By Laura D.C. Kolnoski
FORT MONMOUTH – McKenzie A. Wilson of Jersey City has been named chair of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA), filling the position that has been vacant since the passing of Robert Lucky, formerly of Fair Haven, in March 2022.
Wilson, an attorney, is the chief legal officer and corporate secretary at University Hospital in Newark. Before that, she served as counsel at Lowenstein Sandler LLP in Roseland, where she handled litigation, counseling and administrative matters and interacted with various state departments, including the Office of the Attorney General. The state AG’s office oversees all FMERA matters.
For almost four years, she was deputy chief counsel for Gov. Phil Murphy’s office, leading a team of attorneys. According to her biography, Wilson managed relations with public unions while there, including settling collective negotiation agreements.
Wilson holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from George Washington University and a Juris Doctor magna cum laude from Seton Hall University School of Law. As a college student at George Washington University, she interned for U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-6). Wilson previously resided in New Brunswick, part of the district represented by Pallone. Studying abroad, she spent a semester at King’s College in London in the War Studies program focused on international law and economy.
Before joining the governor’s office, the new FMERA chair was a labor and employment associate at the Proskauer Rose law firm in New York. She also clerked for Chief Justice Stuart Rabner of the New Jersey Supreme Court.
During the time FMERA was without a chair, Eatontown Mayor Anthony Talerico Jr. filled the position on an interim basis. He is now vice-chair. When introducing Wilson, he noted she has “big shoes to fill.”
Robert Lucky, Ph.D., was a well-known scientist, inventor, author and Marconi Prize winner who was a technology innovator at Bell Labs and worked on the redevelopment of Fort Monmouth since the closing announcement in 2005.
“This board and authority are doing big things for the region and state, and I’m excited to contribute in any way possible,” Wilson said. “Netflix is a priority for the governor due to what it will do for jobs and the economy. The team here is dynamic. I’m happy to have (FMERA executive director) Kara Kopach at the helm leading the effort.”
This article originally appeared in the September 28 – October 4, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
