(upbeat music) - We're now joined by Regina Egea.

She's been on with us before.

There's an important message today.

She's founder and chair of Garden State Initiative.

Good to see you, Regina.

- Nice to see you too, Steve.

- Tell everyone, as we put up the website, what Garden State Initiative is.

- It's a public policy organization that focuses on broad economic matters in the state, including energy, transportation, our performance on unemployment, et cetera.

So we try to really give a good temperature check on how the state is doing economically.

- Tell folks very quickly about your leadership journey.

You've had some key leadership positions in a variety of sectors.

Talk about that.

- Well, I began in the private sector at AT&T, and I was very fortunate.

I was in AT&T in the period when I was very much focused on leadership development.

And we were put through many, many both academic as well as career-enhancing experiences.

And it really put me in situations that you really learn to understand yourself and how you behave when you are put under stress, when you are put in, you know, a spotlight, et cetera.

So I was very fortunate, and I was in across the organization in both sales leadership, network operations, as well as product management and financial leadership.

So it was a interesting preparation for going into government after a career at AT&T.

I joined the Christie Administration as the Chief of Staff to the Treasurer.

and then on into the Governor's Office, overseeing the Authorities Unit, which includes a wide range of government functions.

And then ultimately the Chief of Staff for Governor Christie.

- Wow.

You know, it's interesting.

You worked with Governor Christie, and Governor Christie and I have talked about different leaders who he's had working on his team, and the Governor and I have had many discussions and sometimes debates about leadership style because there's no one way to get things done, but he clearly got things done.

But the other governor who got a lot of things done in a time when as a very, very young man serving in the state legislature for a very, very short time, was Tom Kean.

Governor Kean was an extraordinary leader, is an extraordinary leader.

The Tom H. Kean, Governor Thomas H. Kean Leadership Award, there was an event recently, September 18th, the inaugural event.

What was it?

Why do we have to honor and recognize the great leadership of Governor Kean?

Regina.

- Well, you know, we are coming to observe about our current environment of polarization and frankly, lack of productivity of our government in delivering on what really citizens need.

what we are learning to appreciate, and as you say, honor about Governor Kean's leadership and others, frankly, also in that era understood that you have to begin with listening and understanding how people come at problems and agree that you want to solve problems in a way that accommodates as many points of view as you possibly can.

And at the event you're referencing, Steve, again and again, individuals spoke to the notion that Governor Kean listened, absorbed, and frankly, when he spoke, he had a very purposeful goal in mind and delivered on what he understood needed to get delivered.

And also the other observation, 'cause you contrasted Governor Kean and Governor Christie, is, you know, Governor Kean, while he's extremely poised and never see him lose his temper in public, he was a very schooled politician, and he understood how to work the government, as well as the private sector, to get stuff done.

So different styles, but understanding, you know, how this system works and what needs to be accomplished was the hallmark of Governor Kean.

Governor Kean, while in the state legislature, as a Republican, when the Republicans were in the minority, which means they did not have the majority of votes, he became the Speaker of the House, the Speaker of the Assembly in the minority party, which means he had to not just get Republicans but Democrats to vote for him to be the leader of the House.

Just imagine that happening today.

That's not commentary.

It's just a question.

Hey, Regina, do this for us.

We're putting up the website, njbudget.com.

What is it?

Why is it so incredibly important for people who want to understand what the heck's going on with our money in the state?

- Well, you know, the New Jersey State budget, all most people hear is how big it is, right, 50 billion or whatever the, you know, current number is.

and it's very difficult for anyone in the public, and frankly, some legislators, honestly, to really start to try to understand what are the elements that matter that we understand about how that money gets spent.

And so njbudget.com, which, Steve, you've heard me say this before, I find it completely ironic that in 2025, the URL njbudget.com wasn't taken.

And so when we launched this product, it was really to help people understand the New Jersey budget.

And we began with what gets a lot of the press at the end of the budget cycle, is those elements that get added at the last minute.

And they are important because they are part of the negotiation process, not just the spending plan.

So our goal is to keep building on this product that shows, in a very user-friendly way, some of these elements of the budget, how the spending was last year, how it was this year, and then when the Governor's Budget gets presented in the following year, what is being proposed.

And as I said, user-friendly interface, and it breaks it down by municipality, by legislative district, and by entity.

So user can go in and really look and understand, and I hope that it helps to translate what's government, you know, speak into normal speak, and people can ask questions about how the money's getting spent.

Regina, thank you.

We will continue the conversation and I look forward to sitting down with Governor Kean.

Thank you, Regina.

- Thanks, Steve.

- You got it.

Stay with us, we'll be right back.

- [Narrator] One-On-One with Steve Adubato is a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by United Airlines.

The Turrell Fund, a foundation serving children.

IBEW Local 102.

PSEG Foundation.

Newark Board of Education.

The North Ward Center.

Operating Engineers, Local 825.

New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program.

And by Congress Hall.

Promotional support provided by NJBIA.

And by BestofNJ.com.

- (Narrator) For the last 125 years, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 102 has powered progress and built a brighter future.

As we celebrate this incredible milestone, we honor the dedication of our past, the strength of our present, and the promise of our future.

Together, we're stronger.

Together, we're Local 102.