The New Jersey Business & Industry Association, in conjunction with New Jersey Business Magazine, announced four individuals and eight companies will be honored with their annual Awards for Excellence.
The awards honor member companies and business leaders whose energy and vision have had a positive impact on their employees, their communities and the state’s economy.
“This year’s Awards for Excellence winners, all valued NJBIA members, have stepped up to do right for their employees, their communities and New Jersey’s economy,” NJBIA CEO Michele Siekerka said. “We are truly proud to recognize their notable achievements.”
The honorees:
2025 AFE Executives of the Year
- Patrick Jeffery, chief operating officer, T&M Associates
- Mark Manigan, CEO, RWJBarnabas Health
- Christopher Reber, president, Hudson County Community College
- Deb Visconi, CEO, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center
2025 NJBIA Members of the Year
- Citizens
- Parker McCay
2025 AFE Community Service
- Atlantic City Electric
- Innovation +
- Modern Line Furniture
2025 AFE Outstanding Employers
- Taurus International Corp.
- Golden Crown Contractors
- Scrum Alliance
Here is a deeper look at the executive honorees:
- Jeffery (T&M Associates): Since being named executive vice president and chief operating officer of engineering/technical services firm T&M Associates in 2019, Jeffery has guided the 350-person organization through its most profitable period in company history. Under his leadership, annual revenues have exceeded $89 million, and operational efficiency has been enhanced through measurable strategies. As a licensed professional engineer and planner, Jeffery brings technical expertise to his leadership role, with a project portfolio that includes enhancing roads, stormwater systems, public water facilities, parks and coastal zones.
- Manigan (RWJBarnabas Health): Upon assuming his role as CEO in 2023, Manigan leveraged a strategic vision to drive $9.5 billion in operating income in 2024, representing a $546 million two-year turnaround. Manigan has simultaneously helped decrease patient mortality at RWJBarnanas Health by 15% and reduced patient central line infections by 34%. Manigan has a deep commitment to New Jersey communities: RWJBarnabas Health annually contributes more than $5.5 billion to New Jersey’s economy and is the largest provider of safety net medical care in the state. Manigan also spearheaded a $1 billion partnership with Rutgers University to expand clinical trials and medical education.
- Reber (Hudson County Community College): Reber has been president of Hudson County Community College since 2018, overseeing an institution that serves more than 20,000 students with high-quality educational programs/services. Reber has initiated nationally acclaimed programs, including: the President’s Advisory Council on Institutional Engagement and Excellence, which promotes principles of excellence in all HCCC activities and outcomes; and the HCCC Hudson Helps Resource Center, a compendium of wraparound services and programs that address basic student needs beyond the classroom. He is the first community college president to serve on the board of the Business Higher Education Forum, an organization of corporate CEOs and higher education leaders.
- Visconi (Bergen New Bridge Medical Center): With more than 30 years of success in providing strategic direction, vision and leadership in health care systems across the region, Visconi has led the center in expanding programs and services as well as enhancing its provider relations. This has yielded improvements in quality, safety, and the patient/resident experience, with Bergen New Bridge recognized as a “Top Hospital” and “Top Teaching Hospital” by the Leapfrog Group. Visconi collaborates with Bergen County and other community partners to launch programs that deliver care onsite and via telehealth to thousands. In 2024, Visconi was named in “Becker’s Women Hospital Presidents and CEOs to Know” as well as a 2024 “Crain’s Women of Influence Finalist.”
