Senator Loretta Weinberg
HINJ bestowed its Honorable Bob Franks Public Service Award on Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) in recognition of her 30-year legislative career serving the people of New Jersey with the same spirit of public service exemplified by Franks during his career in elected office and as President and Chief Executive Officer of HINJ.
“Much like Bob Franks, Senator Loretta Weinberg truly exemplifies what it means to be a public servant,” said HINJ President and CEO Dean J. Paranicas. “Senator Weinberg has had a distinguished legislative career, including sponsoring laws to support patients and medical research; however, her legacy will be as a champion of women’s rights and working to end discrimination and eliminate sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace, particularly in politics and government.”
Added HINJ Board of Trustees Chair Jack Cox, Senior Director of Market Access Strategy at Novo Nordisk Inc., in presenting the award, “For her approach to fulfilling her responsibilities of public office and serving her community, constituents and all the people and patients throughout New Jersey, and as the conscience of the Legislature, Loretta Weinberg truly epitomizes the spirit of the Bob Franks Public Service Award which we are delighted to present to her.”
Senator Weinberg began her legislative career in 1992 when she was selected to fill a vacancy in the General Assembly, where she served until 2005 when she was elected to the State Senate. She has been re-elected to the Senate four times but has announced that she will be retiring from the Senate at the conclusion of the current term in January 2022. Sen. Weinberg has served as Senate Majority Leader since 2012 and was the first Democrat to run for the then new office of Lt. Governor in 2009 as Governor Jon Corzine’s running mate.
Sen. Weinberg has sponsored laws that have generated more than $20 million for autism research; required insurance companies to pay for at least 48 hours of hospital care for new mothers; and capped the co-pay insurers could charge patients.
“I am honored to receive this award from HINJ, which remembers Bob Franks, a public servant who understood the importance of quality health care, and the vital role that the biopharmaceutical and life sciences industries, as well as New Jersey’s academic research institutions, play in the lives of our residents,” said Senator Weinberg.
“While our doctors, nurses, paramedics and so many others rushed toward danger, so that the rest of us might be safe, our researchers, pharmaceutical professionals and those in the medical technology and life sciences field fought the pandemic on another front, burning the midnight oil in an effort to help stem the COVID tide. I am proud to support the membership of HINJ and all they do for New Jersey, and deeply honored to receive this award.”