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Third Annual NJ Pathways Summit

  • June 04, 2025

Details

Registration
  • In Person
  • June 04, 2025
  • $49.00
  • Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
    1000 Boardwalk
    Atlantic City, NJ 08401
  • [email protected]
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NJ Pathways to Career Opportunities Summit
June 04, 2025

NJCCOS Highlights (14)

Driving innovation in education, expanding equitable access to career pathways, and fostering stronger collaboration between industry and academia are essential to ensuring all students and workers thrive in today’s globally competitive and technically evolving economy. Join us on June 4, 2025, at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City for the 3rd annual New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities Summit, where we will continue to shape the future of education and workforce development in our state. 

Through the New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities Initiative (NJ Pathways), New Jersey is at the forefront of a national movement to align academics with workforce needs, ensuring that students and workers have access to industry-driven training and credentials necessary for them to thrive in the workforce. This ongoing transformation is built on a commitment to collaboration among high schools, colleges and universities, industry, labor unions, community-based organizations, the public workforce system, state government, and other stakeholders. 

Join us for a full day of insights from national experts, engaging discussions with thought leaders, innovative solutions, and student perspectives that will elevate education and workforce development in New Jersey. Together, we will explore cutting-edge trends, share best practices, and reimagine how we prepare all learners for success in an economy that demands adaptability, innovation, and lifelong learning. 

Because when We Educate, Innovate, and Elevate Together… We Create NJ Pathways for All!

WHO ATTENDS | This is your opportunity to join together to help create a more prosperous and equitable New Jersey:

  • Community College Presidents & Trustees
  • Executive College Staff
  • College Faculty
  • Community Leaders
  • Philanthropic Leaders
  • Industry Leaders
  • Labor Union Leaders
  • Government Officials
Become A Partner

Summit Speakers

AARON FICHTNER

President, New Jersey Council of County Colleges

Catherine Starghill

CATHERINE STARGHILL, ESQ

Vice President, New Jersey Council of County Colleges and Executive Director, New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce & Economic Development

Christopher Emigholz

Chris Emigholz

Chief Government Affairs Officer, New Jersey Business and Industry Association 

Dr. Brian Bridges

Dr. Brian Bridges

Secretary of Higher Education, NJ Office of the Secretary of Higher Education

Charlotte Cahill

Charlotte Cahill

Associate Vice President, Jobs for the Future

Dr. Chauncy Lennon

Dr. Chauncy Lennon

Vice President for Learning and Work and Senior Strategy Advisor, Lumina Foundation

Scott Cheney

Scott Cheney

CEO, Credential Engine

Paul Fain

Paul Fain

Journalist, Work Shift and The Job, and The Cusp Podcast

Dr. Micheal McDonough

Dr. Micheal McDonough

President, Raritan Valley Community College

Dr. Ken Sauer

Dr. Ken Sauer

Senior Associate Commissioner and Chief Academic Officer

Amanda Winters

Amanda Winters

Program Director for Postsecondary Education at the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices

Keith Witham

Keith Witham

Vice President, Ascendium Education Group

Agenda

June 12, 2024

Breakfast Buffet (7:45am)


Introductions and Opening Remarks (9:00am)

  • Catherine Starghill, Esq., Vice President, New Jersey Council of County Colleges and Executive Director, New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce & Economic Development
  • Chris Emigholz, Chief Government Affairs Officer, New Jersey Business & Industry Association
  • Dr. Brian Bridges, Secretary of Higher Education, New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education


The Success of the New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities

  • Dr. Michael McDonough, President, Raritan Valley Community College
  • Catherine Starghill, Esq., Vice President, New Jersey Council of County Colleges and Executive Director, New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce & Economic Development


Pathways: Equity and Access to High Quality Industry Credentials and Associate Degrees

  • Chauncy Lennon, Vice President for Learning and Work and Senior Strategy Advisor, Lumina Foundation

 

Break


Credential Transparency for Competencies and Skills: The Benefits to Students, Jobseekers, and Employers

  • Scott Cheney, CEO, Credential Engine
  • Ken Sauer, Senior Associate Commissioner and Chief Academic Officer, Indiana Commission for Higher Education
  • (Moderator) Catherine Starghill, Esq., Vice President, New Jersey Council of County Colleges and Executive Director, New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce & Economic Development 


Networking Break


Lunch (12:00pm) 


Education Pathways & The Future of Work

  • Charlotte Cahill, Associate Vice President, Education, Jobs for the Future


Industry and Pathways: The Intersection of Education and Workforce Development

  • Amanda Winters, Program Director, Post-Secondary Education, National Governors Association
  • Keith Witham, Vice President of Education Philanthropy, Ascendium Education
  • (Moderator) Paul Fain, Journalist, Work Shift and The Job, and The Cusp Podcast (former Reporter/Editor, Inside Higher Ed)


Break


New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities: The Centers of Workforce Innovation

  • Raritan Valley Community College – Aseptic Processing and Biomanufacturing
  • Brookdale Community College – Film and Television Production
  • Camden County College – Esports Production Content Creation Hub
  • County College of Morris – Robotics and Automation


Break


New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities: The Path Forward

  • Catherine Starghill, Esq., Vice President, New Jersey Council of County Colleges and Executive Director, New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce & Economic Development


Closing Remarks (4:45pm)


After Summit Break (5:00pm)


Pathways Reception (6:00pm)

The 3rd Annual NJ Pathways Summit Focuses on How We Can Innovate, Educate, and Elevate Pathways for All: 

  1. Innovate education and workforce strategies to align with industry needs and emerging career pathways. 
  2. Educate students and workers by embedding industry-recognized credentials in all training and academic programs. 
  3. Elevate collaboration between academia, workforce leaders, and employers to create equitable opportunities for all. 
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Meet National and State Experts

Join us on June 4, 2025, for a full day of insights from national and state experts, where you’ll hear their innovative approaches to creating equitable education and training pathways.

Together, we’ll explore how our state can Innovate, Educate, and Elevate to build an education infrastructure that empowers all students and workers to succeed in a dynamic economy—Because when We Educate, Innovate, and Elevate Together… We Create Pathways for All!

Event Registration

Please use our official Eventbrite registration page to register yourself and any other individuals you are planning on registering. You will be able to add multiple attendees during one session.

Register Now

Accommodations at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

Note: Room Block is Open Until Sunday May 18, 2025

To reserve a room for the conference,  you will need to book your hotel room directly through the Hard Rock’s website with this link.

You can also inquire about a reservation by calling 1-609-449-1000.

Reservations for rooms accessible to guests with disabilities may be made in the same manner.

Directions & Parking

1900 Pacific Ave.
Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401

Google Map Directions

The Hard Rock offers a self-park garage for all attendees for $10. The garage is located on Pacific Avenue, stretching from Virginia Avenue to S. Pennsylvania Avenue.

Here is a map of the Hard Rock Atlantic City. The event will take place on the 2nd Floor Meeting Level. Registration will be in the Seminole Ballroom.

FAQs

Where do I register for a room?

Click Here

PLEASE NOTE: The NJ Pathways Summit is a part of a larger three-day New Jersey Community College Opportunity Summit (NJCCO Summit), taking place at the Hard Rock from June 4-6, 2025. If you’re registering for the NJCCO Summit, you don’t need to register for the NJ Pathways Summit (it’s included on Day 1).
 
To register for the full 3-day NJ Community College Opportunity Summit (which includes the NJ Pathways Summit on Day 1), Click here.

Where do attendees park?

Click Here

We understand that circumstances may change, and we strive to accommodate attendees to the best of our ability. Please review our refund policy outlined below.
 
For tickets that were paid through Eventbrite, a refund of the full registration fee will be given for cancellations made by May 12, 2025. To cancel your registration and request a refund, log into Eventbrite, go to tickets, find your order you want refunded, then select “Request a Refund”.
 
The following applies for all attendees: badge sharing, splitting and reprints are strictly prohibited.
 
NJCCC regrets that refunds will not be given for no-shows. NJCCC is not responsible for any change/cancellation charges assessed by airlines, travel agents, hotels or other vendors.

Payment in full is required at the time of registration, with the exception of New Jersey’s Community College attendees. If this applies to you, please reach out to your president’s office prior to registering for further instructions.

You will receive an email confirmation of your registration from Eventbrite (please add [email protected] to your safe senders list). If you have not received a confirmation within 10 business days after registering, please contact [email protected].

Registration, attendance at and participation in NJCCC events constitutes an agreement by the registrant to the use and distribution (both now and in the future) of the registrant or attendee’s image or voice in photographs, videotapes, electronic reproductions and audiotapes of such events and activities by NJCCC and other third parties, including but not limited to the venue. Registration for this event may include technology that monitors your activities throughout the conference, such as session attendance and booths visited.

Please email Lauren Purnell ([email protected]g) if you have any dietary restrictions.

Please email [email protected] if you have any further questions about the NJ Community College Opportunity Summit.

Dr. Brian Bridges

Dr. Brian Bridges

Secretary of Higher Education, NJ Office of the Secretary of Higher Education

LinkedIn 

Brian Bridges, Ph.D., currently serves as Secretary of Higher Education for the State of New Jersey, and is responsible for policy development and coordination of higher education activities. 

Dr. Bridges previously served as Vice President of Research and Member Engagement at the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) where he led UNCF’s Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute (FDPRI) and the Institute for Capacity Building (ICB). He also served as the organization’s chief research officer, principal editor and contributor to FDPRI’s publications, as well as the manager of internal and external projects involving capacity building, evaluation, and assessment. 

Prior to joining UNCF, Dr. Bridges served in various leadership roles, including Vice Provost for Diversity, Access, and Equity at Ohio University; Associate Director of the Center for Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Equity at the American Council on Education (ACE); Associate Director at the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE); and Assistant Professor of Higher Education Administration at George Washington University. Throughout his career, Dr. Bridges has served as a media resource and provided expert perspective and analysis on issues related to student engagement, Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), learning environments at minority-serving institutions and success factors for African American college students at predominantly white institutions. 

Dr. Bridges earned his Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Indiana University–Bloomington, a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of North Carolina–Charlotte, and a Bachelor’s of Arts in English Language and Literature from Francis Marion University. 

Charlotte Cahill

Charlotte Cahill

Associate Vice President

LinkedIn 

Charlotte Cahill is an associate vice president in the Education practice at JFF, where she provides strategic leadership across multiple projects and major initiatives, including Pathways to Prosperity. She collaborates with state and regional leaders to transform education systems, expand opportunities for youth, and support economic growth. 

 Her skills and areas of expertise include: 

  • College and career pathways, including work-based learning, dual enrollment, career navigation, and career and technical education 
  • Systems change, cross-sector partnerships, and intermediary development 
  • State policy 

Previously, Cahill conducted policy research and convened a network of colleges and universities at the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning. 

Educational background: 

  • Bachelor’s degree in history, Boston College 
  • Master’s degree and PhD in the history of U.S. public policy, Northwestern University 
Dr. Chauncy Lennon

Dr. Chauncy Lennon

Vice President for Learning and Work and Senior Strategy Advisor, Lumina Foundation

Twitter | LinkedIn 

Chauncy Lennon, Ph.D., is the New York-based vice president for learning and work and senior strategy advisor at Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all.  He leads Lumina’s community college strategy to equitably expand access to high-quality short-term credentials and associate degrees. 

He came to Lumina in 2018 after nearly five years as the managing director for workforce strategy at JPMorgan Chase & Co., where he drove the firm’s $350 million investment in philanthropic initiatives. He previously managed portfolios at the Ford Foundation related to economic advancement and workforce development. 

He serves on the board of the City University of New York Research Foundation and is a board observer of two education technology firms: Beam, a cloud-based platform providing equitable and fast delivery of education and public benefits programs, and Noodle, the nation’s fastest-growing online higher education network. 

Lennon is a graduate of Williams College and holds a doctorate in anthropology from Columbia University. He taught urban studies at Barnard College and Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs. 

Paul Fain

Paul Fain

Journalist/Work Shift, The Cusp

LinkedIn | LinkedIn 

Paul Fain is a journalist focused on connections between education and work. He writes The Job, a newsletter that explores those issues, and helps edit a related weekly publication, Work Shift. Fain also hosts The Cusp, a podcast on AI’s impacts.  

From 2011 to 2020, Fain was a reporter and editor at Inside Higher Ed. He oversaw the news outlet’s coverage of low-income students, college completion, community colleges, and federal policy. Prior to IHE, Fain was a senior reporter at The Chronicle of Higher Education, where he covered money and management. 

Dr. Micheal McDonough

Dr. Michael McDonough

President, Raritan Valley Community College

A native of Preston in Northwest England, Dr. Michael J. McDonough now resides in Hunterdon County with his wife, children, and three dogs (Jersey Girl, Quincy, and Ponyboy). The father of three and Buffalo Bills fan is an aficionado of golf, reading, travel, and theatre. He’s also a trivia buff and has a passion for classic rock, especially from the 1960s and ‛70s. 

Dr. Michael J. McDonough is Raritan Valley Community College’s eighth president. He has served in that role since June 2014. Prior to joining RVCC, McDonough served as provost and vice president of academic services at Monroe Community College in Rochester, NY (2011-2014); as dean of Liberal Arts at Monroe Community College (2007-2011); and as professor of English at Alfred University in Alfred, NY (1987-2007). He also has taught at Pennsylvania State University and Oklahoma State University. 
 
McDonough holds leadership positions in a number of academic organizations, both on the national and state level. These include the College Board, as a member of the Board of Trustees and as the chair of the Academic Assembly Council; American Association of Community Colleges, member of the Commission on Research, Technology & Emerging Trends; New Jersey Presidents’ Council, member of the Academic Issues and Transfer committees; and New Jersey Council of County Colleges, member of the Course Review Committee and as vice chair of the NJCC Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development. 
 
McDonough received his B.A. in Film and Drama and a Post Graduate Certification of Education from Reading University in England; an M.A. in English from Oklahoma State University; a Ph.D. in English from Pennsylvania State University; and an I.E.M. from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. 

Dr. Ken Sauer

Dr. Ken Sauer

Senior Associate Commissioner and Chief Academic Officer

LinkedIn 

Dr. Ken Sauer oversees new program approvals and program reviews, transfer of credit, dual credit, and campus mission statements/policies. He is also the executive director of the Indiana Board for Proprietary Education, liaison to the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the Governor’s Health Workforce Council. 

Sauer leads Indiana’s inter-agency participation in the National Governors Association Community of Practice on Learning and Employment Records, the Credential Engine Indiana initiative and the Indiana e-Transcript Program. 

Since 2007, Sauer has been the Governor’s designee on the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) and is a past chair of the Compact. He is also a member of the Midwestern-State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (M-SARA) Regional Steering Committee and the National Council-SARA Data Committee. 

Previous employers include the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCES), where he helped lead the development of the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), which NCES still uses for annually collecting data from all U.S. colleges and universities. 

He holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from St. John Fisher College and a Ph.D. in Government/International Relations from Claremont Graduate University. 

Amanda Winters

Amanda Winters

Program Director for Postsecondary Education at the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices

Amanda Winters serves as Program Director for Postsecondary Education at the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices. In this role she oversees a team that supports governors offices and state policy makers on issues that connect postsecondary pathways to economic mobility and workforce outcomes. Her current portfolio is focused on economic mobility for families and communities, skills-based education/hiring pathways, state data systems, work-based learning, postsecondary financing, and quality postsecondary credentials. She came to her position from roles at the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the University of Illinois. She centers her work on the importance of collaboration and partnerships to create impact and real outcomes.

Keith Witham

Keith Witham

Vice President, Ascendium Education Group

LinkedIn 

Keith Witham is a vice president at Ascendium Education Group and leads the organization’s Education Philanthropy division. In this role, he is responsible for the implementation of Ascendium’s philanthropic strategy to improve postsecondary education and workforce training outcomes for learners from low-income backgrounds. Keith was previously managing director of the College Excellence Program at the Aspen Institute, where he led strategies to advance equitable student success in community colleges. Prior to joining Aspen, he was on the faculty of the College of Education at Temple University and has also held positions with Complete College America and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. He serves on the board of the National College Attainment Network. 

Aaron Fichtner, Ph.D.

President, New Jersey Council of County Colleges

Aaron Fichtner, Ph.D. is the President of the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, a nonprofit organization, enshrined in state law, that supports and strengthens the state’s 18 community colleges. 

Fichtner served as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development from September 2016 to January 2018. He joined the Department in 2010, serving as Assistant Commissioner for Labor Planning and Analysis and Deputy Commissioner.

Before joining state government,  Fichtner  was the Director of Research and Evaluation at the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University. Fichtner earned a Ph.D. in Planning and Public Policy from Rutgers University, a master’s degree in City Planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a bachelor’s degree in History from Vassar College.

Catherine Starghill

Catherine Starghill, ESQ

Vice President, New Jersey Council of County Colleges

Executive Director, New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce & Economic Development

Starghill was on the list of New Jersey’s 25 Most Influential African Americans by South Jersey Journal in 2017 as one of the “State’s leaders who stand head and shoulders above others and boldly reflect the rich diversity and excellence of the African American community throughout the Garden State.”   

As Vice President of Strategy and Partnerships for NJCCC, Starghill leads the statewide coalition of partners for the New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities initiative aligning education to the needs of the workforce to build a stronger economy.  

Starghill was named Deputy Commissioner of the NJDOL in October 2016. As Deputy Commissioner, she led many of the Department’s program areas including Research and Information, Income Security, and Labor Standards and Safety Enforcement. She started with the NJDOL in 2012, previously serving as Executive Director of Workforce Operations and Business Services where she oversaw the day-to-day operations of the One-Stop Career Centers and the integrated business outreach of workforce field staff with other state and local workforce partners. In that role, she was responsible for more than 300 employees and a $45 million budget.  

Prior to joining the NJDOL, Starghill was the Acting Director of the Division of Housing and Community Resources and Equal Employment Opportunity Officer at the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Much of her state government career was spent as the expert on the Open Public Records Act on the Government Records Council and the Privacy Study Commission.   

Before joining the public sector, she spent many years in the private sector, working in Tax and Legal Services at PricewaterhouseCoopers and on the Corporate Finance Staff of Ford Motor Company.  

Starghill simultaneously earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Accounting from the University of Michigan. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Wayne State University Law School and a Six Sigma Black Belt Certification from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.  

She was married to the late Rev. Dr. Britt A. Starghill and is the mother of two children, Britt Andrew, and Brie Alexandra. 

Christopher Emigholz

Christopher Emigholz

Chief Government Affairs Officer, New Jersey Business and Industry Association

Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn  | Instagram 

Christopher “Chris” Emigholz is Vice President of Government Affairs covering taxation, budget, and economic development, of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA), the nation’s largest state-level business association whose member companies collectively employ 1 million people.   

Prior to this current job, Emigholz worked in state government for 10 years. He was a budget director for the State Senate Republican Office for 8 years and directed education policy and legislative affairs in the New Jersey Department of Education prior to that. This is his second stint at NJBIA having served for years as their workforce development and education lobbyist earlier in his career. He was also a teacher through the Teach For America program in a high school in Atlanta, Georgia, and community liaison/volunteer coordinator for an elementary school in Baltimore City.  

Emigholz has a Master of Public Policy degree from Rutgers’ Bloustein School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Johns Hopkins University. He currently lives in Robbinsville, NJ with his wife and 3 children, where he is active in the community including coaching youth sports and having been elected to the school board. 

NJ Pathways to Career Opportunities Summit

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Event Has Passed

Date:

June 04 2025

Time:

Beginning at 8:00am EST

Location:
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
1000 Boardwalk
Atlantic City, NJ 08401

Registration QR code

Registration and Information