Amy Herbold Named President and CEO of Choose New Jersey

Choose New Jersey has a new leader. The business attraction nonprofit announced March 27 that Amy Herbold will take over as president and chief executive officer, effective April 16.

Herbold steps into the role following Wesley Mathews, who led the organization from 2022 through 2025. She brings a background that spans government service and private sector development, most recently serving as senior vice president of corporate and regulatory affairs for Triple Five Group, the real estate and development conglomerate behind American Dream, the massive retail and entertainment complex in East Rutherford.

Choose New Jersey operates as the state’s primary business recruitment arm, working to attract foreign direct investment and draw companies to locate or expand operations here. The organization partners closely with the governor’s office and state economic development agencies, and it has become a fixture on international trade missions in recent years.

Ralph LaRossa, who chairs the Choose New Jersey board and also serves as chair, president and CEO of PSEG, said Herbold’s dual-sector experience made her the right choice. “With experience in both the public and private sectors, she is well-positioned to attract and retain businesses to New Jersey,” LaRossa said.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill praised the appointment, pointing to Herbold’s work building one of the state’s most prominent economic hubs. “Amy has a proven track record of advancing the growth of one of our state’s premier economic and tourist hubs,” Sherrill said. “I look forward to working with Choose New Jersey to attract investment, strengthen key industries, and create jobs across New Jersey.”

Herbold expressed enthusiasm for the work ahead. “New Jersey has all the assets to compete and win on a global stage: talent, location, infrastructure, and innovation,” she said. “I look forward to working with Governor Mikie Sherrill and our partners across business and government to drive investment, create jobs, and tell New Jersey’s story to the world, benefitting our local communities statewide.”

Her appointment arrives at a competitive moment for state economic development. New Jersey competes aggressively against neighboring states for corporate relocations and expansions, and organizations like Choose New Jersey play a direct role in landing those deals. Herbold’s work at Triple Five gave her visibility into large-scale development negotiations, permitting processes and public-private partnerships, skills that translate directly to recruiting businesses to the state.

Choose New Jersey has deepened its international outreach in recent years. In 2025, the organization accompanied then-Gov. Phil Murphy on economic missions to Mexico, India and the Gulf Arab States, targeting investment from regions where New Jersey has strong diaspora communities and existing trade relationships. That global engagement strategy is expected to continue under Herbold’s leadership.

New Jersey’s economy gives her real material to work with. The state remains a national hub for pharmaceutical and life sciences companies, with major employers clustered in Morris, Somerset and Middlesex counties. Financial services, logistics and technology sectors add to a diverse economic base. Newark Liberty International Airport and the Port of New York and New Jersey give the state genuine advantages in global commerce arguments.

The challenge, as it has always been for New Jersey’s economic development professionals, is counteracting the state’s reputation for high taxes and regulatory complexity. Herbold will need to make the affirmative case for New Jersey while also working with state government to address the friction points that cause companies to look elsewhere.

Sherrill, who took office in January after winning the 2025 gubernatorial election, will be Herbold’s primary government partner in that effort. The new governor has made job creation and business attraction central to her economic agenda, and a strong Choose New Jersey operation matters to delivering on those commitments.

Herbold takes the helm April 16. The organization she leads has grown its international reach and deepened its ties to state government over the past several years. Whether she can build on that foundation and translate global interest into actual jobs for New Jersey workers is the real measure of the role.