Three New Members Appointed to NJIT Board of Trustees

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) announces the appointment of three new members to its Board of Trustees, all of whom have graduated from the university.

Joining the Board of Trustees are Richard M. "Rich" Maser '73, Norma J. Clayton '81 and Jim Stamatis '85. In addition to the numerous professional awards each of the appointees have received over their prolific careers, all three hold the distinction of being presented NJIT’s Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award.

“All three of our new Trustees are NJIT alumni who have been very engaged with our university for many years in various leadership capacities,” noted NJIT President Joel S. Bloom. “We are looking forward to welcoming Rich, Norma, and Jim as members of our Board of Trustees, and we thank them for their continued service to NJIT in this important capacity.”

Maser is executive chairman of Maser Consulting P.A., a full-service consulting engineering firm headquartered in Red Bank, N.J. Founded in 1984, the firm offers a multitude of in-house disciplines with over 950 employees and 34 offices located nationwide.

Maser has extensive experience in civil, traffic and municipal engineering projects including New Jersey Department of Transportation highway projects, secondary roadways, signalization projects, residential and commercial site design, and municipal public works projects.

Maser has dedicated himself to supporting local communities and charitable organizations, formerly serving as a board member for the American Red Cross and the Community YMCA,  NJ Salvation Army, ARC of New Jersey, New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and has been a Fellow of Leadership New Jersey. He is currently a member of the Advisory Board of the Rutgers Center for Real Estate and New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Residential Site Improvement Board.

Maser is active in strengthening the engineering field and is a member of several advocacy organizations including the  New Jersey Society of Municipal Engineers, New Jersey Society of Professional Engineers, Institute of Transportation Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers, Consulting Engineers Council, and National Association of Industrial and Office Properties.  

“As a native of New Jersey, I began my career in engineering at NJIT and founded a company which has continued to thrive for over 35 years,” said Maser. “I am honored that NJIT has appointed me to its Board of Trustees and am looking forward to having this opportunity to contribute to the industry in this new capacity.”

For over 20 years, Clayton has served in various leadership capacities at The Boeing Company, and most recently as the vice president for Learning, Training and Development.

Joining in 1995, her first role was director of machine center, Military Aircraft & Missile Systems Group where she was the head of all fabrication operations. In 1998, she became the vice president, Lean Manufacturing and Quality then appointed vice president and general manager, Maintenance and Modification, Military Aerospace support in 2001. Clayton has held leadership roles throughout her career at Fortune 500 companies including Lockheed Martin, General Electric, RCA and General Motors.

Clayton was the first African American, and woman, to hold a senior manufacturing position at Boeing.

In addition to her illustrious career, Clayton continues to advocate for a number of organizations and holds board member positions at the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals, Leadership America, American Society of Industrial Engineers, and the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources.

“NJIT has taught me the value of hard work, has given me the confidence to believe in myself and taught me the importance of giving back to others,” Norma said. “NJIT helped me see the value of life-long learning as a means to economic prosperity, and as a conduit to bring the very best ideas and innovation to the world. I believe my work on the Board of Trustees will feed these principles. I am humbled by the opportunity and thank the Board for affording me the opportunity to serve this great institution.”

In his most recent role as chief executive officer of Louis Berger, Stamatis was responsible for the company's growth, strategic direction and mergers and acquisitions. He led the company’s strategy and successful transaction to WSP Global, Inc. Prior to his role as president and CEO, he served as president of Louis Berger International, and prior to that led the company's U.S. operation. He has served as principal in charge for iconic projects in New Jersey and throughout the world.

He has also led the company’s recruitment and outreach efforts with NJIT and recently assisted the university in establishing an exchange program with the University of Cantabria in Spain through the WSP’s Spanish entity. 

Stamatis governance experience includes the Louis Berger Board, Klohn Crippen Berger, BergerABAM and WSP’s joint venture with China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), CHELBI. Jim also served on the boards of the Union Soccer League, Mid New Jersey Soccer League and the Players Development Academy in Somerset, New Jersey. He has also served as a coach, administrator and college liaison at the youth soccer level in New Jersey.

"I’m eager to continue my contribution to NJIT’s growth as a leading global STEM university," said Stamatis. "As an active international ambassador, I look forward to making an even greater impact as a trustee, and thank the board for this opportunity."