Michele Siekerka, President & CEO of NJBIA

Michele Siekerka, Esq. became the 11th President of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association in October 2014. Michele came to NJBIA from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection where she served in the critical position of Deputy Commissioner. Prior to serving as Deputy she served as Assistant Commissioner for Water Resource Management. In those positions, Michele was a principal player in Governor Christie’s charge in “Rebuilding New Jersey” in the wake of “Superstorm Sandy.” She was responsible for coordinating funding, outreach and resources for the rebuilding of impacted environmental infrastructure. While at DEP Michele also coauthored the State Strategic Plan, served as the Governor’s representative on the Delaware River Basin Commission and the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust and was instrumental in the drafting of the 2010 New Jersey State Energy Master Plan. Prior to DEP Michele served as President and CEO of the Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce where she launched the Mercer Regional Economic Development Foundation and the Arts and Business Council of Greater Trenton. Michele served as senior legal counsel and vice president of human resources with the Automobile Association of America Mid-Atlantic addressing legal matters in the areas of employee relations benefits, contracts and regulatory compliance. Before AAA Michele was a partner in a Mercer County law firm where she was a litigation attorney with specialization in the areas of employment and business law. She also served on Governor Chris Christie’s Red Tape Review Group A Robbinsville resident, Siekerka earned a BA in Political Science and German from Rutgers University and a JD from Temple University School of Law. 

Kathleen Connelly, Partner in Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper

Kathleen M. Connelly concentrates her practice in Employment Law and Workplace investigationsKathleen Connelly is a partner in Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper and concentrates her practice in Employment Law. She has more than 25 years of experience representing employers and individual members of management in both the private and public sectors. https://www.lindabury.com/kathleen-m-connelly.html