The Governor James J. Florio Leadership Award

Governor Florio was our friend, mentor, esteemed RPA Board Member, and Co-Chair of our New Jersey Committee for more than 20 years. The Governor James J. Florio Leadership Award and companion internship program recognizes and celebrates outstanding New Jersey leaders who embody the Governor’s legacy through their work toward better mobility, stronger and more inclusive communities, and a more resilient region.

This year, the Florio Award will be presented to Craig Guy, Hudson County Executive, in recognition of his ongoing work to advance bold housing strategies that prioritize affordability, inclusion, and opportunity for all residents.

Craig Guy, Hudson County Executive

Honoree, Gov. James J. Florio Leadership Award

Learn more about Craig Guy

The Community Builder Award

The Community Builder Award recognizes individuals or organizations whose work strengthens New Jersey’s communities in tangible, lasting ways through the places they shape, the connections they build, and the long-term investments they make in shared civic life.

This award honors leadership that goes beyond programmatic success or short-term impact. Community Builders understand that thriving places are created through sustained commitment: to neighborhoods, to people, and to the systems that allow communities to grow, adapt, and endure. Their work may take many forms—transformative development, stewardship of public space, cultural investment, environmental protection, or institution-building—but it is unified by a clear sense of responsibility to place.

Recipients of the Community Builder Award demonstrate that meaningful change happens when organizations and leaders embed themselves in the fabric of the communities they serve, contributing not just resources, but trust, continuity, and vision. By recognizing this work, the award celebrates those who help make New Jersey’s communities stronger, more connected, and better positioned for the future.

This year, the Community Builder Award will be presented to Audible.

Audible

Honoree, Community Builder Award

Award accepted by Audible CEO Bob Carrigan

Learn more about Bob Carrigan

A Toast to the Advocates

The event is also an opportunity to toast the Raritan Valley Line Mayors’ Alliance, a bi-partisan advocacy group of 32 Mayors from Union, Somerset, Hunterdon and Middlesex Counties advocating for fair and equitable service for more than 23,000 users of the Raritan Valley Line.