Regional Plan Association (RPA) mourns the passing of the Honorable James J. Florio, former Governor of New Jersey, Director Emeritus of RPA, and Co-Chair of the RPA New Jersey Committee.
Governor Florio was a true public servant whose indelible legacy spans far beyond his time in office. He served in the NJ State Assembly and the U.S. House of Representatives for more than two decades before serving as Governor of New Jersey. While in Congress, he helped create the Pinelands National Reserve, protecting a unique biosphere of over one million acres, and drafted the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act - also known as the Superfund law - to clean up the country’s most polluted sites. This was critical for New Jersey, as it is home to the most Superfund sites and the most brownfield sites in the nation. After his term as Governor of New Jersey he continued to be involved in civic life, teaching classes at Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy of Rutgers University, chairing the Pinelands Commission from 2002 to 2005, and serving on a variety of boards, including RPA’s.
Governor Florio was a Board Member and Co-Chair of RPA’s NJ Committee for more than 20 years, serving alongside Chris Daggett to help set RPA’s policy priorities for the Garden State. He supported initiatives such as RPA’s Metropolitan Brownfields Initiative, a multi-year project in the late 1990s that analyzed brownfields that could be remediated and revitalized within New Jersey, as well as transit-oriented and sustainable development plans like the Somerset County Regional Center Vision Initiative. In 2012, RPA honored Governor Florio with its Lifetime Leadership Award at the annual Assembly.
The Honorable Jim Florio accepts RPA’s Lifetime Leadership Award at the 2012 RPA Assembly.
In 2017, in an interview conducted by RPA for the Fourth Regional Plan, Governor Florio stated that, “Climate change is a cross-cutting issue that has to be dealt with on a regional basis.” He supported RPA’s advocacy for offshore wind development because of its potential economic and environmental benefits for the state.
The Honorable Jim Florio speaks about climate change during the roll out of RPA’s Fourth Regional Plan in 2017.
Governor Florio was a visionary leader whose commitment to our region and to our organization will long be remembered by everyone with whom he served. RPA is grateful for his wisdom and support. He will be sorely missed.
