Jerry Harris is a graduate of Rutgers College (1969, BA Sociology) and the Rutgers Graduate School (1972 MS Urban Planning). Since graduation he has had a 50-year career as a public administrator, educator and social justice advocate.
During his undergraduate years he served as Chairperson of the Student Afro American Society, was inducted to the Cap and Scull Society; earned varsity letters in Track and Field, was a Henry Rutgers Scholar and a Distinguished Military Student. He was one of the organizers of the 1969 Black student protest on the three campuses of Rutgers University. Jerry authored the proposal that secured the “Black House” facility on Bartlett Street which later became the Paul Robeson Cultural Center. As a graduate student he served as Assistant to the Dean at Livingston College and Instructor in the Department of Community Development. In 1989 he served as one of the founders and President of the Rutgers African-American Alumni Alliance, the predecessor organization to Rutgers African-American Alumni Alliance (RAAA), Inc. Jerry is an active member of the Blacks on the Banks working group.
Mr. Harris is the former Chief Operating Office of the Shiloh Community Development Corporation, Business Administrator and Director of the Department of Housing and Economic Development for the City of Trenton, NJ, Executive Director of the Urban and Public Policy Institute at Rowan University of New Jersey; Assistant Secretary of State and Assistant State Treasurer for the State of New Jersey. He has also served as the County Administrator for Essex County NJ, City Administrator for the City of Plainfield NJ, Vice President for Government Affairs for the Metro Newark Chamber of Commerce, Deputy Director Office of Fiscal Planning NJ Department of Higher Education; Deputy Executive Director of Middlesex County Economic Opportunity Corporation.
He has held adjunct faculty positions in the Political Science Departments at Rutgers University and Rowan University teaching courses in government and public administration. He has also taught at the Rutgers School of Social Work, Kean University, and the New Brunswick Theological Seminary.
Jerry is co-founder and Chairman Emeritus of the NJ Black Issues Convention, a strategic alliance of organizations promoting the Unity, Survival and Progress of Black People. He is Chairman of the Board of Salvation and Social Justice, Vice Chair of the Board of the NJ Institute for Social Justice, a member of the board of the National Black Disabilities Coalition, the New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus Foundation and serves as senior advisor to the National Black United Fund. Since moving to Charleston, SC in 2017 he has become active with the Charleston Freedom School, The International African American Museum, the Charleston Area Justice Ministry.
Jerry has received numerous awards including the NJ NAACP State Conference Lifetime Achievement Award (2016), A Better Way Change Makers Award (2015) NJ Citizen Action Community Service award (2013).
Jerry is married to Dr. Gwendolyn Long Harris and is the proud father of two sons Rahsaan Harris PhD and Jamal Harris (MD) and grandfather of Langton, Avery and Ellison.