State Departments Encourage Collaboration

ATLANTIC CITY-Although it may not always seem to be the case, state departments have been and continue to work closely together to promote growth in New Jersey, according to speakers at a panel entitled “Interdepartmental Coordination” at the Governor’s Conference on Housing and Economic Development, held here. Representatives from the Economic Development Authority, the Department of Environmental Protection and New Jersey Transit stressed the importance of working together and outlined plans to streamline certain processes.

“We all have to work together,” said Caren Franzini, CEO of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. “The good thing is, we’re a small state, so we all know each other, which makes it easier for all of us to support and work with each other.”

Franzini, along with fellow panelists Jen Godeski, deputy commissioner of the DEP, and Rich Andreski, chief of staff for New Jersey Transit, cited numerous examples of development projects where the departments worked closely together. One of the largest is the Wesmont Station redevelopment in Wood-Ridge, which will see a 150-acre brownfield site transformed into a transit-oriented, mixed-use development through the joint efforts of EDA, DEP and New Jersey Transit.