7 Highlanders Make List of NJ Influencers Who Are People of Color
New Jersey Institute of Technology is well-represented on ROI-NJ’s 2023 list of people of color who are influencers in the state.
NJIT President Teik C. Lim, Trustee Elisa Charters and Luis De La Hoz, a member of NJIT’s Hispanic Latinx Leadership Council (HLLC), made a top 25 list, and four other Highlanders made a master list of 198, which is alphabetical.
The honorees represent a broad spectrum of the NJIT community: from administrators and a trustee to an overseer and members of the HLLC and the board of NJIT’s New Jersey Innovation Institute. Here’s the full list:
Top 25
Teik C. Lim, now in his second year as president of NJIT, is of Chinese descent and grew up in Malaysia, where he endured racism as an ethnic minority. One of Lim’s goals is "to create a culture of belonging, as embracing DEIB concepts authentically is a hallmark of success among institutions, and is a cornerstone of NJIT’s mission."
Elisa Charters, who earned a bachelor's and a master's at NJIT, is the co-founder and president of nonprofit advocacy organization Latina Surge and a principal at EAC Business International. Charters is a member of NJIT’s Board of Trustees and previously served as vice chair of the Board of Directors of the N.J. Health Care Facilities Financing Authority and on the N.J. Minority and Business Advisory Board.
Luis De La Hoz is an HLLC member, chairman of the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey and regional director of community lending at Valley National bank, where he works to help local, small and midsize businesses develop strategies for growth, with particular emphasis in supporting organizations with Latino and minority leadership. The HLLC has already had an impact in increasing NJIT’s diversity. The fall 2023 cohort is NJIT’s biggest, and most-diverse ever with Hispanic enrollment reaching 30% for the second year consecutive year. The HLLC is also directly supporting students financially, awarding two scholarships to outstanding undergraduate students.
Master List
Francisco Cortes is a member of the HLLC and leads a top marketing agency, The Setroc Group, and is president of the Veterans Chamber of New Jersey, whose goal is to serve veteran-owned and connected businesses, as well as veteran job creation.
Angela Garretson is NJIT's chief government and community relations officer. With two decades of political, civic and higher education experience — and a passion for serving the community — Garretson is helping NJIT grow in stature in the state and around the country.
Jose Lozano is a board member at New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII), an NJIT corporation, which just recently announced the appointment of a new president. Lozano is a senior vice president of strategic partnerships at Hackensack Meridian Health
Marjorie Perry, also an alumna of NJIT, was the first woman and first African-American chair of the NJIT Board of Overseers. She is CEO and president of MZM Construction & Management, an inductee of the New Jersey Business Hall of Fame, and a proud “Newark girl” who is a strong supporter of women and minorities in the construction industry — and is always looking to give back.
