Infrastructure for a New Era: Chris Hartman and the Evolving Mission of the New Jersey Alliance for Action

Five Decades of Impact

Looking back over the Alliance’s history, Hartman points to accomplishments that have fundamentally shaped New Jersey’s development. The organization was heavily involved in the foundation of NJ TRANSIT, establishing the mass transit network that millions depend on today. More recently, the Alliance has helped push forward agreements that have enabled billions of dollars in water, electric, gas, and other utility improvements.

“We’ve secured permits for capital expansions for hospitals and healthcare systems, capital improvements for colleges and universities,” Hartman says. “We’ve worked with the Port Authority on their almost $40 billion capital plan. We’ve helped long-term funding programs for highway and transit improvements move forward.”

Among all these achievements, Hartman singles out one project as the most critical: the Hudson Tunnel Project. “That is the single most important infrastructure project in the entire country today, bar none,” he states emphatically. “Almost twenty percent of the nation’s GDP goes through the Northeast. We’re very proud that we are one of the important voices that really recognizes the scope and scale of that project.”

Equally important to the Alliance’s legacy is its role in ensuring New Jersey has a voice, both in Trenton and Washington. “Making sure that people recognize that New Jersey is not just this footprint between Philadelphia and New York City is critical,” Hartman emphasizes. “We have over 9 million people living here. This is our home. This is where we work, where we get our food and water. Our nonpartisan voice that can cut through political infighting is something I’m very proud of. When we say New Jersey should invest in an infrastructure project, it’s not a liberal or conservative thing. It’s because it’s something New Jersey needs.”

The Power of Coalition

What sets the Alliance apart is its unique ability to bring together diverse stakeholders—business, labor, government, utilities, and education—to work toward common goals. “Infrastructure projects definitely don’t happen in a vacuum,” Hartman explains. “It takes a village.”

Examples of this collaborative approach include the Transportation Trust Fund, higher education bond issues, the Hudson Tunnel Project (and the Gateway Program), and various utility upgrades. “These touch everyone’s lives,” Hartman notes. “They’re not just important to one sector. The industry and the various sectors recognize the importance of these projects for everybody in the state, and they really come together to fight for them.”

This philosophy extends to the Alliance’s relationship with organizations like Edge. Hartman has served on Edge’s Board of Trustees since before the pandemic, recognizing the natural synergy between the two organizations. “Without Edge, how would I know where infrastructure development might need to be placed within the higher education community or the healthcare community? I require a group like Edge to help me with that. Without their voice, without their connection, I don’t necessarily know each institution’s capital construction and infrastructure needs.When all those people with various interests that are being pulled in different directions come together and say, ‘Yes, higher education needs to be invested in’—that’s pretty powerful.”

Balancing Growth and Sustainability

As a coastal state with a unique mix of hyper-urban and extremely rural communities, New Jersey faces particular challenges in balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability. Hartman sees solid, well-maintained infrastructure as essential to both goals.

“Think about protecting our wetlands, protecting our beaches, and new technologies for energy projects,” says Hartman. “Every time we improve a road, a bridge, a rail network, and when we improve our infrastructure, it doesn’t only help the economy, but it gives us the ability to protect our environment from failing old systems.”

He pushes back against the notion that the Alliance simply wants to “pave over the state.” “We want to move forward on infrastructure projects that recognize that we have wetlands to protect, but we also have people living in densely populated Jersey City,” he explains. “It’s a delicate balance. If we let infrastructure projects fail, they will absolutely poison the environment. We can’t put all our eggs in one basket. We have to have multiple eggs in multiple baskets, whether that’s natural gas, offshore wind, solar, or more traditional energy sources. If we get tunnel vision, we’re going to get in trouble.”

The Next Frontier: AI, Data Centers, and Hollywood East

When asked about the Alliance’s current priorities, Hartman doesn’t hesitate. “New Jerseyans have to keep an eye on the expansion of artificial intelligence and the development of data centers,” he states. “That is the hot ticket item everyone is talking about now. If we continue to be a not-in-my-backyard state, a NIMBY state, we will get left behind.”

The question, he insists, isn’t whether AI development will happen—it’s already here, embedded in our phones and devices—but how New Jersey will handle it responsibly. “The ship has sailed. Do we want to be left behind, or do we want to responsibly work together to have that move forward?”

Beyond data centers, Hartman sees New Jersey positioning itself as “Hollywood East.” The development of Netflix studios at Fort Monmouth has been a catalyst, attracting Paramount and 1888

Studios in Bayonne and Lionsgate in Newark. “It’s incredible what’s going to happen here because of that,” he says with evident excitement.
Healthcare and higher education, known as “meds and eds,” remain pillars of New Jersey’s infrastructure landscape. Hartman points to major projects like Cooper University Healthcare’s $3 billion Project Imagine, along with expansions at Hackensack University, Atlantic Health, RWJBarnabas, and Inspira. “Meds and eds are not going anywhere in New Jersey. They are continuing, and they are a pillar of New Jersey’s infrastructure.”

Among those challenges: responding to sea level rise (“Our county engineers are facing this every single day—it’s not a political thing”), ensuring resiliency and redundancy in critical systems, and diversifying energy generation methods. “Our utility companies are going to be diversifying like crazy in the future, and we have to give them the tools to do that,” Hartman says.

For all the challenges ahead, Hartman remains optimistic about New Jersey’s future. “While we live in a very chaotic time, the word opportunity continues to come to my mind,” he reflects. “New Jersey is absolutely positioned to be Hollywood East. We are absolutely positioned to benefit greatly from the Hudson Tunnel Project. We are in a great space to expand our energy infrastructure. There is untapped opportunity here. When you see Netflix, Lionsgate, Paramount coming here, they see opportunity. That’s the only reason they’re coming.”

That optimism is grounded in the Alliance’s commitment to remaining a nonpartisan, moderating voice that brings coalitions together. “We have in our minds what’s good for New Jersey, what will benefit New Jersey citizens, not what will benefit any one group,” Hartman emphasizes.

The Passion That Drives it All

What comes through most clearly is Hartman’s passion for the work. “You get the infrastructure that you pay for. I’m a big environmentalist. I’m a big believer in good infrastructure. I’m politically independent because I borrow from both sides. Investment in infrastructure shouldn’t be controversial. It shouldn’t be Republican or Democrat, it should simply be something we do.”
He acknowledges that while others may know more about specific technical details, his strength lies elsewhere. “I am absolutely not the smartest person in the room, but I consider myself one of the most passionate people in the group.”

That passion also shows in the small moments, too like the satisfaction of walking across a bridge built by one of the Alliance’s member companies, even if his contribution was just “half a percent” of making it a reality. “I testified in support of that bridge and it’s exciting to see it come together.”

As New Jersey faces a future defined by rapid technological change, evolving environmental challenges, and unprecedented opportunities, the Alliance for Action—with leaders like Chris Hartman—will continue to play a vital role. Not by predicting exactly what comes next, but by holding fast to the conviction that infrastructure, broadly defined and responsibly developed, is the foundation on which communities thrive.

“Jersey’s a great place,” Hartman says. “That’s why people build their lives here. That’s why they invest here. Our job is to help them thrive.”