President and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey Joins FDU’s Board of Trustees

Teaneck, NJ (August 29, 2022) Fairleigh Dickinson University is pleased to announce that John Harmon, the founder, president and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey (AACCNJ), has joined its Board of Trustees.

“I am honored that John Harmon is joining FDU’s Board of Trustees,” said FDU President Christopher A. Capuano. “John will be an important advocate for our students and alumni to ensure equity, diversity and social justice continue to be at the forefront of FDU’s strategic planning efforts.”

John E. Harmon, Sr., IOM, has served as the founder, president and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey since 2007. In this role he has the responsibility of establishing, implementing and executing the mission, as well as the fiduciary oversight and governance of AACCNJ in accordance with its bylaws. In addition, he works to identify strategic partnerships in both the public and private sector to connect AACCNJ members and supporters to resources and opportunities to grow and sustain their goals and objectives. Moreover, Harmon serves as an advocate on behalf of the 1.2 million African American residents and the more than 80,000 black owned businesses statewide to ensure that policy at the municipal, county, and federal level provides fairness, equity and access to a level playing field in the marketplace.

Harmon is the former president and CEO of the Metropolitan Trenton African American Chamber of Commerce (MTAACC). Under his guidance, MTAACC grew its membership substantially, forged alliances with business associations/organizations and government, and forged strategic partnerships in the public and private sectors to benefit African American businesses throughout New Jersey.

Harmon is also a board member and the former chairman of the board for the National Black Chamber of Commerce; there are 150 Affiliate Chapters of the NBCC and more than 15 international affiliates. Harmon was recently appointed to the US Chamber of Commerce – Board of Directors, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Economic Community Advisory Council (ECAC), Investors Bank Board of Directors, and Hackensack Meridian Health Board of Directors. Harmon is also a board member of Digital Place Based Advertising Association and is a member of the US Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100. He is the founder and chairman of the New York State Black Chamber of Commerce (NYSBCC). Additionally, he is a board member of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce (NJCC), Opportunity New Jersey, chairman of Crime Stoppers of Greater Trenton and a former board member of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE), First Book, Minding Our Business (MOB), a youth entrepreneurial initiative in affiliation with Rider University.

Harmon was recently acknowledged by Return on Information-New Jersey (ROI), as the Number 1 Person of Color in New Jersey. Harmon was also acknowledged in South Jersey Journal’s list of the “Twenty-five Most Influential African Americans in New Jersey” for the third consecutive year. Harmon was selected for ROI-NJ “2018 Power List of Influencers. Harmon is also recognized as a Center of Influence (COI) for the United States Army and was recently selected as a participant in the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference (JCOC) hosted by the Secretary of Defense. The JCOC program is the oldest and most prestigious public liaison program in the Department of Defense. Harmon was selected as one of 40 individuals (out of 230 applicants) to attend JCOC18. In addition, Harmon was the only attendee from the state of New Jersey. Harmon was recently selected to NJBIZ2018 Power 10. The criteria for selection to the Power 100 were: Identify the people impacting business in New Jersey in a positive way whose primary mission is to foster growth in the state. Harmon was the first individual selected as a member of the host committee for NFL Super Bowl XLVII held in New Jersey 2014.

Harmon holds an associate degree in business administration from Mercer County Community College and Burlington County College and holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He also successfully completed a one-year fellowship on regionalism and sustainability sponsored by The Ford Foundation and completed the Minority Business Management Seminar at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2009. Additionally, he completed a four-year chamber executive management program, at Villanova University, sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in 2014. In 2022, Harmon was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Harmon has three sons: John Jr., Joshua and Justin.

About Fairleigh Dickinson University:

Fairleigh Dickinson University offers over 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, including doctoral programs in pharmacy, nursing practice, clinical psychology and school psychology; and an AACSB-accredited business school. Degree programs are offered on two New Jersey campuses and at two international campuses: Wroxton College, in Oxfordshire in England, and the Vancouver Campus, in British Columbia, Canada. For more information, visit FDU.edu.