Experts Address Impact of COVID-19 at Fourth Annual Middlesex County Business Summit
year’s keynote speaker, and spoke about his transition into the role of university president during a crisis and his views on leading the State university. “Very few people imagined what we would be going through at this moment,” said President Holloway, who began his role as president in July 2020. “You can imagine my surprise and my selfish disappointment when I realized that things I had hoped I would be able to do when I started at Rutgers were not going to happen: that I would be walking into a very different environment, and I had to get serious about the work of repair and rehabilitation of the university.” As in past years, the panel assembled for the 2020 Business Summit included leaders with expertise in a range of key areas: Debbie Hart, president and CEO of BioNJ; Christiana Foglio, founder and CEO of Community Investment Strategies; William Rodgers, III, PhD, professor of public policy and chief economist at the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University; Luis De La Hoz, chairman of the board of directors for the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of NJ and SVP director of community lending at Valley National Bank; and Jose Lozano, president and CEO of Choose New Jersey. Panelists spoke to a wide array of topics focused on their specific areas of expertise, while also collectively providing a glimpse into the economy downturn, including the difficulties small businesses, the younger workforce, and landlords are facing. Still, these experts presented an optimistic view on the future of the State and County’s economic and business developments and the work New Jersey healthcare companies are doing to develop a COVID-19 vaccine.
by this global health crisis, including support for small businesses that have halted or reduced operations and for residents who are either on a reduced schedule or have faced retrenchment. These resources include Community Development Block Grants (CDBG- CV) and Small Business Relief Grants (SBRG) which utilize CARES Act Funding; occupational training for unemployed, underemployed, and dislocated workers; workplace readiness and literacy programs for youth; employer recruitments and County job fairs; and 5,500 free online skill development courses through the County’s SkillUp program.
M iddlesex County’s fourth annual Business Summit, Leading Together for a Better Tomorrow, had a special focus this year: COVID-19 response efforts and recovery resources, and the challenges the pandemic presents to businesses and residents. For the Summit, which took place in early October, the County leveraged its partnerships with industry leaders in the state to assemble a panel of experts from across a broad continuum serving New Jersey and the County. “Our annual Business Summit has become an invaluable resource for our business community and its workforce, putting a focus on the future of the economy in Middlesex County,” said Freeholder Director Rios. “The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on the economy across the nation and at home here in Middlesex County, and thanks to the work of so many, including our speakers at the Business Summit, our businesses, residents, and municipalities can adapt to, and begin to recover from, this global health pandemic.” “Very few people imagined what we would be going through at this moment” – President of Rutgers University John Holloway Turning to the experts Moderated by Tom Bergeron, editor and chief content officer of ROI-NJ, and hosted by Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders Director Ronald G. Rios and Deputy Director Kenneth Armwood, the event addressed the challenges facing County residents who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn. The 21st President of Rutgers University Jonathan Holloway, PhD, served as this
For more information, please visit middlesexcountynj.gov/covid19
These resources are making a real difference to businesses and the lives of County residents, according to Freeholder Deputy Director Armwood. “COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on our economy. Businesses were forced to close their doors or drastically reduce business, which resulted in unprecedented numbers of residents out of work. Middlesex County, in conjunction with helping our businesses get back to business, is helping our residents get back on their feet,” said Freeholder Deputy Director Armwood. Business Summit part of County’s strategic planning initiative Founded in 2017, the Summit is part of a larger strategic planning initiative across the County which culminates in the creation of the Destination 2040 Comprehensive Master Plan. Destination 2040 will shape how the County grows and changes in the future through input from those who live, work, and learn here. The plan will help guide the municipalities within the County with programs and policies that help achieve goals to improve the quality of life for all residents.
Expanded resources for businesses and residents
Throughout the pandemic, Middlesex County, along with its partners, has offered resources for those impacted
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