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If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. These changes include but are not limited to: Opening high potential new schools and closing underperforming schools; establishing enrollment/admissions criteria; altering schools grade configurations; revising elementary and middle school zoning in order to impact enrollment and school size; improving the availability of programs to serve special populations, including Gifted & Talented, English Language Learners and students with disabilities, and Pre-Kindergarten. Then, in 2013, the Philly-based Independence Blue Cross sold a 20 percent stake in one of its health insurance subsidiaries to Cooper. In as early as 2011, Norcross began giving a series of speeches focusing on education, and on the future of public education in Camden specifically. Later that year, a journalism start-up called PhillyVoice launched, with Norcrosss 20-something daughter Lexie at the helm. This would mean the world to him, Norcross reportedly told Laskin. [25] Norcross was also the subject of a federal investigation in 2016 where his phones were wiretapped. It will be a political firefight. I know I felt terrorized when outgoing President Donald Trump urged the unruly mob down the street to the Capitol to fight like hell. Then, some demonstrators put up a hangmans noose designed for then-Vice President Mike Pence, because he was doing his constitutional duty to accept the 2020 electoral votes in favor of the winner, Joe Biden. If George Norcross comes into Philadelphia big-time and does the same type of things as a corporate citizen as hes done for South Jersey, that would be a plus., Colandus Francis, president of the Camden County NAACP, disagrees, to say the least: Why is Camden one of the poorest cities in the country if hes done so much for Camden? Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. So far, in Philadelphia, Norcross has received far less scrutiny. Im also guessing that the Secret Service was scared that day when they hid Pence and his family in a bunker. Norcross was listed as one of the state's wealthiest people, ranked 41st in New Jersey in 2015 with a net worth of almost $250 million. Norcross has a daughter, Lexie, and a son, Alex. They were used only to support the Lady Gaga / Lenny Kravitz Camden Rising concert during the convention to showcase Camden, N.J. that was attended by thousands of convention-goers and delegates.. When Laskin shot him down, Norcross asked again: This is really important to me personally. The answer was no. All combined, the realities mentioned above continue to fuel criticism about the process by which the land was acquired to build a Norcross-supported charter school and not a public Lanning Square Elementary. David L. Cohen, a Norcross friend for 25 years. his time on Wall St., or his executive jobs at NYCDOE and in Newark. But AmeriHealth Inc., the parent company of the health insurer AmeriHealth New Jersey, donated $1 million to a super PAC that has spent millions to help Democratic lawmakers. at NYCDOE, as Office of School Design and Charter Partnerships. And the stands they take on the issues reflect the values of any true blue-dog Democrat.. He ran the Camden County Democrats, but the GOP was firmly in control of the board of freeholders. (It was also extended, two years ago, for $500,000.) His dad knew success. The contribution to General Majority was in support of the concert and it was our understanding that is how the donation would be and was used., Roman said Amerihealth committed to the payment well before October., AmeriHealth Inc. did not advertise its sponsorship of the event, Roman said, because we saw this event as good for Camden and the region and not about us, which she said is also how we approached other civic events in the region that we supported.. UNC-Chapel Hill, and during his time there was president of the schools Progressive Democratic groups often highlight the fact George Norcross who with his childhood friend, New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney, holds sway over the Democrat-controlled state . "Yes, George is a friend of mine, but George is friendly with a lot of people in Atlantic City," Trump said before becoming president. But, Trump should look in the mirror and say this slogan to himself. During the early phases of his The elder Norcross died in May 1998; his son's voice gets softer as he pulls mementos out . And the first thing it allows him to do is climb over his own biases. The article details that much of the money designated for disbursement is targeted to reward companies that donated to Christies campaigns, the Republican Governors Association while Christie was Chairman or companies with ties to George Norcross III., Norcross, in addition to being the Chairman of Connor, Strong & Buckelew, one of the largest insurance firms in the country, is also the long-serving Chairman of Cooper Hospital that recently received $40 million from the state in 2015 NJEDA funds. persecution, how their familys assets were frozen, that he and his family they [16] Norcross said he would invest $50 million in the project,[17] and in March 2017, Norcross announced his company would move to the Camden waterfront as part of a $245 million development. It was the most expensive senate race in the history of New Jersey, which raises a question: Is this democracyor an auction? teaching experience and lack of state credentials, his arrival in Camden had desire to learn, teachers who cared but were structurally constrained from For many years, he has been named one of the most powerful non-elected political figures in New Jersey by the website PolitickerNJ.com. 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General Majority spent $8 million to protect Democrats majorities in the state Senate and Assembly in 2013, and $6 million on Assembly races in 2015, making it the biggest independent spender in those years. Newsroom ire has instead focused on what many journalists and the Newspaper Guild charge is an effort to push out older reporters.IGM management has consistently declined to speak to City Paper about internal affairs. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 16 March. By this theory, the land now set aside for the KIPP Cooper charter might never house a school at alland instead wind up serving as land on which Cooper University Hospital can expand. When Phil Murphy hired a team of high-powered lawyers to investigate how the state doled out tax breaks, the move was viewed as a declaration of war on the powerful South Jersey political machine. If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. From 2014 through 2019, he was named one of New Jersey's most powerful people by NJBiz.com. To his credit, one person who does agree to be interviewed for this story is Jim Kenney. And that said, if George Norcross came at me with some money, to be part of another campaign, Id do it, gratefully. Survived by his loving wife of 40 years Betty, daughter Lorna of Italy, 2 grandchildren Matteo and Sandra . All rights reserved (About Us). Norcross said he would invest $50 million in the project, and in March 2017, Norcross announced his company would move to the Camden waterfront as part of a $245 million development. Now, I hear that the Republican National Committee is paying some of Trumps legal bills for his defense against a New York probe over his business practices. Nothing he does, says historian Howard Gillette, is all bad. With the passing of the UHA and the renaissance schools that resulted, Norcross was able to execute his plan for influencing public education in Camden as well. But it does not define who he is., Norcrosss allies cite his intense loyalty. Its a kick-ass purple robot! Keep em coming; Camdens kids need you! [18] The 18-story, 394,164 square-foot building also houses The Michaels Organization, NFI, and two new restaurants spearheaded by Philadelphia celebrity chef Michael Schulson. Call 1-212-653-8737, My City Paper , mycitypaper.com daughter. Thank you for reaching out. The Lanning Square project was created by a formed partnership of KIPP, one of the largest charter school networks in the country; the Cooper Foundation, the charitable arm of Cooper University Hospital; and the Norcross Foundation, established by the family of George Norcross, who is chairman of Cooper University Hospital, a Democratic Party leader, and managing partner of the company that owns the Philadelphia Inquirer. Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.com. And he made South Jersey, once a region laughed off by the glitzier, more powerful North Jersey, a force to be reckoned with. But his other moves in Philly went largely unnoticed: That same year, Norcrosss insurance company opened a new headquarters in Two Liberty Place, right around the corner from City Hall. Not even after the election? His eyebrows twist with real curiosity, and his eyes begin casting around, wildly alight, as if the answer to the Riddle of Him might be written on one of the walls in this Cooper University Hospital conference room. Hidden Mickey Hidden Mickeys Disney secrets Disney newsDisney forum Disney blog, MyCityPaper.com mobile responsive website design, hosting and search engine optimization is powered by CMS Bot. He was a labor leader and served as a trustee of Cooper University Hospital. In November 2014, Cooper and Norcross were awarded the "Seven Seals" award by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve in recognition of the program. By contrast, Katz's longtime partner is Inquirer city. A few political insiders suggest to me that Norcross would be a welcome counterweight to Dougherty. The domain of the website was registered to Norcross's insurance. And as far as many carpenters were concerned, Philly carpenters boss Ed Coryell had gone off the reservation. (Theres a good number of executives who are in the private sector, who I bounce ideas off of.) But Kenney doesnt talk about Norcross the way you talk about a person you really know. George Norcross daughter, Alessandra, a director of the parent company of the Inquirer, is an officer of the foundation and a board member of KCNA. Further, both residents and reporters paid specific attention to the proposed, and eventual, location of the KCNA and the history regarding the demolition and refusal to rebuild the public school, Lanning Square Elementary. arrival, Rouhanifard freely shared biographical information about his Norcross was born on March 16, 1956, in Cooper University Hospital, Camden, New Jersey. He is a member of famous Businessman with the age 66 years old group. But a year later, her fix continues to languish in a committee chaired by Nia Gill, an Essex County Democrat who isagain, go figureallied with Norcrosss Southern Jersey crew. In September 2015, Norcross was announced as one of the local investors in The Camden Waterfront, a $1 billion development on Camden's waterfront initially developed by Liberty Property Trust and designed by Robert A.M. Stern. Norcross was with Dan Hilferty, the CEO of Independence Blue Cross, when he got the news. They all will work with me, not because they like me, but because they have no choice. Despite having access to recorded evidence of Norcross trying to manipulate public hiring decision and contracts, Christie refused to pursue any investigation against Norcross despite the insistence of two NJ assistant attorneys general attesting to the validity of their investigation. Stern. There were two other super PACs in the race, both of which supported Kenney, but they got far less attention from the media. None of these contracts have been publicly reported until now. The Camden Rising concert, which was meant to showcase Camden to visiting delegates during the Democratic National Convention in nearby Philadelphia, also displayed the power of the Norcross family, with Democratic U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross helping to introduce the acts. Im not that expensive!. And he does win. teaching experience at Public School 192 in Harlem through Teach for America. 3), A Review of Demoralized: Why Teachers Leave the Profession They Love and How They Can Stay, a Review from the Perspective of a Black, Socialist Union Leader, Warning! Patricia Mueller, a friend of Norcrosss, is the treasurer for the Carpenters Fund for Growth and Progress. Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. Website design, managed and hosted by DEP Design, depdesign.com, a New York interactive agency. (Norcross just recently said that he will relinquish the DNC post.). Norcross and his partners own five properties there. For our first meeting, at Cooper University Hospital, where he is chairman of the board, he dressed in a deep blue suit and French cuffs, his head topped by an avalanche of thick white hair. The committee was funded by a trio of multimillionaire hedge fund investors who supported controversial education policies: charter expansion and school vouchers. My friend still votes for Democrats, and lately has been lamenting the GOP administration of Gov. The money, however, wasnt used on an election. He is chairman of the board of trustees for Cooper University Health Care System and Cooper University Hospital both in Camden, New Jersey, and has served as a trustee since 1990. Norcross has faced criticism for her leadership of the website and background, varying from being hired right after graduating college and possessing zero journalism experience to criticism over news judgment and for directing the website to highlight trashy gossip stories and clickbait over real, local news. Norcross remembers sitting in a political science course at Rutgers-Camden, a 19-year-old making mental note of his professors ignorance. But she is nowhere to be found on the corporate masthead. In person, however, Norcross holds his ground. [27], An investigative task force was formed to look into the operations and procedures of the EDA. A childhood friend of Norcrosss, Sweeney is the New Jersey Senate president and vice president of the International Association of Ironworkers, and is widely assumed to be a big-time gubernatorial candidate in 2017. Protestors sing and dance to support the Rockettes. But if a Camden resident doesnt like what Norcross is doing, what recourse does she have? Last December, Amy Kennedy, daughter-in-law of the late US Senator Ted Kennedy and wife of former Congressman from Rhode Island Patrick Kennedy published a statement that she was considering running for the Democratic nomination for the US House of Representatives seat from New Jersey's Second Congressional District. He was survived by his mother, Margaret Norcross, wife Jo Ann Norcross, two step sons Steven and Scott Lind, his sisters Rhonda Jobes and Wendy Husted and several nephews, nieces and 3 grandchildren. In the wake of the Veterans Health Administration scandal of 2014, Cooper announced a "Veterans VIP Priority Program" that provided day care to veterans in New Jersey's seven southern counties. Fee said Conner Strong & Buckelew was not involved in the concert. That was hardly obvious at the time, which looks to have been the point. Norcross said that he received a phone call in 2004 from then-governor Richard Codey telling him that heGeorge Norcross III, a private insurance executivecould steer $500,000 in public money any way he saw fit. Many believe that in exchange for Christie not investigating Norcross and DiVincenzo, at a time when Christie showed a willingness to prosecute even minor infractions and perpetrators of the public trust including an Asbury Park councilman for getting his driveway paved for free. Christie allowed the two biggest powerbrokers in the state to escape similar investigative scrutiny in exchange for their tacit support for his gubernatorial candidacy, or at least, their less-than-zealous support for Jon Corzines re-election campaign in 2009. In time, Rouhanifard showed himself to adept and aware of the political and media atmosphere in his new landscape. Funding for the event came through General Majority, a Democratic super PAC that dominated New Jerseys legislative elections in 2013 and 2015. The issue is that he simply holds too much power for any one man, a state of affairs that South Jersey Dems experience intimately, always aware of whos sipping from the trough. [1], Norcross has been a prominent political leader in New Jersey for more than 30 years, since before he became chairman of the Camden County Democratic Committee in 1989, a position he held until 1993. Months later in January 2012, the UHA was passed. But until we do the research, we dont know.. He served on the board of and was the chairman of United Way. But perhaps the most alarming article for supporters of public education in Camden was an article published in the June 14th issue of the Reason Magazine, The Slow and Glorious Death of Americas Worst School System, where author Jim Epstein wrote: Within the next decade, the Camden school district is on course to enter a death spiral, sending the city the way of New Orleans, which has replaced all of its traditional schools with chartersPaymon Rouhanifard is probably the best superintendent Camden has ever had, but he wont be able to turn around the school system. The domain of the website was registered to Norcrosss insurance firm that is, until Technical.ly Philly wrote about that juicy little detail. George Norcross Jr., whom admirers called "Big George" and "Chief," was a longtime AFL-CIO president. Mayor, I ask, did you meet Norcross while working for Fumo? If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. Hes done wonders for South Jersey, says Rendell. This is George Norcross were talking about the widely feared, fantastically wealthy all-powerful boss of the South Jersey Democratic Party and when George Norcross wants a meeting, he gets a meeting. Neither would Coryell, national carpenters leaders and many, many others. And yet there he isinfluencing even the direction of their police force. One is simply that Norcross is moving into Philly because its good for business. Kenney also recently reappointed Heather Steinmiller, a senior V.P. George Norcross, Chris Christie, and Paymon Rouhanifard: The triumverite who snaked renaissance (corporate takeover) schools into Camden, The Genuine Problems I have with the Education Reform Communitya series (Pt. And I got portrayed, you know, as the guy with the cigar and the horns., Norcrosss critics believe hes not difficult to understand. Norcross studied the city. daughter. [28][29], Norcross has a daughter, Lexie, and a son, Alex. Due to Katz sudden death the sale may not be closed as scheduled and Norcross has reportedly offered a 30-day extension. What was rarely, [13], Norcross is the executive chairman of insurance, risk management and employee benefits brokerage and consulting firm Conner Strong & Buckelew, where he has worked since 1979. For the next 20 years, Norcross focused on the battlefield of New Jersey politics, to the point that he is now said to own South Jersey. He has served as a Cooper trustee since 1990. Phil Murphy this week won't just be a battle of words between the two Democrats. the districts highest post. We all think we know, he says. I just cant win., My biggest mistake was allowing myself to be defined and branded in the 90s, he continues. After thorough investigations and significant media coverage, he was not charged. Further, Norcross began speaking of a then-hypothetical network of charter schools in Camden on account that saving Camden, would require saving its public schools, or at least having educational options open to its families. Norcross also remarked in Fall 2011 regarding Camden education, I think a material change could happen 24-30 months from now.