Share this
Twitter
Myspace
Digg
Del.icio.us
Reddit
Slashdot
Furl
Yahoo
Technorati
Newsvine
Facebook
Export PDF
Print
E-mail
Tags
Bob Czech to chair Civil Service Commission
BY TOM HESTER SR.
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
SECOND UPDATE
State Superior Court Judge Lee Solomon was named president of the state Board of Public Utilities Thursday by Gov. Chris Christie.
The governor named Bob Czech, the Monmouth County administrator, as chairman of the state Civil Service Commission.
Solomon, 54, was an an assistant U.S attorney and head of the South Jersey office when Christie was New Jersey U.S. attorney. He is also a former Camden County prosecutor, a Republican Assemblyman for the county from 1991 to 1995, a county freeholder, and an unsuccessful candidate for Congress in 1994.
Czech is a former Superior Court judge, state legislator, former assistant U.S attorney under Christie and a former county prosecutor."The Board of Public Utilities and Civil Service Commission both deliver services, manage and control costs that affect our taxpayers every day,'' Christie said in Trenton. "Today, I have chosen two strong and experienced individuals to lead at those agencies and to help me carry out reforms and confront New Jersey fiscal challenges.''
Solomon will replace Frederick Butler as head of the Newark-based BPU.The selection of Solomon drew praise from the New Jersey Environmental Federation.
"Lee Solomon has the legal, environmental, personal, and political background to ensure a cleaner, greener 21st century, said Sharon Finlayson, the Federation‘s chairwoman. "While we've obviously worked less with him more recently given his role as a judge and prosecutor, Lee Solomon was an environmental ally as a freeholder and Assemblyman.''
Finlayson said Solomon's opposition to proposed garbage incinerators in Camden and Pennsauken, the latter of which was stopped, because of their negative environmental and economic impacts bodes well for him in his role as BPU president."We need clean solutions for tomorrow not dirty ideas from the past,'' she said. "That's Governor Christie's agenda. That's why we endorsed him and we look forward to working again with Lee to implement that agenda."
In addition to Christie's energy as industry agenda, the BPU is expected to play an important role implementing some of the key pieces of the governor's environmental agenda including:
Implementing the Global Warming Response Act and Energy Master Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with greater emphasis on clean renewables and energy efficiency;
Enacting policies in the first 100 days to stop the fish slaughter resulting from flawed cooling systems at the Salem and Oyster Creek nuclear plants;
And opposing the proposed Linden coal plant, recognizing the environmental injustice it places on a community already overburdened by pollution.
Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney (D-Gloucester) praised Solomon's appointment.
"I've known Lee Solomon for more than 20 years and cannot think of a better choice to head the BPU,'' Sweeney said. "He simply is a hands-down outstanding pick.''
Here is a recap of the appointments Christie has made and the positions that remain vacant.
Lieutenant Governor — Kim Guadagno (Elected)
Secretary of Agriculture — Vacant
Attorney General — Paula Dow
Banking and Insurance Commissioner — Tom Considine
Children and Families Commissioner — Vacant
Civil Service Commissioner — Bob Czech
Community Affairs Commissioner — Vacant
Corrections Commissioner — Gary Lanigan
Council of Economic Advisors Chairman — Bob Grady
Criminal Justice Director — Stephen Taylor
Economic Development Authority Director — Al Koeppe
Education Commissioner — Bret Schundler
Environmental Protection Commissioner — Bob Martin
Governor's Appointments Council — Michele Brown
Governor's Authorities Unit Director — Deborah Gramiccioni
Governor's Cabinet Secretary — Lou Goetting
Governor's Chief Counsel — Jeff Chiesa
Governor's Chief of Staff — Richard Bagger
Governor's Deputy Chief of Staff — Bill Stepien
Governor's Deputy Counsel — Kevin O'Dowd
Governor's Deputy Chief of Staff/Communications — Maria Comella
Governor's Deputy Chief of Staff/Policy & Planning — Wayne Hasenbalg
Governor's Director of Operations — Rosemary Ianncone
Health and Senior Services Commissioner — Vacant
Human Services Commissioner — Jennifer Velez
Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner — Vacant
Law Director — Robert Hanna
Military and Veterans Affairs Commissioner — Maj. Gen. Glenn K. Rieth
Motor Vehicle Commission Director — Vacant
Office of Economic Growth — Vacant
Office of Homeland Security and Prepardness — Charles B. McKenna
Public Advocate — Vacant
Public Utilities President — Lee Solomon
Secretary of State — Kim Guadagno
State Police Superintendent — Vacant
Treasurer — Andrew Eristoff
