Jamesburg, NJ, February 25, 2026 - Easterseals New Jersey convened a bipartisan group of state and local leaders for its Legislative Roundtable, featuring keynote remarks from Dr. Dale Caldwell, Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey. The event was originally planned to be held in collaboration with the Center for Africana Studies at Kean University; however, due to weather conditions, it was held virtually.
The virtual roundtable brought together members of the New Jersey Senate and General Assembly, as well as local mayors and council members, to discuss affordable housing, transportation access, workforce shortages of direct support professionals, and the need for stronger cross-agency coordination in serving individuals with disabilities.
Participating legislative leaders included:
Senate Panelists
Michael Testa Jr.
Joseph Cryan
Anthony Bucco
Angela McKnight
Benjie Wimberly
Assembly Panelists
Sterley Stanley
Aura Dunn
Avi Schnall
Mayoral Panelists
Linda Karlovitch (Kenilworth)
Quinton Law (Moorestown)
Donald Shaw (Roselle)
In his keynote remarks, Lt. Governor Caldwell emphasized the importance of aligning state policy with local implementation to ensure individuals with disabilities have equitable access to housing, employment, transportation, and healthcare.
“Meaningful progress requires collaboration across agencies and across levels of government,” said Caldwell. “When we address housing, workforce, and transportation in isolation, we limit outcomes. When we coordinate, we strengthen opportunity.”
Throughout the discussion, lawmakers highlighted affordable housing shortages as a structural barrier, the urgent need to stabilize the direct support professional workforce, and the importance of whole-person care models that integrate behavioral health, physical health, employment, and housing supports.
“Policy sets direction, but impact is experienced locally,” said Brian Fitzgerald, President and CEO of Easterseals New Jersey. “Our role is to bring leaders together around practical solutions that improve access and outcomes for individuals with disabilities and their families.”
Easterseals New Jersey will continue advancing bipartisan dialogue and policy engagement to strengthen systems serving individuals with disabilities across the state.
