NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—Rutgers University will be honoring erstwhile governor of New Jersey, James Florio, who is also a member of the Rutgers faculty, on October 14 in downtown New Brunswick.
The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy is naming a scholarship and one of its rooms after Florio at the special event.
The festivities kick off at 4 pm in the Civic Square Building at 33 Livingston Avenue.
At 5 pm, the participants move across the street to a reception in the Roosevelt-Perkins Room, on the second floor of the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development.
Reservations for this event can be made at http://bit.ly/ejb-florio or by calling (848) 932-5475.Â
The event commemorates the creation of the “Governor James J. Florio Endowed Distinguished Visiting Scholarship of Public Policy” and the new name of the “Governor James J. Florio Special Events Forum.”
The event will be held in that forum, which currently bears only the name “Special Events Forum.”
Florio, who was governor from 1990 to 1994, and is now on the Bloustein faculty.
He was also Chairman of the New Jersey Pinelands Commission from 2002 to 2005.
Florio helped create the NJ Pinelands National Reserve in the 1970s, when he was a U.S. Congressman. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives member from 1975 to 1990, before taking over the state’s highest office.Â
Florio’s governorship started at a bad time, when a recession was underway and the state budget surplus had already turned into a deficit.
The previous Governor, Republican Tom Kean, had refused to hike taxes in order to keep up with the budget, leaving the responsibility and blame to his Democratic successor.
The tax hikes under Florio led to a shellacking in the next election, bringing a Republican majority to the Statehouse, and Republican Gov. Christine Whitman, who took over for Florio.
More information about the scholarship may be found on the Bloustein School website.
If you wish to donate tax-deductible gifts to this scholarship, you can visit http://support.rutgers.edu/florio or mail a check to the Rutgers University Foundation (subject line “Florio Endowment”).
The mailing address is:Â
Meera Ananth, Office of the Dean
Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
33 Livingston Avenue, 3rd Floor
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Ananth is the school’s Director of Development, and she can be contacted at (848) 445-4615 or [email protected].
Richard researched transportation, land use, history, and other topics. Investigated site plans. Attended public meetings (planning board, zoning board, parking authority board of directors, City Council) to record and help determine what was discussed. Analyzed blueprints and site plans to determine what land uses sites would be put to. Photographed sites that would be affected by proposed projects, as well as sites involved in news events. Employed Sketchup CAD to visualize new land uses, such as buildings and structures. Critiqued and wrote articles in fast-paced work environment, writing before deadlines. Made judgments as to what constituted proper material to include in articles. Created a zoning map; am working on ways to show it to the public. Consulted vintage maps to determine historic land uses.
