Public Media NJ, Inc. Announces the Election of Denise Venuti Free to its Board of Trustees

NOVEMBER 2, 2023 - NEWARK, NJ - Public Media NJ, Inc. (PMNJ), operator of NJ PBS, New Jersey's public television network, announced the addition of Denise Venuti Free, Senior Director of Communications and External Affairs, New Jersey American Water, to its Board of Trustees.

"Denise offers NJ PBS valuable perspective, passion and new connections, especially in South Jersey," said Chairman Scott Kobler. "Growing our Board with individuals like her is key to the future growth and awareness of New Jersey's public media network within stakeholder circles as a multimedia content provider for news, entertainment and educational resources for the Garden State."

Denise Venuti Free is responsible for overseeing communications and external affairs for New Jersey American Water, including customer education, media relations, issues management, and community outreach, as well as municipal engagement and workforce development programs. She joined American Water as a manager in Corporate Communications in 2009, and in 2016, was promoted to Director of Communications and External Affairs for New Jersey American Water and American Water's Eastern Division states. She was promoted to her current role as Senior Director for New Jersey American Water in September 2022. A lifelong resident of New Jersey, Free earned a bachelor's degree in Communications from Rutgers University in New Brunswick.

Prior to joining American Water, she was Senior Director of Communications for the American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter, and previously served as Senior Director of Public Relations for the National Constitution Center and Manager of Public Relations for the Pennsylvania Ballet. Free has held additional roles in several nonprofit organizations and communications firms.

Venuti Free joins the current roster of PMNJ Board members: Chairman Scott Kobler, Partner of the McCarter & English, LLP; Vice-Chair Liz Thomas, CEO of Thomas & Boyd; Thomas Bracken, President and CEO of New Jersey Chamber of Commerce; Hans Dekker, President of the Community Foundation of New Jersey; The Honorable Thomas H. Kean, Former Governor of New Jersey; Christopher M. Lepre, Executive Vice President, Commercial Business, of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey; Laurie Mahon, Vice-Chair, U.S. Investment Banking, Global Investment Banking, CIBC Capital Markets; Ann Limberg, Managing Director and the Head of Philanthropic and Family Office Solutions, Bank of America; Barry H. Ostrowsky, President and Chief Executive Officer, RWJBarnabas Health; Richard Pechter, retired Chairman of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette; Neal Shapiro, President/CEO of PMNJ and its parent company, The WNET Group; Robert L. Smartt, Retired, Deputy State Treasurer, NJ Treasury Department; Richard T. Thigpen, Senior Vice President - Corporate Citizenship, Public Service Enterprise Group; Carol Voorhees, Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer, NJM and Josh Weston, Honorary Chairman and Former CEO of Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP).