Speakers

The July 29 meeting will feature a talk by Lisa Ellis, the Director of Business Development for the Downtown Development Commission (DDC). The DDC is a cooperative effort of Borough government and local business and non-profit leaders, and actively tracks and promotes the health of Madison’s local business community. With the worst of the Covid pandemic now behind us, Lisa will review how the DDC and local leaders addressed the stresses caused by pandemic-related shutdowns and other restrictions. She will review how the local business community came through the pandemic and provide her thoughts on the positive impacts of the reopening of the Borough’s, and state’s, economies.

In connection with the annual installation of the Club’s new President, Carol Martorano, the August 5^th Club meeting will focus on ongoing and new initiatives for the coming year, including a discussion of the recent survey of members concerning Club missions and priorities. 

Mallory Mortillaro is an educator in Summit who has supported the Hartley Dodge Foundation in Madison with extensive research on its artistic holdings. Those holdings, as well as the Hartley Dodge Memorial building itself, respesent only some of Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge’s gifts to Madison and the New Jersey area generally. Ms. Mortillaro will review how Mrs. Dodge, the niece of John D. Rockefeller, the world’s richest man, used her wealth and position to benefit the Borough and the State with gifts that still resonate.

John Weingart has been Associate Director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University since 2000. Among other responsibilities, he directs the Institute’s Center on the American Governor and the Arthur J. Holland Ethics in Government Program. He has worked in New Jersey State government under both Democratic and Republican governors and has helped to write and implement a number of important land use programs addressing different regions of the State.

New Jersey’s form of government, with responsibilities divided among state, county and municipal governments, with a strong history of “home rule,” presents a number of benefits and challenges. Mr. Weingart will review how New Jersey’s approach works and the ongoing adaptations made in the name of delivering effective and efficient government services to the State’s residents.