NJBIA Vice President Althea D. Ford has been recognized by ROI-NJ as an influential person of color in the news organization’s annual publication honoring talented leaders in one of the most diverse states in the nation.
The 2024 ROI Influencers: People of Color list, released Tuesday, also included two members of NJBIA’s Board of Trustees: Teik Lim, Ph.D., the president of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Rick Thigpen, senior vice president corporate citizenship at PSEG.
Lim “heads an institution that (has) produced more engineers of colors than any school in state,” ROI-NJ said. The publication described Thigpen as a “highly regarded government affairs specialist (who) deftly handles a challenging role for top company in highly regulated industry.”
Ford, who joined NJBIA as a vice president of Government Affairs in 2023, is “hitting her stride since taking a key Government Affairs role at NJBIA – with particular interest an effort in advancing healthcare and childcare policies,” ROI-NJ said.
Additionally, Ford’s advocacy work for New Jersey businesses includes education and workforce development issues, consumer affairs and occupational licensing reform aimed at reducing the wait times for state-issued professional and occupational licenses.
