Where Business Executives in New Jersey Go to Unwind

Deb Visconi, president and CEO of Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, was recently installed as the 2026 board chair of the New Jersey Hospital Association. She succeeds 2025 Chair Mark Stauder, who recently retired as chief operating officer of Hackensack Meridian Health. Visconi is also a member of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Prager Metis CPAs, the accounting and advisory firm, announced that Lori A. Roth has been named CEO, and Stuart H. Mayer has been named COO. Roth, who previously served as global managing partner and executive committee member of Prager Metis, will provide leadership and strategic planning to more than 100 partners and principals and 600 team members. Mayer, who previously served as northeast regional managing partner and executive committee member for Prager Metis, will oversee daily operations.

RWJBarnabas Health named Jonathan P. Kyriacou as president and CEO of Jersey City Medical Center, effective Jan. 26. Kyriacou recently served as the COO at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, a 1,134-bed flagship academic medical center.

OceanFirst Bank is going regional. The Red Bank-based bank said it is merging with Uniondale-based Flushing Bank in a $579-million merger. The all-stock deal will create a regional bank under the OceanFirst name that will have a presence across N.J., Long Island and New York. OceanFirst CEO Chris Maher will continue to lead the company. Pending regulatory approval, the merged bank is expected to hold about $23 billion in assets, $17 billion in loans and $18 billion in deposits across 71 retail branches.

Johnson & Johnson announced it has surpassed $100 million in MedTech product donations since 2020, providing essential tools and technologies to under-resourced health systems worldwide. To mark the milestone, J&J revealed plans to invest an additional $20 million in 2026 for training health care professionals and the donation of medical tools that allow local doctors to perform life-changing procedures.

In a tribute to nearly three decades of dedication to professional soccer, Major League Soccer recognized John Gallucci Jr., president & CEO of JAG Physical Therapy, for his 27 years of distinguished service as the league’s associate chief medical officer. The honor was punctuated by the announcement of the John Gallucci Leadership Award, a newly established scholarship designed to bridge the gap between rising athletic training talent and the world’s leading sports medicine experts.

The American Water Charitable Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Camden-based American Water, released its 2025 Community Impact Report showing $5.7 million in charitable contributions over the past year. The funding was distributed through grants and employee-matching programs to support social and environmental initiatives across the 14 states served by American Water. It brings the foundation’s total contributions to more than $25 million since its launch in 2012.

Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center has renamed its landmark outpatient facility the 'Dr. Robert H. and Mary Ellen Harris HOPE Tower.' The renaming ceremony celebrates the philanthropy of Mary Ellen Harris and the Golden Dome Foundation, whose total contributions to Hackensack Meridian Health have exceeded $50 million over the last seven years. It also honors the legacy of Mary Ellen’s late husband, Dr. Robert H. Harris, a renowned researcher who helped bring Advil to the over-the-counter market and developed the life-saving epilepsy drug Vimpat.

Philanthropist Helena Theurer made a $10 million donation to the Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation to fund scholarships to the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. The largest gift in the school’s history establishes the Helena Theurer Endowed Student Scholarship, which will create four annual $100,000 scholarships that will help to cover full tuition and living expenses.

RWJBarnabas Health, the New Jersey-based health system, has become the naming-rights partner of Red Bull New York's new performance center in Morris Township. The facility will be called the RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center. Under the deal, RWJBarnabas Health also becomes the official Hometown Healthcare System and EMS provider for Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, Red Bull New York, Red Bull New York II, and the club’s youth programs and academy.

American Airlines announced it is launching free high-speed Wi-Fi, sponsored by AT&T, on more than 2 million flights a year. By spring, it will be available on nearly every American Airlines flight. Customers will be able to access the Wi-Fi through the airline’s portal (aainflight.com) by using their AAdvantage number and password

Members of the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJCPA) visited 66 high schools in New Jersey during the fall to discuss accounting careers and the benefits of becoming a certified public accountant (CPA). Under the program, NJCPA members visit high schools, often their alma maters, to discuss the ways businesses and individuals rely on CPAs for financial guidance and business strategies.

Connell Foley LLP recently announced that Patrick C. Dunican Jr. has joined the firm as a partner in its corporate practice group. He will focus on law firm consulting, expert opinion, risk management and higher education governance, while also supporting the firm’s business development. Dunican previously served as managing director and executive chairperson at Gibbons P.C. for 18 years, where he guided the firm’s strategic vision, operational leadership and long-term growth.

Rutgers University-New Brunswick has again been recognized as a "top producer" for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, marking the 15th time in two decades the institution has achieved the distinction. This year, 11 Rutgers undergraduates and recent alumni were awarded grants to study, conduct research, and teach English across the globe. The "top producer" distinction is awarded by the U.S. State Department to colleges and universities with the highest number of applicants selected for the Fulbright program.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos joined Gov. Murphy and Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill Monday to celebrate the official closing of the company's purchase of a "mega parcel" at the former Fort Monmouth. The ceremony signals the start of a $1 billion development of Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth. The project is slated to become one of the nation's largest film and television production facilities, featuring 12 soundstages.

Goya Foods, the nation's largest Hispanic-owned food company, is celebrating its 90th anniversary. What began in 1936 as a small storefront in Lower Manhattan has evolved into an iconic global brand boasting 2,500 products and a workforce of 4,000 employees headquartered in Jersey City. Founded by Spanish immigrants Prudencio Unanue and his wife Carolina, the company’s mission was simple: provide authentic, high-quality foods that offer a taste of home to the growing Latino community in New York.

Fairleigh Dickinson University has received the largest single donation in the school’s history, going toward the College of Psychology and Counseling. An anonymous donor contributed $6 million that will create a new hub and learning space on the Teaneck campus, technological advancements, scholarship opportunities for students, mental health services and other faculty resources, the university said in a release.

Thomas Edison State University has launched a first-of-its-kind doctoral pathway in the state: the Doctor of Education in Professional Studies. This innovative 'degree-completion' program is designed for the “ABD” (All But Dissertation) population – thousands of experienced professionals who started a doctorate elsewhere but never finished. The program recognizes prior doctoral work and replaces the traditional dissertation with an applied field project focused on real-world impact.

A once-daily pill version of Novo Nordisk‘s GLP-1 weight loss drug Wegovy has hit the market. The drugmaker said the starting dose of 1.5 milligrams is now available through 70,000 U.S. pharmacies and telehealth providers. Higher doses of the drug (4 milligrams, 9 milligrams and 25 milligrams) are also available to patients, according to Novo Nordisk. Novo Nordisk has its U.S. headquarters in Plainsboro.

Bristol Myers Squibb appointed Harald Hampel to serve as its senior vice president and worldwide head of medical affairs, neuroscience. A globally recognized leader in brain health, Hampel is known for advancing the understanding and study of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. In his new role, he will set and execute BMS’ global medical strategy for neuroscience and serve as its senior medical leader and external scientific voice in the field.

Health care company Bayer, with locations in Whippany and Morristown, said Jan. 29 that it has teamed up with former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Tony Romo, on a campaign celebrating everyday moments in the fight against prostate cancer. Romo is joined by his father Ramiro, a prostate cancer patient, to provide commentary on advanced prostate cancer patients and their caregivers. The campaign aims to start conversations about prostate cancer.