Left: Joel S. Bloom, Ed. D., Former President of NJIT. Right: Richard T. Thigpen, Senior Vice President of Corporate Citizenship & Chairman of the PSEG Foundation.
Newark, NJ (February 14, 2023) – Newark Beth Israel Medical Center has elected two new members to its Board of Trustees, Former President of NJIT, Joel S. Bloom, Ed. D., and Richard T. Thigpen, Senior Vice President of Corporate Citizenship & Chairman of the PSEG Foundation.
“It is an honor to welcome Dr. Joel S. Bloom and Richard T. Thigpen to our Board of Trustees. These seasoned executives have dedicated their lives to creating sustainable change in our communities. During his tenure at NJIT Dr. Bloom created opportunities for underserved youth and engendered tremendous growth for the university. Mr. Thigpen has dedicated his career to advocating for the rights of our most underserved citizens, through policy change and his charitable activities. We look forward to working with them as we continue to advance our delivery of excellent patient care and address the social determinants of health that affect the communities we serve,” Darrell K. Terry, Sr., MHA, MPH, FACHE, FHELA, President and Chief Executive Officer, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey.
“Dr. Joel S. Bloom and Richard T. Thigpen are exemplary leaders who have dedicated their careers to enriching the lives of residents across the state of New Jersey. We are proud to welcome them to our Board and look forward to their insights and contributions,” said Francis J. Giantomasi, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.
Dr. Bloom was NJIT’s president from 2011 -2022. During his tenure, Dr. Bloom established NJIT as a Top 100 National University; he led NJIT’s rise to #1 nationally for student and upward mobility; and he completed a $400 million campus transformation that added 1 million square feet of teaching and research facilities to the campus. He is also the founding dean of the Albert Dorman Honors College.
Dr. Bloom holds a master's degree and a doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University and master's and bachelor's degrees from Hunter College of the City University, New York City. He serves on the Governor's Commission on Science, Technology and Innovation as well as several boards and has received numerous honors as an educational and community leader, including the Air Force Public Service Medal, and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Mr. Thigpen joined PSEG in March 2007. He is the Senior Vice President of Corporate Citizenship and Chairman of the PSEG Foundation, responsible for areas of the business that drive public policy through advocacy, including federal, state and local government affairs, sustainability, charitable activities and corporate social responsibility. Mr. Thigpen is also a member of PSEG’s Senior Executive Team.
Mr. Thigpen has been a public affairs consultant since 1999 and was a co-founding partner of 1868 Public Affairs, which provides lobbying, strategic planning, public relations and government relations services to clients in New Jersey, New York and Washington, D.C.
Mr. Thigpen was a former assistant to the president of the NAACP State Conference for Public Affairs. Currently, he is a member of the boards of the Regional Plan Association, New Jersey Climate Change Alliance, New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus Foundation, Public Media NJ Inc. (NJ PBS), Brown University Alumni Association, New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund, and New Jersey Business & Industry Association. He also is a member of the American Association of Blacks in Energy’s national board and chair of the Legislative Issues and Public Policy Committee.
Mr. Thigpen holds a Doctor of Law degree from Columbia University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Brown University.
About Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, is a 665-bed regional care teaching hospital that provides comprehensive health care. Newark Beth Israel is a Top Teaching Hospital and home to one of the nation’s top 15 heart transplant centers, which has performed more than 1,100 heart transplants; RWJBarnabas Health’s Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant Program; New Jersey’s only Advanced Lung Disease and Transplant Program and a Valve Center that performs complex cardiac valve procedures, including minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVRs). Newark Beth Israel Medical Center is also home to Children’s Hospital of New Jersey (CHoNJ), which cares for children from birth through adolescence, with more than 30 specialized pediatric services including New Jersey’s largest Valerie Fund Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders; and the Children’s Heart Center that offers a complete range of medical and surgical treatments for the most complex cardiac abnormalities. The Newark Beth Israel robotic surgery program is the most experienced in northern New Jersey. RWJBarnabas Health and The Frederick B. Cohen, MD, Comprehensive Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey Breast Health Center, in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey – the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center – brings a world class team of researchers and specialists to fight alongside you, providing close-to-home access to the latest treatment and clinical trials. Newark Beth Israel also offers many preventive health programs that promote wellness in the community, including The Beth Greenhouse, which provides access to fresh produce and health and wellness education to residents.
Children’s Hospital of New Jersey (CHoNJ), located at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, cares for children from birth through adolescence, with more than 30 specialized pediatric services including New Jersey’s largest Valerie Fund Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders; and the Children’s Heart Center that offers a complete range of medical and surgical treatments for the most complex cardiac abnormalities. Children’s Hospital of New Jersey also includes a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and a Level IV Regional Perinatal Center that offers New Jersey’s only Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) therapy; and the highest level of intensive care for both mothers and newborns.