Shared Effort

The Honorable Cory A. Booker, Mayor of Newark, NJ

The Honorable Cory A. Booker, Mayor of Newark, New Jersey, will be the keynote speaker for Princeton Project 55’s 20th Anniversary Gala on Thursday, May 27th, 2010!

Mayor Booker’s outstanding leadership of Newark, passion for justice and political change, commitment to education, and dedication to empowering individuals and families all commend him as a fitting speaker for the celebration of Project 55’s past 20 years.

“We are very pleased that the Honorable Cory Booker will be our keynote speaker for the Gala. The systemic changes he is implementing as the Mayor of Newark clearly resonate with the mission of our organization,” commented 20th Anniversary Committee Chair Anne-Marie Maman.

The Stanford University alum and Oxford Rhodes scholar earned his law degree from Yale before serving as Staff Attorney for the Urban Justice Center in Newark. Mayor Booker then rose to prominence as Newark’s Central Ward Councilman in 1998. As Councilman, he earned a reputation for his innovative and bold leadership; he introduced dozens of legislation and resolutions impacting housing, youth, safety, and jobs to create a better government.

Following his electoral sweep in 2006, Mayor Booker has made notable strides in achieving the Newark city mission to set a national standard for urban transformation. Since his election, Newark has seen a 40% reduction in crime, and affordable housing production has doubled. Mayor Booker has also committed to a $40 million transformation of the city’s parks and playgrounds through public and private partnerships.

Mayor Booker’s achievements have merited him recognition in numerous publications, including Time, New Jersey Monthly, and The New York Times Magazine. His membership on numerous boards and advisory committees –including Democrats for Education Reform, Columbia University Teachers College Board of Trustees and the Black Alliance for Educational Options – reflect Mayor Booker’s strong commitment to education.

In October 2009, Mayor Booker was asked to deliver the Toni Morrison Lectures at Princeton University.  His imaginative leadership and dedication to changing lives through civil leadership highly qualified him to give the lectures, which spotlight the new and exciting work of scholars and writers who demonstrate the expansive literary imagination, intellectual adventurousness and political insightfulness that characterize the writing of Toni Morrison.

Project 55’s mission to inspire, enable, and promote the creation of public interest initiatives is one truly reflected in Mayor Booker’s civic leadership. It is certainly an honor to have Mayor Cory Booker join Princeton Project 55 as we celebrate the milestones that mark our 20 years of success.