Scott Weiner Named CEO Of New Jersey Schools Construction Corp.

"Our search for a CEO identified a number of very qualified people," said Barry Zubrow, Chairman of the SCC Board of Directors. "Through the process of vetting these candidates, we did not feel there was anybody with the breadth of experience and managerial skills of Scott Weiner." The Board approved Weiner's appointment at its meeting this morning.

"The SCC is an agency with great purpose, potential and people, and it is a privilege to be chosen to serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the SCC," said Weiner, who served as the corporation's Transitional CEO since March.

"Clearly, the challenges ahead of us are great," Weiner continued, "but with the solid reforms we've already put into place, and in active collaboration with school districts and other stakeholders, I'm confident we have laid a foundation that will allow us to fulfill our mandate to New Jersey's children responsibly and cost-effectively. Our transformation has already begun, and it will continue to evolve in the months ahead."

Weiner has chaired Governor Corzine's Interagency Working Group that has examined ways to improve New Jersey's school construction program. Since February, the Interagency Working Group has submitted three reports to the Governor. The most recent report included recommendations for a project prioritization methodology as well as $2.5 billion in new funding for Abbott Districts and $750 million in new funding for Regular Operating Districts.

During his tenure as Transitional CEO, Weiner led the institution of many reforms at the SCC in an effort to rebuild public trust. Important accomplishments include:

Finding permanent leadership for the SCC has been a top priority, since the SCC has been without a CEO since September 2005. In April, the SCC Board selected Gilbert Tweed Associates as the executive search firm responsible for finding a new CEO.

"Scott has done an excellent job putting the SCC on sound footing with full transparency and accountability for its actions. I look forward to working with Scott to build upon the great progress we have made," remarked Barry Zubrow.

"We all recognize that we continue to face a lot of challenges in the coming years as we rationalize the existing group of construction projects as well as move forward with the next phase of rebuilding New Jersey's schools. Scott's skills and leadership will help us meet these challenges," Zubrow said.

Prior to joining the SCC, Weiner had extensive experience in both the private and public sectors as an executive responsible for leading companies at the time of their formation or through periods of growth and transition.

In the private sector, Weiner was a member of the Senior Management team of Sithe Energies, a company that developed, owned and operated wholesale electric power facilities throughout the country. He also served as President of Ballard Generation Systems, a subsidiary of publicly-traded Ballard Power Systems, where he directed the development of Ballard's fuel cell technologies, and was Vice President for Development at GPU International.

As a public servant, his executive experience includes serving as state Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection and Energy, and as president of the Board of Public Utilities. He also served as Chief Counsel to Governor Florio, Vice Chair of the Executive Commission on Ethical Standards and Executive Director of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission. Weiner earned a Juris Doctor from New York Law School and a BA in Political Science from New York University.

While directing the SCC, Weiner was on leave from his post as Director of the Center for Energy, Economic and Environmental Policy at Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University.