Leaders, Artists, and Community Members Invited to Shape the Future for North Jersey Heritage Area

The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF) invites community leaders, business owners, artists, cultural organizations, and residents to participate in Community Conversation: National Heritage Area in New Jersey on June 3 from 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. at South Orange Performing Arts Center, 1 SOPAC Way, in downtown South Orange. Register for in-person or online (Zoom) participation. The event is free and open to the public, with refreshments provided.

Four Distinctive Stories Unite North Jersey

The proposed North Jersey National Heritage Area (NJNHA) initiative highlights the region's heritage across four thematic areas: innovation and industry, suburbia and planned communities, transportation and infrastructure, and immigration and migration. These interconnected narratives position the seven-county region of Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Union, Morris, Passaic, and Sussex counties as a compelling destination for heritage tourism, cultural experiences, and sustainable economic growth.

Participants attending Community Conversation: National Heritage Area in New Jersey will explore the NJNHA initiative's opportunities, identify what makes their community distinctive, and recommend culturally or historically significant places for inclusion in the future Heritage Area.

Federal Designation Delivering Hundreds of Thousands in Grants and Job Support

The NNJCF and the North Jersey National Heritage Area Council, comprised of more than 80 partner organizations, are advancing a collaborative effort to secure Congressional designation of a National Heritage Area across the seven counties. This federal designation, administered by the National Park Service, would provide hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding with grants and support jobs to artists, historic and cultural organizations and local governments, generate hundreds of millions of dollars in broader economic impact for the region, boost community and economic development in low- and moderate-income areas, create opportunities for cultural entrepreneurship throughout North Jersey, and preserve the region's diversity of cultures, historic sites, and natural environment.

Expert Facilitators to Lead the Conversation

The conversation will be facilitated by Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP, NNJCF Executive Director, recognized nationally and in New Jersey for his work in urban planning, creative placemaking and social justice. Nationally-known experts in creating and managing national heritage areas will also facilitate the gathering. August Carlino, President and Managing Partner of Acorn Hill Strategies, LLC and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Rivers of Steel Heritage Corporation, recognized as one of the most successful National Heritage Areas in the United States under his leadership, will also lead the discussion. They will be joined by Dr. Nancy Morgan, a heritage development specialist with a background in cultural anthropology from Point Heritage Development Consulting, who has extensive experience in National Heritage Area management and planning, research and interpretation, and community development, including as Executive Director of Cane River National Heritage Area in Louisiana.

Powerful Coalition of Community Support

Elected officials, cultural institutions, and community organizations from across the region recognize the transformative potential of this initiative. Government leaders providing support include Former Governor Thomas H. Kean, U.S. Representative Thomas Kean Jr., State Assembly members Clinton Calabrese and Shama Haider, State Senator Britnee Timberlake, and the Union County Board of Commissioners. Cultural supporters encompass the New Jersey Preservation Alliance, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Ramapo College of New Jersey, Hudson County Community College, Orange Historic Commission, West Orange Arts Council, Union Township Historical Society/Caldwell Parsonage, Durand-Hedden House & Garden, Historic Radburn, and the New Jersey Studies Academic Alliance. Community organizations involved in the initiative include Housing and Neighborhood Development Services Inc. and LISC New Jersey. Dozens of additional organizations throughout the region have also joined this coalition, reflecting widespread grassroots recognition of the initiative's transformative potential.

More Information

For additional information about the Conversation, the North Jersey National Heritage Area, or the North Jersey National Heritage Area Council, contact Leonardo Vazquez via email or call 201-568-5608, extension 2. The NNJCF welcomes donations to support the North Jersey National Heritage Area project. Donations of any size may be made online or by check made payable to The Northern N.J. Community Foundation with "NHA" entered in the memo line. Mail checks to Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, 1 University Plaza, Suite 102, Hackensack, New Jersey 07601.