Remembering Caren Franzini

January 26th, 2017 by New Jersey Future staff

The New Jersey Future board of trustees, staff and community are all deeply saddened by the passing of New Jersey Future trustee Caren Franzini.

Caren became a trustee in 2014, two years after she had launched her own economic-development consulting firm. For almost 20 years prior to that, she led the state’s Economic Development Authority. Under her leadership the authority focused on ways to make New Jersey more competitive for emerging technology and biotech companies, and it worked to provide greater assistance to small businesses. In her capacity at EDA she served seven governors across four administrations.

In 2015, Caren was instrumental in the founding of Greater Trenton, a not-for-profit dedicated to bringing private investment to the capital city that began as a project of New Jersey Future. As a New Jersey Future trustee, she was a co-chair of the organization’s capital campaign, which raised the funds necessary for the purchase and renovation of its new home in Trenton.

“Caren was an exemplary trustee for an organization like New Jersey Future,” said Peter Reinhart, chairman of the organization’s board. “She understood all the issues, she brought great knowledge and insight, and all of us are the wiser for her guidance. It’s not an overstatement to say this is a great loss not just to us, but to all of New Jersey.”

“Caren set the bar for public service that we should all strive to clear,” said New Jersey Future Executive Director Peter Kasabach. “Her devotion to making New Jersey a better place, her commitment to listening not just to the most powerful around the table, and her dedication to doing what was right even if it wasn’t the easy route made her one of the standout human beings that I have ever met.”

We join the countless other individuals and organizations who are the better for having known Caren, in mourning her passing and extending our condolences to all who loved her.