PHOTOS & SUMMARY: Walk to Washington 2019

The 2019 Walk to Washington Offered Nonstop Networking

The 82 nd Annual N.J. Chamber Train to D.C. carried nearly 1,000 Power Players

2019 Walk to Washing Reception

Guests at the Dinner included Gov. Murphy, Sen. Menendez, 11 House Members, 50 Legislators and 40 News Reporters

The 82nd Annual Walk to Washington and Congressional Dinner, on Feb. 28 and March 1, 2019, carried nearly 1,000 of New Jersey's business and government leaders on board the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce's chartered Amtrak train to D.C.

“It’s a packed train that accommodates the wide variety of personalities and philosophies that make up the state’s political ecosystem,” NJTV News said.

“It’s the ultimate networking opportunity in the the state of New Jersey,” said former gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli before he boarded in Newark. “There are few opportunities that offer the visibility that this train trip does. It’s a New Jersey institution.”

Those boarding the train included state legislators, CEOs, small business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit leaders who walked the train's aisle chatting and exchanging business cards. They discussed tax policy, infrastructure investment, legalizing recreational marijuana, and ways to stimulate economic growth.

The 14-car train whisked through New Jersey, picking up guests along the way. When it reached the nation's capital, guests gathered at the Marriott Wardman Park hotel for networking receptions and the Congressional Dinner featuring Gov. Phil Murphy, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and 11 of the 12 members of New Jersey’s House representatives.

When Gov. Murphy took the podium, he offered a preview of his then soon-to-be-proposed state budget that he said would “move us back to the sound fiscal practices that our residents demand, that the bond rating agencies want and which administrations and legislatures of both parties had evaded for far too long.”

He noted that he will advance his new plan for “capped and strategically placed” corporate tax incentives. “I recognize the critical role tax incentives can play in economic development and job creation,” he said.

Among his priorities, he said, is "fixing" New Jersey Transit, “even if it kills me.” And to secure funding for Gateway Tunnel under the New York Harbor between New Jersey and Manhattan. “Our funding is lined up,” Murphy said. “When it comes to the replacement of the Portal Bridge, we’re also shovel-ready. All we need is for the President to come in with the federal government as our partner.”

Gov. Murphy noted that he recently spoke privately with the President, and that they spoke exclusively about federal funding for these projects. “I’m frustrated but optimistic that we will get this done,” the governor said. “We have to get this done.”

Sen. Menendez, during his time at the microphone, called the Gateway Tunnel Project plan “a ticking time bomb we cannot afford to ignore.” He said, “It’s an artery critical to our economy and security.”

The senator also appealed to the business community to use its influence to help immigrants adapt to life in America. He challenged business leaders in the audience to hire immigrants, characterizing it as both a good business practice and a moral imperative.

A portion of the dinner honored K9s For Warriors, the nation’s largest provider of service dogs to military veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disability and related conditions as a result of military service post-9/11. “We train rescue dogs to be amazing service dogs,” said Rory Diamond, CEO of K9s for Warriors. “When warriors see their dog for the first time, their life is immediately better.”

The New Jersey Chamber presented its 2019 Thomas H. Kean Sr. Business Leadership Award to Dennis Bone. Bone served as president and CEO of Verizon New Jersey for 12 years before his retirement in 2012, and he continued to be a champion of business both as a member of the N.J Chamber Board of Directors and as the inaugural director of the Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship at the School of Business at Montclair State University.

The governor, meanwhile, mingled with guests at the hotel late into the evening, prompting ROI-NJ newspaper to ask, “Where else can you get the governor working the room, eager to talk to all? (The) Walk to Washington proves its worth again.”

A special thank you to JCP&L, Walk to Washington's premier sponsor.