New Jersey Policy Perspective is proud to announce the election of two distinguished new Board members: Heather Howard, the former state Commissioner of Health and Human Services, and Rory Riggs, a leading entrepreneur in biotech, pharmaceuticals and information technology.
“New Jersey Policy Perspective is proud to welcome Rory and Heather, whose leadership on the board will help propel NJPP’s bold, innovative efforts to secure New Jersey’s just and prosperous future,” said NJPP Board Chair Jun Choi.
“Heather and Rory bring a wealth of expertise and experience to NJPP’s fight for economic justice. NJPP’s staff, board and allies proudly welcome their leadership in helping to secure widespread prosperity for all New Jerseyans through smart investment in the things that matter most,” said President Gordon MacInnes.
Howard is currently a faculty affiliate of the Center for Health & Wellbeing at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School, where she serves as director of two Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded programs: the State Health Reform Assistance Network and the State Health and Value Strategies program.
Prior to serving as state health commissioner, Howard was Gov. Jon Corzine’s Chief Policy Counsel, and Corzine’s Chief of Staff while he served in the U.S. Senate. Heather also served as Associate Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, and as Senior Policy Advisor for First Lady Hillary Clinton. She received her J.D., cum laude, from the New York University School of Law, and her B.A. cum laude, from Duke University.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the Board of NJPP. During my time in government and in academia, I’ve always known I could rely on NJPP for rigorous analysis and thoughtful policy prescriptions. No other group in New Jersey has NJPP’s credibility and depth of policy expertise. I look forward to helping NJPP advance progressive state policies and make government work for New Jerseyans,” Howard said.
Riggs is the Founder and CEO of Locus Analytics, LLC and Syntax, LLC. He has spent over 15 years developing the underlying theory and applications for the Locus Model, a new approach to organizing business and economic data.
In addition, Riggs is the Chairman and Co-Founder of Royalty Pharma, the largest investor in revenue-producing intellectual property, and Chairman and Co-Founder of Cibus, the leader in non-transgenic plant breeding. Riggs has also been involved in the creation and management of many successful technology-related companies. He served as the President of Biomatrix Corp, where he oversaw the global launch of Biomatrix’s lead product, Synvisc. Riggs received a B.A. from Middlebury College and an M.B.A. from Columbia University.
“I am excited to be part of the team and the vision at NJPP. NJPP provides an important progressive voice in New Jersey,” Riggs said.
