Chair of the New Jersey State Ethics Commission Paula A. Franzese to Speak on Government Ethics Reform on March 31

Business Wire, March 27, 2006

NEWARK, N.J. -- The Prudential Business Ethics Center at Rutgers announced today that Paula A. Franzese, Esq., the newly appointed Chair of the State Ethics Commission will be the featured speaker at a lecture called "Partnering Between the Public and Private Sector for Good Government: Can We Restore Trust by Ethics Reform?"

Joining Paula Franzese for a panel discussion following the lecture will be Ray Bramucci, former commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Labor; William Kearns, general counsel, NJ League of Municipalities; and Jim Leonard, NJ Chamber of Commerce.

"We are so pleased to have Professor Franzese speaking about how cooperation between the public and private sectors can enhance the prospects for meaningful ethics reform in New Jersey", said Rutgers business school professor Wayne Eastman, acting director of the center. "This is a very timely topic and Professor Franzese will provide a unique perspective on the issue."

Topics covered by the speakers will include some of the key ethics issues faced by government today, including pay-to-play, dual/triple office holding, conflicts of interest and campaign finance.

Paula A. Franzese is the Peter W. Rodino Professor of Law at Seton Hall University School of Law. In February of 2006, she was appointed Chair of the State Ethics Commission by Governor Jon Corzine after serving on the gubernatorial transition team's Ethics and Policy Management Task Force. In 2004, she served as Special Ethics Counsel to Governor Codey. In that capacity, she co-authored a comprehensive ethics audit and reform agenda, resulting in significant ethics reform of the Executive Branch of state government.

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, has taken a leadership role in promoting the value of ethics in today's business world. The university's Prudential Business Ethics Center supports the teaching of business ethics to students as well as to corporate audiences, and it provides visible leadership that will raise issues and inspire a broader community. Founded in 2002, the center fosters research and teaching on ethics as well as brings together faculty, students, alumni and business professionals for conferences and seminars to explore real-world, contemporary ethical issues. It also hosts the Prudential Lectures at Rutgers, a forum held twice yearly spotlighting leading thinkers on a range of contemporary issues.

The lecture will be held on Friday March 31 from 2:00 - 4:00 at Prudential Financial, 751 Broad Street, Newark, NJ in Dryden Hall. The event is open to the public, but requires advance sign-up via e-mail. Please respond to gullette@rbsmail.rutgers.edu