NJ Chamber Expands Leadership Across Key Industries
Employers in healthcare, higher education and infrastructure gain a louder voice in the chamber's executive committee and board.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in People
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The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce appointed George Helmy, executive vice president and chief corporate affairs officer at RWJBarnabas Health, to its executive committee, alongside seven new board members. The appointments were approved at the chamber's October 15 board meeting.
Why it matters
Adding healthcare, higher education, infrastructure, entertainment and professional services leaders to the chamber's leadership signals how the state's largest business advocacy group is widening its industry representation. For operators, the makeup of this body shapes which state business priorities get pressed in Trenton.
The chamber made eight leadership appointments in total, seven of them to its board of directors. The source does not give the board's overall size or how these additions compare with prior appointment cycles.
The players
New Jersey Chamber of Commerce
The state's business advocacy organization that represents employers on policy and economic development matters.
George Helmy
Executive vice president and chief corporate affairs officer at RWJBarnabas Health, with prior service as chief of staff to Gov. Phil Murphy.
RWJBarnabas Health
A New Jersey healthcare system and one of the state's largest private employers.
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
A bi-state agency that operates regional transportation and trade infrastructure, including airports, bridges and tunnels.
The details
Helmy joined the chamber's board in December and was then elevated to its executive committee in the October 15 approval. His background spans state government as former chief of staff to Gov. Phil Murphy, a brief U.S. Senate stint in 2024 filling the vacancy left by Sen. Bob Menendez, and current roles on the Rutgers University Board of Governors and as a commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The newly seated members represent healthcare, higher education, infrastructure, entertainment and professional services, giving the board a cross-section of the state's major employers and service sectors.
Timeline
December: Helmy joined the chamber's board of directors.
2024: Helmy briefly represented New Jersey in the U.S. Senate.
October 15, 2026: The chamber's board meeting approved the appointments.
November 4, 2026: The chamber announced Helmy's executive committee appointment.
Market Landscape
Helmy's trajectory, from the Murphy administration through a 2024 U.S. Senate vacancy to posts on the Rutgers board and the Port Authority, places him among the state's most connected public-private figures. Seating him on the chamber's executive committee deepens ties between a major healthcare employer and the business advocacy group.
Operators who engage with the chamber should note that its executive committee now includes a healthcare executive with public-sector experience, which may influence advocacy on health-sector costs and workforce issues. Businesses in the newly represented industries can factor these appointees into their own policy engagement planning.
The takeaway
Track which policy positions the chamber's expanded board advances over the next several quarters, since they signal the agenda businesses will face in Trenton. Operators in healthcare, higher education, infrastructure and professional services should consider whether their trade interests are represented in the chamber's advocacy.
Further reading
For more on the executives shaping the state's business community, browse our People coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by NJBIZ.
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