RIPPAC Gala to honor leaders, raise funds for scholarships and programming

Five leaders in the areas of public service, business and healthcare in New Jersey will be honored on Friday, March 14, at the RIPPAC Gala, an event to raise funds for student scholarships and civic programming, presented by the Rowan Institute for Public Policy & Citizenship (RIPPAC).

Tickets for the gala, which begins at 6 p.m. at the Westin Hotel in Mount Laurel, are $250 and can be purchased online.

“Too many people think politics is frustrating, dysfunctional, confusing and inhospitable. RIPPAC is the response,” says Ben Dworkin, founding director of RIPPAC. “We bring together students and people across New Jersey to upgrade their skills as citizens.

“We are engaged in workforce development for democracy. This gala will help us dramatically improve our efforts.”

At the gala, New Jersey Senate President Nicholas P. Scutari and Assembly Republican Leader John DiMaio will be honored with RIPPAC’s Leadership Award, while Robin A. Walton, senior vice president of external affairs and chief philanthropy officer for Inspira Health, will accept the Community Service Award.

Joris Veldhoven, CEO of Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, will receive the Corporate Neighbor Award and Michele Siekerka, president and CEO of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA), will accept the Visionary Award.

New Jersey Senate President Nicholas P. Scutari was elected to the State Senate in 2003 to represent the 22^nd District. In 2022, he became Senate president.

An attorney, Scutari began his career in public service in 1994, when he was elected to the Linden Board of Education. He was elected to the Union County Freeholder Board in 1994 and, in 1999, became the youngest-ever chair of the board.

The longest-serving chair in state history of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Scutari spearheaded legislation in 2021 that creates the legal and regulatory framework for the cannabis industry in New Jersey.

Assemblyman John DiMaio joined the Assembly in 2009. Elected to public office for the first time at age 23 as a Hackettstown council member, DiMaio later served on the Warren County freeholder board, serving as director twice.

As an assemblyman, DiMaio previously was the Republican Conference leader and has served as the budget and appropriations officer.

Owner of a general construction company for more than 40 years, DiMaio is recognized frequently for his legislative efforts on behalf of large and small businesses and as a watchdog for taxpayers.

Community Service Award

Senior vice president of external affairs and chief philanthropy officer for Inspira Health, Robin A. Walton has built a career in government and community relations across various sectors, including healthcare, higher education and library services.

Before taking her current position in 2024, Walton was senior vice president of government relations and external affairs at Inspira Health, where she established a record of forging strong, collaborative relationships with political representatives and government officials at the local, regional and state levels.

Walton has played a key role in Inspira’s collaborations and partnerships with community stakeholders, including Rowan University, Rowan College of South Jersey, and Acenda Health, among others.

CEO of Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, Joris Veldhoven is a former global wind supply chain manager for Shell New Energies Wind. He joined Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind in 2019 as its commercial and financial director and was later appointed CEO.

Veldhoven held various commercial roles with Shell, including managing the company’s relationships with all major supply chain partners in the wind industry, such as turbine manufacturers and operations contractors.

He also oversaw a portfolio of wind projects, including five existing Shell onshore wind farms in the U.S.

Visionary Award

Michele Siekerka, president and CEO of NJBIA, leads the nation’s largest and most influential employers’ organization. In that role, she advocates on behalf of the state’s large and small businesses on policies that will make New Jersey more affordable and regionally competitive.

An attorney, Siekerka joined NJBIA in 2014. The former deputy commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, she was a principial player in the state’s recovery after Superstorm Sandy.

Co-founder and co-chair of Opportunity New Jersey, she previously was president and CEO of the Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce.

About RIPPAC

Founded in 2018, RIPPAC is dedicated to informing, engaging and training Rowan students, faculty and the public in politics, policy and citizen engagement. The institute hosts programs and guest speakers; supports students through academic and career development, internships and scholarships; and connects faculty and students from across the University with public entities to facilitate public policy research and discussion.