MONROE, NJ (February, 27, 2025) – The Federal Infrastructure Act-What It Means For New Jersey program packed the room Thursday morning for the New Jersey Alliance’s latest event at Forsgate Country Club. Speakers and panelists detailed how their agencies and industries will secure and utilize federal funding in 2025.
“It is vital that we work together to continue pushing for federal funding to drive the construction that fuels our economy, puts people to work, and maintains safe and reliable infrastructure, and so much more for everyone in New Jersey,” said NJ Alliance for Action Senior Vice President Chris Hartman.
Kerry Donovan, Interim Chief of Gateway Projects and Senior Advisor to the President & CEO at NJ TRANSIT, gave an overview of the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and its impact on NJ TRANSIT’s plans. The agency has received 21 new grants and grant amendments from the Federal Transit Administration totaling $623 million. The money will fund projects through 2026.
Henry Gajda, Chief of External Affairs at New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, said the BPU has applied for over $1 billion in federal grant funding and has secured over $725 million. They plan to invest across several areas, including expanding broadband access, the Solar for All program, and home efficiency rebates.
Parth Oza, Assistant Commissioner of Capital Program Management at New Jersey Department of Transportation, said the DOT plans to invest a projected $684 million in federal funds in 2025 to improve safety, fuel innovation, and build resiliency.
Abbie Tang-Smith, Uniting Financial Resources Lead at New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, said the DEP has acquired $767.4 million in IIJA funding to date. They plan to invest in NJ’s Clean Ports Program, Brownfields Job Training, water infrastructure, transportation electrification, and climate resilience adaptation & mitigation.
The event also hosted a panel of New Jersey Alliance for Action members who discussed how their respective industries and companies are navigating the IIJA in 2025. They also discussed how projects positively affect the overall economy, and what New Jersey needs to continue doing to secure federal infrastructure dollars in the future.
Panelists included:
- Tim Ryan, Partner at Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman P.C. Also serves as panel moderator.
- Timothy Walker, Senior Vice President National Account Management Team at Marsh.
- Larry Diffley, Principal at Van Cleef Engineering.
- Shaun Sullivan, Business Manager of Steamfitters Local 475 and President of the New Jersey Association of Pipe Trades.
- Harry Coleman, Executive Vice President of IEW Construction Group.
- Kevin Boswell, President and CEO of Boswell Engineering.
“Regardless of anyone’s political ideology — left or right or somewhere in the middle — I think this is something we can rally around and focus on. These projects are needed to improve New Jersey and to improve America. If done strategically with people working together, hopefully this is something we can push through to keep these projects moving forward,” Diffley said.
“They just want to go to work and have a job,” Sullivan said, referring to members of his trade. “That starts with funding and the ability to secure the funding. That’s why, when I come to this, I appreciate everybody in the room. You see so many engineers, attorneys, politicians. My guys cannot go to work unless you guys get the projects started and bring them to fruition. It all starts here.”
Since 1974, The New Jersey Alliance for Action has worked as a non-partisan and non-profit association representing thousands of business, labor, government, utility, education, professional, and other New Jersey leaders. Our mission is to improve New Jersey’s economy through the promotion of environmentally friendly capital construction and infrastructure investment.
