NJBIZ
February 22, 2021
In this special "Power
100" issue, NJBIZ ranked the 100
most powerful people in New Jersey – its annual list of individuals who are
propelling New Jersey's economic future. Sills Cummis' Jerry Zaro is
included as one of the NJBIZ "Power 100" 2021.
NJBIZ had
this to say about Zaro:
“Zaro is a trustee and former
chairman of the Gateway Program Development Corp. and he chairs the Banking and
Real Estate Services Department at Sills Cummis & Gross P.C. He is
routinely making the case to repair and replace the 108-year-old Hudson River
rail tunnels that connect New Jersey and New York City and the 110-year-old
Portal Bridge in New Jersey, which might see some funding now that the Biden
Administration is in office. More than 200,000 people travel through the
tunnels and across the bridge each day. Zaro and other supporters of the
Gateway project note that 20% of the American economy depends on the Hudson
River tunnels carrying trains between Washington, D.C., New York City and
Boston. Zaro has cautioned that the project is being held hostage, calling it 'a national disaster
happening in slow motion.' Part of Zaro’s job is to stop that disaster. 'Jerry is a tremendous
advocate for the projects,' a source who works closely with him told NJBIZ. 'The thing I think he did
really better than anyone last year as chairman was delivering the message and
spreading the message of the importance and urgency of the project to lots of
different audiences. He was very committed to being out publicly at a time when
the projects themselves hit significant roadblocks. We needed to keep
stakeholders, elected officials, and everybody else motivated and on board and
rowing together for the project. Jerry did a great job with being out there and
being an advocate for them and an evangelist to keep people’s motivation and
interest up.' Gov.
Phil Murphy saluted Zaro in a statement to NJBIZ. 'Jerry Zaro’s extensive
career in public service, under the last eight gubernatorial administrations,
has made him one of our state’s most well-respected public policy voices,' Murphy said. 'As Chairman of the Gateway
Program Development Corporation in 2019, Jerry’s expertise was instrumental to
delivering a revised financial plan, passing the bi-state Gateway Development
Commission Act, and strengthening partnerships with key stakeholders at the
state and federal level. I will continue to call upon Jerry’s tireless advocacy
to help bring the Gateway Program across the finish line.'
“In May 2020, Zaro was
appointed as a member of Murphy’s Restart and Recovery Advisory Council and
served on the Facilities and Construction Subcommittee.”