OFFICIAL SITE OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEYThe Clean Water Council consists of 18 members. Seven members represent the New Jersey Departments of Labor and Industry, Community Affairs, Energy, Environmental Protection, Agriculture, the Chairman of the Water Policy and Supply Council in the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Executive Director of the Delaware River Basin Commission; five citizens of the State representing the general public; and six members to be appointed from persons to be nominated by the following organizations – New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce, New Jersey Business and Industry Association, New Jersey State League of Municipalities, the New Jersey Association of Counties, New Jersey Society of Professional Engineers, and the New Jersey AFL-CIO. Appointed council members shall serve a term of four years.
Clean Water Council List of Members
Anthony McCracken Sr., AICP/PP
Chair / Representing: Public
Years on the Clean Water Council: 31
Education: BS Environmental Science, Rutgers University
Current Employer: Retired September 2021; Assistant Director of County Planning, Somerset County Planning Board)
Why is Serving on the Clean Water Council Important to you?: The Clean Water Council members represent the many disciplines that relate to the protection of clean water for the residents of New Jersey. I’ve always found our recommendations to the NJDEP to be of value and in the best interest of clean water resources.
Russell J. Furnari
Vice Chair / Representing: NJ State Chamber of Commerce
Years on the Clean Water Council: 21 years
Education: NJ Institute of Technology, MA Environmental Policy – Montclair State University
Current Employer: Retired; former Manager of Environmental Policy at PSEG
Why is serving on the Clean Water Council important to you?: Serving on the Council as a representative of the NJ State Chamber of Commerce allows me to bring that perspective towards improving water quality for our state and the region. Being able to collaborate with other members and with the NJDEP staff has resulted in policies that I believe have been more effectively implemented.
Maria Connolly, AICP/ PP
Second Vice Chair / Representing the NJ Department of Community Affairs (NJDCA)
Years on the Clean Water Council: Since 2016
Education: BA, Douglass College, Rutgers University MCRP (Masters in City and Regional Planning) E.J. Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy, Rutgers University
Why is serving on the Clean Water Council important to you?: I’ve always had a passion for protecting the environment, ever since I was a young child. At the age of seven, I started a kids environmental club. We collected garbage and recycles, held fundraisers to adopt sea turtles, and wrote letters to our legislators about the dangers of global warming. Since then, my concern for our environment has only grown stronger. It a privilege and honor to be the DCA representative on the NJ Clean Water Council to help shape policies that reduce water pollution and protect the public health. Clean water is essential to life in so many ways, including to our health, safety, and even our economy.
James F. Cosgrove, PE
Immediate Past Chair/ Representing: NJ Society of Professional Engineers
Years on the Clean Water Council: 19 years
Education: Lafayette College – Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, 1986; Cornell University – Master of Engineering in Water Resource Systems, 1987
Place of Employment: One Water Consulting LLC, Princeton, NJ
Why is serving on the Clean Water Council important to you?: I enjoy being part of a very diverse group advising NJDEP on critical water issues, staying on top of hot water topics in New Jersey, and sharing ideas from the professional engineering community.
Appointed Members for Organizations
George Bakun, PE, N4
Representing: New Jersey Business and Industry Association
Years on the Clean Water Council: Since 2009
Education : Bachelor of Civil Engineering, Cooper Union; Master of Ocean Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology
Current Employer: Retired September 2023; Phillips 66 Company
Why is serving on the Clean Water Council important to you?: To ensure balanced representation of view points
Harry Wozunk
Representing: NJ League of Municipalities
Vacancy
Representing: New Jersey Association of Counties
Vacancy
New Jersey State AFL-CIO
Appointed Members Representing the Public
Amy Goldsmith
Representing: Public
Years on the Clean Water Council: since 2002
Education: B.S. University of Minnesota
Place of Employment: Clean Water Action
Why is serving on the Clean Water Council important to you?:
I bring the public’s and community perspective to the table, as well as professional experience and expertise from an organization that helped write and pass the original Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. Serving on the Council also enables me to engage in dialogue, as well as advance policies and practices that will reduce water pollution levels and better protect the public and environment from related harms.
Pamela Goodwin, Esq.
Representing: Public
Years on The Clean Water Council: 27 years, Vice Chair 2008-2011, Chair 2011-2013
Education: JBA University of Wisconsin; JD University of Pittsburgh
Why is serving on the Clean Water Council important to you?: As an environmental attorney in private practice, I can’t think of a better public service opportunity than collaborating with the varied members of the council and the interests we serve in advising the NJDEP on their clean water initiatives.
Government Agency Representatives
Krishna Jagannathan
Representing: N. J. Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL)
Years on the Clean Water Council: 1
Education: Bachelor of Science, Natural Resources – Rutgers; Master of Public Administration, Public and Nonprofit Management – Rutgers
Place of Employment: NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Why is serving on the Clean Water Council important to you?: As the representative of the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, participation in the Council helps further our mission to ensure safe and healthful workplaces for our residents and workers. Biologically, the human body runs exclusively on air, water, and sugar; if our efforts can help defend the sanctity of one of those 3 vital elements, it is effort worth expending.
Mary Anna Holden, Commissioner
Representing: NJ Board of Public Utilities – Energy
Years on the Clean Water Council: 11
Day job employer: New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU).
Education : Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the College of New Rochelle and a Master of Arts in Humanities in American art and architecture from Manhattanville College.
Why is serving on the Clean Air Council important to you?: I serve at the pleasure of the Governor and am there to ensure that the investor-owned water and wastewater customers are equitably heard.
Sandra Howland
Representing: New Jersey Department of Agriculture
Years on the Clean Water Council: Since 2016
Current Employer: New Jersey Department of Agriculture
Education: M.A. Environmental Studies, Montclair State University, 2014; B.S. Agricultural Science, with Minors in Soil Science and International Agriculture, Pennsylvania State University 2007
Why is serving on the Clean Water Council important to you?: Water is a vital resource. Serving on the CWC provides an opportunity to help serve and guide New Jersey to protect and provide for our agricultural water needs as well as promote conservation practices. Without water there will be no agriculture.
David Kovach
Project Review Manager / Representing: Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC)
Years on the Clean Water Council: 3
Education: BS Geology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Current Employer: Delaware River Basin Commission
Why is serving on the Clean Water Council important to you?: I am proud to serve as an advisor on a board dedicated to improving the Water Pollution Control Program which provides for clean water for the residents of New Jersey.
G. Christian Andreasen, Jr. (Alternating)
Representing: Water Supply Advisory Council (WSAC)
Jennifer M. Coffey (Alternating)
Representing: Water Supply Advisory Council (WSAC)
John Murray, Environmental Specialist 3
Staff to CWC: NJ Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Water Quality
Years on the Clean Water Council: 2
Education: Degree and School: B.S. Geoscience, Northland College
Why is serving on the Clean Water Council important to you?: I’m honored to be the NJDEP Division of Water Quality staff to the NJ Clean Water Council. My influence will bridge communication between the CWC members and the Department to assist in the development of policies that reduce water pollution and protect public health.
