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New Jersey American Water Appoints Two New Board Members: T. Missy Balmir and Richard T. Smith

New Jersey American Water Appoints Two New Board Members: T. Missy Balmir and Richard T. Smith

CAMDEN, N.J. (May 7, 2020)  New Jersey American Water has appointed T. Missy Balmir and Richard T. Smith to the company’s board of directors.

“Missy and Richard are both well-respected leaders in New Jersey who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our company,” said Cheryl Norton, president of New Jersey American Water.  “We are looking forward to partnering with them as we continue to strengthen our business in ways that bring value to our customers and the communities we serve.”

T. Missy Balmir is Chief Executive Officer of Thorough Planning LLC, a full-service campaign management firm based in Kenilworth, N.J., which she founded in 2012. Prior to that, Balmir served in senior roles for several New Jersey government and political leaders at federal, state and municipal levels. Her previous positions include Senior Outreach Advisor to U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, General Consultant to NJ Senate Majority PAC, Chief of Staff for the City of East Orange. She also spent six years with the N.J. Department of Human Services, last serving as Director of the Family Support Program at the Division of Developmental Disabilities.

Balmir has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Rider University and a masters’ degree in public affairs and politics from Rutgers University’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. She is also a Graduate Fellow at the Eagleton Institute of Politics, and currently serves as a Visiting Associate for the institution. She is a former resident and school board member in the City of Trenton, and now resides in Roselle.

Richard T. Smith is President of the NAACP New Jersey State Conference, a position he has held since 2013, and is also a member of the NAACP National Board of Directors. He currently serves as Warden for the Cumberland County Department of Corrections – Cumberland County jail, and previously completed a 25-year career with the New Jersey Department of Corrections. Smith presently serves as one of the seven commissioners on the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights, and in 2013, he served as Commissions Chairman.

A native of Trenton, Smith attended Trenton State College, currently known as the College of New Jersey, where he was a speech communication and theatre major.  In addition, he attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and Atlantic County College. A resident of Vineland and former member of the Vineland Board of Education, Smith has been honored by numerous organizations such as, the Political Congress of Black Women, Order of the Eastern Stars, Coalition of Black Trade Unionist, the Vineland African-American Community Development Corporation and the Grapevine Newspaper as one of Vineland, New Jersey’s hometown heroes.

About New Jersey American Water
New Jersey American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 2.8 million people. For more information, visit www.newjerseyamwater.com and follow New Jersey American Water on Twitter and Facebook

About American Water 

With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 6,800 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to 15 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Media Contact:
Denise Venuti Free
Director of Communications and External Affairs
Office: 856-955-4874
Cell: 856-449-7357
Denise.Free@amwater.com