Phillipsburg, NJ – Today, the Ocean Wind Pro-NJ Grantor Trust, an independent fund established by Ocean Wind 1, announced two new Trustees have joined the volunteer board responsible for its oversight. Brian K. Jackson, of Egg Harbor City, chief operating officer for Stockton University Atlantic City campus, and Philip Brilliant, of Toms River, founder/owner of Brilliant Environmental Services, LLC will join the Trust’s Board Chair, attorney Beverly McCall, of Ocean City, in furthering the Trust’s goals of supporting diverse businesses entering the offshore wind industry and funding coastal resiliency projects in Ocean, Atlantic and Cape May counties.
Jackson and Brilliant will replace outgoing Trustees Belinda Manning, a retired organizational development professional and community volunteer/activist, and Lori Pepenella, the CEO of the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce. Jackson and Brilliant will have active roles in the review and selection of recipients for the Trust’s second round of funding for New Jersey-based small, women-owned and minority-owned businesses, as well as future rounds of funding for diverse businesses and coastal resiliency projects.
“Belinda and Lori were instrumental in the effort to launch the Ocean Wind Pro-NJ Grantor Trust in 2020. We are deeply appreciative for the time, talent and energy they provided to establish the Trust and successfully award our first two rounds of grant funding,” said Beverly McCall, Esquire, chair of the Pro-NJ Grantor Trust. “Brian and Philip bring with them equally impressive backgrounds, experience and expertise, including time as small business owners. Brian’s intimate knowledge of the local community and Phil’s technical knowledge will undoubtedly benefit the Trust as well as our previous and future grant recipients.”
To date, the Ocean Wind Pro-NJ Grantor Trust has awarded nearly $450,000 to six New Jersey-based small, women-owned and minority-owned business, allowing them to diversify their services and offerings and invest in new equipment, training and technology to participate in the growing offshore wind industry. Additionally, the Trust has provided $2.8 million to five communities in Ocean, Atlantic and Cape May counties, supporting efforts to complete critical coastal infrastructure projects that help keep communities resilient, safe and thriving.
Trustees in Brief:
Brian K. Jackson, of Egg Harbor City, currently serves as the chief operating officer for Stockton University’s Atlantic City campus after serving as chief of staff to the president and assistant secretary to the Stockton Board of Trustees. In addition to extensive experience in higher education, Jackson also co-owned and operated an upscale pet boutique and professional grooming service for 14 years. He served as a member of the Ocean Wind Pro-NJ Grantor Trust’s Advisory Committee since the Trust’s inception.
Involved in the local South Jersey community, Jackson currently serves on several community boards including the Center for Family Services, Seashore Gardens Living Center Foundation, United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey and Chelsea Economic Development. Jackson was also a founding member and former vice chair of the board of directors for The African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey.
He has received numerous awards for his professional and community engagement, including United Way’s Alan Angelo Award for Community Service and the George Lynn Volunteer of the Year Award, the 2007 Merit Award from the Stockton Council of Black Faculty and Staff, the 2008 Atlantic City Weekly’s Annual Top 40 under 40, induction into the 2016 Order of Omega Society, which honors leadership of those affiliated with Greek Fraternities and Sororities, and the Stockton Intramural Recreational Council’s Dr. Vera King Farris Award for outstanding leadership and service to Stockton. He was also honored by 101 Women Plus, Inc. with the 2017 Black Leadership in Higher Education Community Service Award and the NJ State Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., with the District Director’s Capital Achievement Award for leadership and community service, by Friends in Action, Inc. with its Award of High Distinction, and by Stockton University with its 2019 Community Engagement Award. Most recently, Jackson was included in Front Runner New Jersey’s 2020 Power List of the most influential African Americans in South Jersey.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance and a master’s degree in business administration from Southern New Hampshire University. He is also a graduate of the Atlantic City Tomorrow Leadership Program and is a 2007 Leadership New Jersey Fellow.
Philip I. Brilliant, of Toms River, is an environmental scientist and the founder/owner of Brilliant Environmental Services, LLC, a full-service environmental consulting and contracting company. He is a frequent lecturer and instructor on the topic of site remediation, rules and regulations and remedial action. He has provided these services to many academic institutions and professional associations, including but not limited to Montclair University, Rutgers University, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), Academy of Hazardous Materials Managers (ACHMM), Licensed Site Remediation Professional Association of NJ (LSRPA) and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).
Experienced in the environmental industry, Brilliant is also involved in professional affiliations including the National Groundwater Association, the New Jersey Licensed Site Remediation Professional Association (LSRPA), the Greater Toms River Chamber of Commerce and the Ocean County Business Association.
Brilliant was nominated to inaugural Site Remediation Professional Licensing Planning Board in 2010 and has served as the professional conduct chairman since 2017. He is also the co-founder of Continuing Professional Education Services, Inc. (CPES) – a not-for-profit educational company offering courses on regulatory and technical topics to environmental professionals. He holds a bachelor’s degree in international environmental science/law & institutions from Rutgers University.
The Trust is an independent fund established by Ocean Wind 1 with a pledge of $15 million over a 7-year period. In addition to providing funding for coastal resiliency projects, the Trust offers small, women-owned and minority-owned businesses support in reconfiguring or adapting their businesses to participate in the developing offshore wind industry, with the goal of ensuring that the offshore wind industry in New Jersey is developed in a sustainable and inclusive way.
For more information on the Ocean Wind Pro-NJ Grantor Trust, visit: https://www.pronjtrust.org/.