Gene Jannotti Receives NJBIZ ICON Honor
Gene Jannotti, CEO of GWACC (Greater Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce), received the NJBIZ ICON Honor Award during a breakfast held on June 28, 2022, at The Palace at Somerset Park. This award recognizes New Jersey business leaders over the age of 60 for their notable success and demonstration of strong leadership both within and outside of their chosen field.
Gene graduated Cum Laude from Siena College in Loudonville, NY and was elected to Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities. He received a Teaching Fellowship to St. John’s University obtaining a master’s degree in Mathematics. Following a military service as an officer in the US Army Reserves, Gene began a career at New York Telephone (NYT) Company in the fledging computer department as a programmer assistant, ending his career there as a Division Manager. NYT selected Gene to attend the Master’s Degree Program for Executives at Columbia University where he graduated with an M.S. in Business Policy. Upon retirement, he joined Bell Atlantic Yellow Pages as Vice President and Chief Information Officer. With the merger of Bell Atlantic and NYNEX, Gene left the Bell System to join Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), an international outsourcing and consulting firm, as a Director of Operations. Gene managed the outsourced IT department of General Dynamics; performed transformation services for companies such as Nortel, Motorola, and the NSA. He then moved to the CSC consulting division and worked for several Fortune 500 companies managing large IT projects for them. He spent one year in Asia working for AIA, at the time when they were the Asian insurance subsidiary of AIG, and for Manulife Insurance, operating as John Hancock in the United States. His wide range of program and project management skills and experience gave him the opportunity to work for many diversified corporate clients. His projects were valued at several million dollars.
Upon retiring from CSC, Gene joined GWACC, the Greater Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce in 2014. He raised the membership level from 260 business members to approximately 500 now. The Chamber started a 501c3 Foundation with the purpose of providing scholarships to high school students in the five towns served by GWACC, Fanwood, Garwood, Mountainside, Scotch Plains and Westfield and to also provide grants to non-profit GWACC organizations.
In 2016, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Patriots Council of the Boy Scouts. Gene is a past member of the Trinitas Medical Center Foundation Board, a past President and current member of the Board of Trustees of the Union County Performing Arts Center and currently on the Board of the Union County College Foundation. He is also Vice President of the World County and Line DanceSport Federation and had competed Internationally in line dance competitions. Gene enjoys dance, world travel, golf, music and reading James Patterson novels, his high school friend.
About the GWACC
Established almost 75 years ago, the GWACC is the primary business organization in Scotch Plains, Fanwood, Garwood, Mountainside, and Westfield. The chamber promotes local business opportunities, economic development, and community growth. The GWACC includes 500 member businesses and nonprofit organizations. For more information, go to GWACCNJ.com or contact Gene at the GWACC office, 908-233-3021, or email him at gene@gwaccnj.com
Courtesy photo
