We hear a great deal of conversation regarding the need for our young citizens to gain higher education because expanding one’s educational horizons gives a person greater probability of increased income and diverse career choices. Study after study shows that over a lifetime, the person with more education will out earn someone who has less education.

However, there is an important corollary to this because “higher education” shouldn’t necessarily apply only to a traditional college degree. Higher education takes many forms.

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Imagine that your home and family are devastated by a natural disaster of almost unprecedented force. Now, think about how arduous the task is to rebuild your life and your home only to have governmental bureaucracy get in the way. For families who were affected by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 this personal nightmare rages on. When I think of Sandy victims, it’s difficult to understand how some citizens who lost the use of their homes did not receive the aid they deserved. And what is more reprehensible, some of these victims are facing foreclosure of their homes because the state has not been proactive or quick enough to provide the aid it promised.

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During one of my most recent Citizens Advisory Panel meetings the topic of public safety came up amongst the group. This issue is a major concern of mine, and from the discussion that night, it is to a lot of our neighbors as well. I believe that safeguarding our citizenry is essential to preserving the type of quality of life that we want for ourselves and our families. After all, a safe community is one where business and families can thrive and grow. Therefore, protecting and maintaining this sense of security is a priority that we all must share.

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TRENTON -- Gov. Chris Christie nearing the end of his term, state lawmakers are up for re-election, and there's a gubernatorial race. In other words, 2017 won't be a snoozer in New Jersey.

And if that's not excitement enough, a new family will occupy the White House after President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in later this month. 

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Have you ever read a news story so laughably inaccurate that you said to yourself, “no one would ever believe this stuff?”  Well, guess what these stories aren’t that laughable anymore. In fact, it’s pretty scary how these stories are becoming more common these days. What’s worse is that they are being intentionally promoted to the public.

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I remember the phone call that transformed my life forever. It was in the early spring of 2015 and my father said to me, “I have cancer.” Families all across our country have felt the sting of those three words and the devastation that cancer can cause to our loved ones. I lost my father to this dreaded disease a few months after that call, and it spurred me to become a stronger advocate for using innovation and advances in medical technology to help us detect cancer sooner.

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