Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey Issues Statement on Appointment of Andrés Acebo as Interim President

JERSEY CITY, N.J. | Carlos Medina, President and CEO of the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey, offered the following statement on the appointment of Andrés Acebo as Interim President of New Jersey City University:

“The Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey celebrates the historic appointment of Andrés Acebo, a proud member of our own community, as Interim President of New Jersey City University — only the second Hispanic and youngest known person to ever lead a public university in the State of New Jersey.

We look forward to working with President Acebo and his team to champion economic mobility, workforce development, and business creation for our community. These have long been tenets of NJCU's mission and its vital role in our state.

NJCU is an indispensable institution to the communities we serve and champion. As the state's most socioeconomically diverse and oldest historically minority- and Hispanic-serving institution of higher education, it will continue to play a defining role in our community for future generations — helping aspiring entrepreneurs in our state to obtain equitable access to quality higher education and economic mobility.

With most graduates remaining in the Garden State, their contributions to the workforce and leadership in the private-public sectors will continue to amplify the community around the university.

We urge the state of New Jersey to invest in NJCU as it continues to emerge from its fiscal crisis and the pandemic's disproportionate impact on our community. When we invest in our community, we ensure a more advanced workforce and better future for the entire State of New Jersey, where the Hispanic community's GDP is over $97 billion.”