We held a statewide Summit where 1,300 citizens answered the Jersey Call to Service and received free tools and training from political and governmental experts in how to participate powerfully in the leadership of government and get real results on issues of importance to them. Citizens' Campaign Board Member Rev. Buster Soaries (pictured) delivered the keynote address which was broadcast statewide on public access stations. The Summit also received excellent TV coverage in an ABC interview and was featured in a news piece on NJN. NJBIZ Magazine covered the Summit and interviewed Dennis Bone, President of Verizon and Ray Pocino, leader of Laborers International, both who called their employees and members to service and were featured speakers at the Summit.

The statewide Summit spawned multiple local and county wide Calls to Service, attracting hundreds and hundreds more citizens. Local summits included New Brunswick, Orange, Metuchen, Trenton, Leonia, Florence, Irvington, and Atlantic City. County wide summits included Morris and Camden. Leadership Forums also took place throughout the state, hosted by nonprofits, churches and schools. Johnson & Johnson hosted an event for over 250 citizens providing free coaching and mentoring to support people in getting results. 

The Business Call to Service Conference was held to propose the expansion of New Jersey company's community service programs to include opportunities for civic service. The event was co-sponsored by the Somerset County Business Partnership, who invited their membership to come out and Answer the Call. The conference was broadcast live on The Home News Tribune website. Kelly Johnston, Campbell Soup Company Vice President of Governmental Affairs, gave the keynote address and Dennis Bone (pictured, photo by John Flores), President of Verizon, moderated a panel on business encouraging civic service opportunities for  employees. Citizens' Campaign Chair Harry Pozycki taught how you don't have to be an elected official to get things done using the success stories of Citizen Legislators. He gave examples of people leading by offering constructive solutions, and proposing "Ready for Adoption" laws that have helped save their communities millions of dollars. People learned  that the Call to Service offers opportunities to have a big impact.

Former New Jersey Governor and Chair of the 9/11 Commission Tom Kean promoted the Jersey Call to Service in a Public Service Announcement calling New Jersey citizens to service (watch PSA). The PSA aired on TV Channel 9 and Cablevision. Ads also appeared in magazines and on a Turnpike billboard.

We hosted a South Jersey Call to Service Summit that attracted over 300 citizens. Elected officials, political and governmental experts as well as news experts were on hand to train citizens to take powerful leadership positions in their communities. Chris Daggett (pictured), former DEP Commissioner and gubernatorial candidate and Deb DiLorenzo (pictured), President & CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey, taught the Citizen Legislator Class. They encouraged citizens to lead in the property tax fight by proposing government waste-cutting laws that can bring savings to their communities. WHYY, the Philly NPR affiliate, promoted the South Jersey Summit with a radio interview called "How citizens can transform New Jersey politics." The Summit was endorsed and promoted by the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Times of Trenton and the Press of Atlantic City.

We founded the PatersonPress to provide hard news on sports, entertainment, business and government affairs for this important city. Award-winning Star Ledger journalist Joe Malinconico took the helm as PatersonPress's first editor. If you would like to support the PatersonPress by purchasing a sponsorship, please contact Charlie Kratovil at 732-548-9798 x7 or email him at charlie@jointhecampaign.com.

The Citizens' Campaign founded the New Jersey Hyperlocal News Press Association (HNA) to facilitate robust and sophisticated reporting of local political and governmental news. Over 90% of the electronic local news outlets in New Jersey have joined and will benefit from the direction of a stellar advisory board. The inaugural NJ Hyperlocal News Press Association meeting was broadcast live on Mycentraljersey.com and featured a keynote address by Jeff Jarvis (pictured, photo by Steve Stern), HNA advisory board member and online news guru. He applauded the creation of the HNA to provide support and training to the development of the hyperlocal news industry ecosystem in the State.

Former Governor Tom Kean, former Merck CEO Roy Vagelos and former Chair of the New York Mercantile Exchange, Michel Marks kicked off a $3 million campaign to fund major growth of the Citizens' Campaign.

Former New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Gary Stein (pictured), Chair of the Citizens' Campaign's Law and Policy Task Force, led our effort to provide advice to the US Supreme Court, urging broad disclosure of corporate and labor political communication funding. The Court's decision concurred with our arguments for strong disclosure.