Central New Jersey welcomes Northern New Jersey at flag transfer ceremony.

The Central New Jersey Electric Auto Association chapter hosted a flag transfer ceremony last month to officially kick-off the formation of a second chapter in the state as their electric vehicle (EV) education efforts continue to grow. The Central New Jersey chapter formed only ten months prior, demonstrating a tremendous appetite in the state for electric vehicle knowledge sharing.

“Members are joining from across the state and the geographical distance involved in getting to meetings called for two chapters,” explained Central New Jersey Electric Auto Association chapter president Stan Jaracz. “Ken Jones is spearheading the effort to form the new chapter, and he’s already bringing a lot of great energy to launching this effort.

Held in Maplewood, NJ, the socially distancing attendees at the flag transfer included Tom Moloughney, a Plug In America board member and a reporter at Inside EVs, as well as Tracey Woods, the chairwoman of the Maplewood Green Team who is an employee at Sustainable Jersey.

Guests cheered as Jaracz transferred an Electric Auto Association feather flag to Jones, to be used by the new chapter for EV displays at events such as eco fairs, farmers markets, and environmental conferences.

“We were able to earn two feather flags from the Electric Auto Association’s membership drive,” Jaracz said, explaining that their outreach efforts grew the chapter to 22 new members in January and February alone. “Many new members  are from the Northern New Jersey area, so it is fitting that one flag resides there.”

Virtual meeting resiliency

“We’re more than excited to be forming a new chapter and until we can have in-person meetings, we’ll partner with the Central New Jersey chapter on virtual gatherings,” said Jones. “Stan is doing an outstanding job bringing in dynamic speakers focused on the benefits of driving electric or the latest in EV technology.”

Jones says that he is planning to recruit new members by spreading the word through Bergen County town environmental commissions and green teams, the development of a North Jersey Electric Vehicle Club Facebook page, and eventually, at earth day events and auto shows. 

“It’s actually a very opportune time to be starting a new chapter, because the New Jersey Legislature just passed S-2255,” said Jones. “It’s one of the most far-reaching bills in the nation to promote electric vehicle sales.” 

As passed, the S-2252 legislation launches a significant EV rebate program and paves the way for 600 new charging stations to be installed around New Jersey.  It also calls for electrification of buses, trucks and other diesel equipment with focus on heavily polluted areas.

A very active year despite the pandemic

In January, Jaracz and other members of the Central New Jersey chapter traveled to the state capital in Trenton for the signing ceremony of S-2252. Previously, chapter members had been proactively supporting the bill by contacting their representatives and urging them to get on board. 

“At the ceremony we met Mark Warner, vice-president of Gabel Associates, an organization that has worked for 16 years to put together and push through this legislation,” Jaracz said, explaining he invited Warner to speak at the chapter’s July Zoom meeting. “Mark described what it took to get the legislation passed, including the importance of creating a coalition of key stakeholders and other strategies. It was fascinating to hear about the behind-the-scenes work.”

The July Zoom meeting was the seventh such event since the Central New Jersey Chapter formed in December of 2019 at the public library in North Brunswick.

“I had no idea that many people would attend and it was very encouraging when 15 people showed up at the first meeting,” said Jaracz, noting that paid membership has now grown to 32 members. Subsequent meetings have featured speakers from both PlugIn America and Sustainable New Jersey, an organization that promotes transition to sustainability for the state’s municipalities.

Jaracz was able to kick-start the new chapter’s budget with $1,500. With 50+ hours of volunteer work for the Electric Auto Association, he triggered a $500 donation from Colgate-Palmolive, his former employer, as part of the conglomerate’s efforts to encourage volunteerism. Jaracz then gave a personal donation of $500, triggering a second $500 gift from Colgate as part of a matching funds program.