Three New Leaders Join NJUA Board of Directors

FREEHOLD - In continuation of its proactive role in representing its members and playing a progressive role in enhancing clean energy, clean water and broadband access for all, the New Jersey Utilities Association held a board of directors meeting at its 109th Annual conference on May 28 and elected a new Chairwoman, Melissa Orsen of South Jersey Industries, and three new Board Members.

The new board will help steer the organization’s vision with new ideas and initiatives for education and advocacy, as well as further growth and innovation within the utility industry.

The current NJUA Board comprises 15 members, including seven Executive Committee members. 

“Under our new board chair, we are welcoming three new leaders to help chart our mission for the upcoming year,” said Richard Henning, president & CEO, NJUA. “I congratulate these outstanding and talented executives and welcome their guidance and direction as NJUA continues to educate and advocate for the state’s utilities in the halls of Trenton, as well as throughout the state.”

The new board members include:

• Michele O’Connell, president & CEO of Orange & Rockland Utilities, who is now First Vice Chair of NJUA’s Executive Committee. O’Connell, ascending to the leadership post of her company on April 1, is a seasoned utility executive with more than two decades of operational, customer and planning experience at Con Edison, as O&R’s new President and Chief Executive Officer. She graduated from New Jersey Institute of Technology with a degree in electrical engineering, and holds a MBA in Finance from Montclair State University.
• Patrick Migliaccio joins the NJUA Executive Committee as treasurer. He is the Senior Vice President – Chief Operating Officer of New Jersey Natural Gas. Migliaccio is responsible for leading the utility’s strategic growth initiatives, infrastructure investments and decarbonization efforts. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University and is an alumnus of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.
• Natalie Chesko, president of Aqua New Jersey, has been named to the NJUABoard of Directors. Chesko, an Ocean County native and Rutgers University alumna, most recently served as the Executive Director of the Hamilton Township Municipal Utilities Authority. She brings to Aqua more than 20 years of leadership experience in engineering and utilities.