The New Jersey Business & Industry Association on Tuesday announced two executive appointments to its Board of Trustees who together bring a wealth of experience in workforce development and mission-driven nonprofit work to the expanded 21-member NJBIA board.
Bernie Corrigan, president of IBEW Local 102, and Kiran Handa Gaudioso, CEO, United Way of Northern NJ, & president of United for ALICE, were both elected to three-year terms at an NJBIA Board of Trustees this month in New Brunswick. The board also announced the departure of trustee Marcy Bliss, who recently retired as CEO of Wedgewood Pharmacy, the nation’s largest compounding pharmacy specializing in animal health.
“We are excited to welcome Bernie and Kiran to our Board of Trustees,” said NJBIA President & CEO Michele Siekerka. “Their expertise and commitment to making New Jersey a better place to live, work and raise families will be an asset to our very accomplished, highly engaged board as it continues to expand and be more reflective of our diverse membership.”
Bernie Corrigan
Since 2009, Corrigan has been president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 102, which provides thousands of skilled electricians to more than 200 licensed electrical contractors. He also currently serves as the training director of the union’s five-year apprenticeship program, which provides a minimum of 8,000 on-the-job training hours and is accredited by the American Council on Education for college credit. Corrigan is also a trustee of IBEW Local 102’s pension, surety & welfare funds.
Corrigan earned a B.A. in Leadership and Administration from the National Labor College and earned his master’s degree from the Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations. Appointed to New Jersey’s Red Tape Review Commission by former Gov. Chris Christie in 2016, Corrigan currently serves on multiple boards including the New Jersey Labor and Employment Relations Association (NJ LERA), Junior Achievement of NJ, and Focus NJ, an independent research nonprofit conducting nonpartisan economic and workforce research.
Kiran Handa Gaudioso
Gaudioso became CEO of United Way of Northern New Jersey and president of United for ALICE, the organization’s research arm, in 2020. Kiran took the helm after nearly a decade at the organization, leading a national movement that harnesses non-partisan data to fuel lasting change for ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) individuals and families — those who earn above the Federal Poverty Level but less than what it takes to get by in today’s economy.
In her CEO role today, she also serves on the United Ways of New Jersey Executive Board. Gaudioso serves as a trustee for several like-minded organizations, including the Edwin Gould Foundation and Rising Tide Capital. Gaudioso has an M.A. in political science from The Eagleton Institute of Public Policy at Rutgers University and a B.A. in political science and policy studies from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.
The complete list of all members of the NJBIA Board of Trustees can be found here.
