Commencement 2026 Speakers

Christina M. Renna

Wednesday, May 21
10 – 11:30 a.m.
Freedom Mortgage Pavilion

Christina Renna currently serves as President & CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey.In this role, Ms. Renna oversees a 10-person team and has direct oversight of the Chamber’s work in public policy, education & workforce development, membership growth, retention, and overall member experience.

Ms. Renna joined the Chamber in 2007 and served as Director of Government Affairs through early 2010. She returned in 2014 as Vice President, then rose through the ranks as Senior Vice President before taking over the helm of the organization in January of 2020.

Prior to her most recent stint at the Chamber, in 2010, Ms. Renna was tapped by former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to serve in his Administration, serving in several different capacities, including Director of Intergovernmental Affairs. In that role, she worked directly with state and local government officials across New Jersey and served as the primary point of contact for business organizations and Chambers of Commerce, acting as the Administration’s liaison to the business community.

Ms. Renna’s past work experience also includes government affairs and communications work at South Jersey Industries and as a legislative aide to former-Assemblyman John C. Gibson of New Jersey’s First Legislative District.

In 2010, Ms. Renna was proud to be named as one of SJ Biz Magazine’s first-ever list of rising stars in the South Jersey business community. Additionally, every year since 2019, she has been listed on NJBIZ’s Power List as one of the most powerful people in New Jersey’s business community, the ROI-NJ Influencers Power List and the BINJE most influential people in business lists. Active in the community, Ms. Renna currently serves on the Board of several nonprofit and community organizations in the region. She is also one of 100 Chamber executives selected to be on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce CCC100 Committee, which is comprised of the top 100 Chamber executives in the nation.

A graduate of Vineland High School, Ms. Renna received her BA in Political Science from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and her Master’s in Public Administration, with a minor in City Management, from Villanova University.

Assemblywoman 
Carol A. Murphy

Wednesday, May 20
3 – 4:30 p.m.
Freedom Mortgage Pavilion

Carol is the proud daughter of a Bronze Star US Army Master Sergeant who served in Korea and Vietnam. Her father's service in the military greatly influenced her early life, instilling in her the importance of integrity, honor, and service to her community and nation.

Those values guided Carol to a life of service, and she has dedicated her entire career to helping others, fighting for the values that make New Jersey strong and the issues that matter most to working families.

Carol began her career in public service at the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, where she established a transparent government records division and worked to build and modernize public schools for the 21st century across New Jersey.

Following her passion for public service, Carol went on to serve as a chief of staff and policy director in the New Jersey State Legislature. She quickly became battle-tested in the State Legislature, working on numerous public policy issues for children, families, workers, and seniors. She is incredibly proud of the work she did with state lawmakers, along with former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, to pass a groundbreaking law that removes domestic violence abusers' access to firearms.

In 2017, Carol became the first Assemblywoman elected to represent the 7th Legislative District in 20 years. She served as Deputy Majority Leader from 2020 to 2022 and as Majority Whip from 2022 to 2026. Carol is currently serving as Chair of the Health Committee and as Vice-Chair of the Children, Families and Food Security Committee. She is also on the Public Safety and Preparedness and Budget committees.

Admiral 
William J. Fallon
United States Navy (Retired)

Thursday, May 21
10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Freedom Mortgage Pavilion

Admiral William J. Fallon retired from the U.S. Navy after a distinguished 40 year career of military and strategic leadership. He led U.S. and Allied forces in eight separate commands and played a leadership role in military and diplomatic matters at the highest levels of the U.S. government.

As head of U.S. Central Command, Admiral Fallon directed all U.S. military operations in the Middle East, Central Asia and Horn of Africa, focusing on combat efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. He led the U.S. Pacific Command for two years, directing political-military activities in the Asia-Pacific region.  He also served as Presidential Envoy to Japan, handling bi-lateral relations after the collision of a U.S. submarine and a Japanese fishing vessel.

On September 11, 2001, Admiral Fallon was serving in the Pentagon as Vice Chief of the Navy.  He personally directed the recovery of the Navy staff in the wake of the attack and led in the planning of the retaliatory attacks on Al Qaeda and Taliban forces in Afghanistan.   He later commanded the U.S. Atlantic Fleet and U.S. Fleet Forces Command, with responsibility for the readiness of U.S. Naval forces worldwide.

Admiral Fallon began his Navy career as a combat aviator flying from an aircraft carrier during the Vietnam War and participated in many vital U.S. military operations during the Cold War.  He led a Carrier Air Wing in combat during the Gulf War of 1991, and commanded a Navy Battle Group and the U.S. 6^th Fleet Battle Force during NATO military operations in Bosnia.

Admiral Fallon was a Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Center for International Studies. He serves on the Global Affairs Advisory Board of Occidental College and the Advisory Board of the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University.  He is a graduate of Villanova University, the U.S. Naval War College, the National War College, and has an MA in International Studies from Old Dominion University. 

Chairman of the Board of GoSecure Inc., a company in the cyber security business, he is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and serves on the board of the American Security Project.

James R. Maida, Esq. (Rutgers Law ’90)

Founder, President & CEO of Gaming Laboratories International (GLI®)

James R. Maida is the Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Gaming Laboratories International (GLI®), the world’s largest and leading independent testing and certification company for gambling and lottery systems. Mr. Maida began his career in public service with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, where he certified gaming equipment and developed the regulatory foundation that would shape his professional life.

In 1989, while attending Rutgers Law School, Mr. Maida co-founded the first independent gaming device testing company serving regulators in the United States. Over the past four decades, he has grown GLI from a pioneering start-up into a global organization with 31 locations and more than 1,600 employees worldwide. Today, GLI consults on and tests land-based, online and lottery games and systems for more than 46 state governments, 250 tribal gaming commissions across 710 jurisdictions, and over 1,000 gaming and technology suppliers. GLI is also one of only two firms that specialize in the testing and certification of state voting systems.

An internationally recognized authority in gaming law and technology, Mr. Maida is a frequent speaker at legal, regulatory, and technology conferences around the world. He has also testified as an expert witness in significant gaming matters at both the Federal and State levels, including before the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, the National Indian Gaming Commission, and numerous state legislatures.

Mr. Maida’s leadership and vision have earned him widespread recognition. He has been inducted into the prestigious American Gaming Association Hall of Fame and the Mississippi Gaming Hall of Fame and was named one of the “25 Most Influential Persons in the Gaming Industry.” He was also honored as the New Jersey Entrepreneur of the Year in 2019 and received the Arthur E. Armitage Sr. Distinguished Alumni Award from Rutgers Law School in 2013.

Through The James and Sharon Maida Foundation – which supports global initiatives in education, healthcare, and environmental stewardship - the Maidas established the Rutgers Maida Public Interest Fellowship Program in 2015.   Since its inception, The Maida Fellowship has supported hundreds of Rutgers Law students in providing more than 150,000 hours of pro bono legal services, expanding access to justice for thousands of individuals. The Maidas have also funded Rutgers Law scholarships and bar study stipends to support the next generation of legal professionals.

In addition, Mr. Maida has served on numerous charitable and educational boards, including the Lehigh University Board of Trustees, the Rutgers University Foundation Board of Overseers, and the Monmouth Medical Center Board of Trustees.

He and Dr. Sharon Maida are the proud parents of four children, as well as grandparents to two grandchildren.