he joined their Board of Directors. He is also actively involved in the Rockland Business Association’s Economic Development and Government Affairs Committee.

As a founding member of New Yorkers for Affordable Energy, Daniel advocates for greater access to clean, reliable, and affordable energy sources for residential and business consumers statewide. He became Interim Executive Director of NYAE in Spring 2023 and was appointed full-time Executive Director in December 2023. In May 2024, City and State named him to its annual Albany Power 100, honoring the top political influencers in the state Capitol.

Before joining ELEC 825, Daniel held various political and intergovernmental roles focused on project mobilization, coordination, strategic planning, and problem-solving within governmental sectors.

Since April 2017, Daniel has served as Chairman of the Housing Authority of Bergen County, where he works with fellow commissioners and the executive director to ensure the effective use of public resources in addressing local housing needs. He oversees a $77 million annual budget and manages 3,500 Section 8 Vouchers, along with a portfolio of 1,000 units serving seniors, people with special needs, veterans, and families. He is dedicated to the agency’s mission of creating and preserving affordable housing.

Between May 2006 and September 2010, Daniel held several key roles, including Commissioner of the Hackensack Housing Authority and the Housing Authority of Bergen County, and President of the Housing Development Corporation of Bergen County.

Daniel earned his BA in Political Science from William Paterson University in 2006 and his MS in Administrative Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2010. He and his wife, along with their two daughters, reside in Wyckoff, NJ. Daniel enjoys cooking, especially preparing a mean mac and cheese.

David Torres is a Senior Project Manager in the Major Capital Projects Department at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He previously worked in the agency’s Aviation and Government and Community Relations Departments. He holds a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University.