Since 2018, The Zita Group has worked with Orsted, a multinational energy company and leader in offshore wind, to advance and solidify their presence in the state. TZG developed and coordinated all aspects of the company’s public affairs strategy to position it favorably to respond to the complex NJ Board of Public Utilities bid solicitation for the first offshore wind project in the state and the largest windfarm in North America. TZG worked with state, county and local government officials and agencies, as well as numerous stakeholder groups to guide Orsted through the multi-dimensional permitting and regulatory process during the solicitation. “TZG also assisted Orsted in facilitation of its offshore wind partner, EEW, a specialty steel fabricator to locate its first US based monopile manufacturing facility at the port of Paulsboro, NJ, on the Delaware River.”

TZG continues to provide Orsted with a multi-faceted government affairs and strategic outreach plan to ensure the company and its operations have a reliable state regulatory structure to support the state’s future offshore wind energy marketplace.

On behalf of clients, TZG secured funding for the following programs that were approved in the Fiscal Year 2023 State Budget:

Health Care:  Regional Health Hubs 

TZG was successful in increasing the appropriations that the Governor recommended in his proposed budget for the state’s four regional health hubs.  These non-profit entities are regional networks of non-profit organizations that partner with Medicaid and other state agencies to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes for Medicaid recipients in the state.

The pandemic placed a great deal of financial stress on these regional health hubs as they fulfilled an increased need for healthcare coverage, particularly in medically underserved areas of the state.  Increased funding was vital for making sure they can continue to carry out their mission.

Higher Education: Polytechnic Adjustment Aid

TZG secured a new, first-of-its-kind funding mechanism in support of a state polytechnic school. Polytechnic schools specialize in science and technology courses and are prevalent in many areas of the country with state financial support. This funding for higher education allows these schools to enhance the programs they offer to their students and prepare students to be leaders in our increasingly technology-dependent economy.

Public Broadcasting

TZG worked throughout the budget process to preserve funding for New Jersey’s public media operations. TZG met with members of the budget committees to ensure they understood the importance and value of New Jersey public television, especially during the pandemic when non-profit entities leveraged and adapted their educational capabilities to benefit children unable learn in a regular classroom environment. The funding allows them to continue to invest in operational enhancements to improve quality programming throughout the state and transition to the digital age of media broadcasting.

Prisoner Re-Entry Services

TZG worked with legislative leaders and the coalition for community corrections providers to make sure there was sufficient funding in the budget for the variety of contractual services provided to the Department of Corrections and the NJ State Parole Board. The funding helps incarcerated individuals reentering society with employment placement, life skills, counseling services, medical services, substance use disorder treatment, and referral to social service agencies in communities.

Volunteer Tax Preparation Assistance and United In Care

TZG assisted United Way of Northern NJ in securing funding to expand critical programs. The two programs, Volunteer Tax Preparation Assistance program (VITA) and the United in Care program, help individuals and families that make less than $65,000 a year with their income tax preparation annually, and with the cost of childcare.

Despite an explosion of interest in craft beer across the country, New Jersey breweries found themselves constrained by antiquated laws that dated back to the Prohibition era and restricted their ability to expand operations, market their products and compete with breweries in neighboring states. That’s when the Garden State Craft Brewers Guild, an association made up of production breweries and brewpubs licensed in New Jersey, turned to The Zita Group (TZG) for help.

In order modernize New Jersey’s laws and unleash the economic potential of the industry, the TZG team developed and executed a comprehensive public affairs plan. From helping draft legislation to relax the constraints on the industry to navigating the numerous political hurdles that arose during the legislative process, TZG managed a complex policy initiative and negotiated a successful outcome. In the end, TZG’s efforts yielded a law that created a more friendly business environment that attracted new investment, enabled many of the Guild’s existing members to expand their facilities and allowed new breweries and brewpubs to enter the New Jersey market.

This landmark legislation was signed into law in September 2012.  Since then, the number of craft beer production facilities in New Jersey has increased over 100 percent.

The coronavirus pandemic forced businesses and organizations across the state to adjust to new economic and regulatory realities, finding new ways to service their customers while complying with strict health and public safety protocols. The TZG team was instrumental in advocating for our clients and helping them comply with new regulations during this unprecedented time.

HelloFresh, a global meal kit delivery service, faced several challenges keeping their Newark facility operations running throughout the pandemic. Beyond what the state had implemented, Newark enacted additional restrictions on individuals and businesses within the city. TZG successfully advocated for the company to be deemed essential allowing them to remain open regardless of other city-wide closures and limitations.

UPS saw an unprecedented demand for their services throughout the pandemic as they delivered millions of pieces of PPE, COVID-19 vaccines, and other products across every corner of the globe. The TZG team worked with state and municipal officials to ensure that UPS technology facilities and warehouses could operate beyond curfew hours in order to keep their facilities fully operational. TZG also helped facilitate open lines of communication with the state’s Office of Emergency Management, the State Police and Governor’s Office so that essential public health supplies could be distributed broadly to help protect our frontline workers in the early days of the pandemic.

The Brewers Guild of New Jersey faced challenges as their members had to rethink their business models when indoor dining and tasting room activities were prohibited or restricted throughout the pandemic. TZG was instrumental in advocating for new revenue streams to sustain the industry during this difficult time. On behalf of the Brewers Guild, TZG worked with the Governor’s Office, the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, the Legislature, and other industry trade groups to pursue the signing of Executive Order No. 104, which in part, allowed breweries to deliver beer directly to consumers’ homes. This effort also led to TZG working on legislation signed by the Governor in May 2020 to extend brewery delivery privileges at least six months post the pandemic. These newfound delivery privileges were vital to keeping these small businesses open and workers employed.

Also, several of our clients with retail operations were in jeopardy of temporarily closing during the height of the pandemic if they were not deemed essential businesses. The TZG team worked with the Governor’s Office to ensure that telecommunications company storefront locations and in-person financial services were deemed essential under Executive Order No. 107 and could continue to serve customers in person. TZG’s efforts ensured that our clients could continue to meet their customers’ needs during these tumultuous times.

On behalf of our client, the Center for Secure and Modern Elections (CSME), KZG led and coordinated the legislative program to ensure the passage and enactment of legislation establishing Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) in New Jersey. KZG organized efforts among several voting rights organizations, worked with state agencies, legislative sponsors, Committee Chairs, and officials in the Governor Office, to achieve passage of this groundbreaking legislation. New Jersey became the 12th state, along with the District of Columbia, to enact automatic voter registration, joining a national trend in trying to boost voter participation in elections, while seeking to secure and modernize our election system.

AVR occurs when eligible citizens, who interact with certain government agencies, are registered to vote or have their existing registration information updated, unless they decline. State agencies then transfer voter registration information electronically to election officials. These changes create a process that will clean up the voter rolls and keep our elections safe and secure. Upon signing the bill, Governor Phil Murphy called the legislation, “One of the most expansive Automatic Voter Registration policies in the nation, strengthening and enhancing voting rights for eligible New Jersey residents.”

KZG secured passage of this bill within the first 100 Days of the new Murphy Administration.

When Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) ran into legislative and regulatory challenges in its planned construction of a 700 megawatt electric generation facility on a brownfield site in Woodbridge, NJ, the company turned to The Zita Group (TZG) to advance its interests.

TZG developed and negotiated amendments to complex legislation that would create long-term capacity contracts and coordinated with CPV’s internal and external legal teams. TZG advocated with senior officials in the governor’s office, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) to garner support for the proposed amendments and closely collaborated with Woodbridge officials to gain support for the amendments.

As a result of these efforts, the state passed legislation allowing CPV to successfully bid for and win a contract to develop a power plant in Woodbridge, NJ. TZG continues to help the company foster relationships with key NJBPU and NJDEP leadership and staff.

With an eye on patient safety, the New Jersey State Assembly of the Association of Surgical Technologists (NJAST) recognized that surgical technologists were the only members of the surgical team not required to meet minimum threshold educational requirements for employment in New Jersey. Seeking to change this standard, NJAST asked The Zita Group (TZG) to advance legislation that would strengthen the field’s accreditation and educational requirements and raise the professional bar to practice surgical technology in the state of New Jersey.

In order to effectuate this change, TZG helped NJAST draft legislation requiring surgical technologists to complete an accredited education program and fulfill continuing education requirements as a condition of employment in New Jersey hospitals. TZG identified Assembly and Senate sponsors likely to advance the cause, scheduled meetings with legislators to inform them of the necessity for such legislation, and advocated for successful passage of the bill. After the bill passed both houses of the legislature, TZG met with officials from both the governor’s office and the New Jersey Department of Health to negotiate amendments to the bill and address administration concerns.

The governor signed the legislation into law, ensuring the safety of all surgical patients in New Jersey and increasing the overall quality of surgical care in hospital operating rooms across the state.