NJIT Celebrates an Overseer's Skills as a Leader and Dedication as an Alum
New Jersey Institute of Technology is celebrating Marjorie Perry, an exemplary alumna and member of its Board of Overseers, for her lasting contributions to the university.
Perry, president and CEO of MZM Construction Co. in Newark, N.J., supports scholarships and athletics, helps raise money for the university and mentors students, offering real-world advice and internships. All of that illustrates her skills as a leader and dedication as an alum.
In recognition of those attributes, Perry was elected chair of the Board of Overseers in 2018, making her the first woman and African American to assume that role. The board governs the Foundation at NJIT, which raises, invests and distributes gifts on behalf of the university and serves as a critical link to the business community, providing information on corporate and state priorities and helping NJIT realize its research and funding goals.
During her tenure, the university achieved unprecedented levels of fundraising success, as it created more than 125 new scholarships, added nearly $30 million in gifts toward its endowment and set new single-year records in overall gifts and pledges ($19.2 million in FY21) and the rate of alumni giving (11% in FY22).
Perry recently completed her second two-year term as chair — the maximum allowed — and will become chair emerita on Jan. 1. She continues to serve as an Overseer.
Her efforts on behalf of athletics in particular resulted in the university honoring her within the Wellness and Events Center. The 98-seat Marjorie A. Perry Theatre is a focal point of the WEC and hosts leadership-focused programs for NJIT’s more than 325 Division I student-athletes.
The naming occurred in 2018 and NJIT reaffirmed its appreciation with a dedication ceremony at the theatre this month. Among those who feted her were Ken Alexo, vice president for development and alumni relations and president of the Foundation at NJIT; Director of Athletics Lenny Kaplan; women’s soccer players Siani Magruder and Taylor Pape; and President Teik C. Lim.
Personally, Perry, who earned an MBA from NJIT’s Martin Tuchman School of Management in 2005, is approachable, down-to-earth and encouraging, advising students to “own your greatness, own your power.” That alone is reason to celebrate her.
“Marjorie exemplifies what it means to be an NJIT alum,” Lim said. “The investments she has made in her alma mater — as a volunteer leader, as a mentor to our students, as an advocate and ambassador in the community and as a benefactor — have been generous to a fault. We are truly fortunate to be the recipient of so much of her time, talent and treasure.”
