Jersey City Resident To Head Statewide LGBTQ Organization

Jersey City NJ

04 January, 2022

4:00 PM

Description

JERSEY CITY, NJ — The NJ LGBT Chamber of Commerce's Board of Directors announced Monday that Jersey City resident Augusto Penaranda Jr. has been appointed executive director. Penaranda, who has lived in Jersey City for four years, is the first member of the LGBT and Latino communities to direct a statewide Chamber of Commerce, the organization said. Among other initiatives, the agency advocates for more state contracts to be made available for business owners who are certified LGBT Business Enterprises (LGBTBEs). "LGBTBE certification provides for more equitable access to contracting opportunities through participating state and local government agencies, as well as Fortune 500 companies who are looking to increase their spend within the LGBT community," said the organization in a release. "The certification process is overseen by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC)." In New Jersey right now, only Jersey City, Hoboken, and Essex County are participating, the organization said. Experience In New Jersey Penaranda is the former-Public Information Officer (PIO) for the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs in the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General. "This newly-created position is the Chamber's first dedicated paid staffer and is the kick off to its 2022 Realignment Plan," said the organization, "where it will showcase its organizational improvements aimed at better serving the interests of its members' businesses, aid in growing a stronger local economy, and directly contribute towards shaping the LGBTQ+ community's quality of life in the greater-New Jersey region." Penaranda has also served as the Chief External Relations Officer for the American Red Cross (ARC) of the New Jersey region in Princeton. "Though deploying to both Florida and Texas for hurricane Irma and Harvey tested his skills as a bilingual communicator and disaster volunteer, his most rewarding work to date was during hurricane Maria and Puerto Rico," the organization said. "Working via satellite phone with ARC's North Jersey Regional CEO Ana Montero, they successfully provided information and directed resources to help those affected by the devastating hurricane during a time of almost total communication blackout." "We are very excited to welcome Augusto Penaranda as the Chamber's first Executive Director. The board has great confidence in his ability to help persuade Governor Murphy's team to build greater economic opportunities for the LGBT community," said Stephen Blazejewski, President of the New Jersey LGBT Chamber of Commerce. "Although we are only in the first phase of the Chamber's 2022 Realignment Plan, our mission to build prosperity and resiliency for New Jersey's LGBT community remains steadfast and stronger than ever." Penaranda is a longtime member in the LGBT sports scene, and is actively involved with the International Gay & Lesbian Football Association (IGFLA) and the New York Gay Flag Football League (NYGFL) since 2000. He also enjoys volunteering and championing support for advocating the importance of mental health and wellness issues that the LGBT community faces.Penaranda earned a Master of Science degree in International Relations and Public Policy from William Paterson University of New Jersey; and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from William Paterson University of New Jersey. He is a Paterson native. For more information, visit http://njlgbtchamber.org or connect with the NJ LGBT Chamber of Commerce on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The NJ LGBT Chamber of Commerce is an official affiliate of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). Sign up to get breaking news alerts in Jersey City or another town, or to get a free daily newsletter each morning at 6 a.m. with your town's news: Sign up with your zip code here and you'll get an email asking for your preferences. Get a free 6 a.m. newsletter with news in your Hudson County town: https://patch.com/subscribe