Brian C. Wahler
Mayor of Piscataway Township
Brian C. Wahler, became the Mayor of Piscataway in 2000. He was first elected to the Township Council in 1992 and servedas Vice President and President of the Council.
Mayor Wahler is a member of the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM), and in 2002 was appointed to the USCM Transportation & Communication Committee. He was appointed to the USCM Homeland Security Task Force in 2003, and in 2006 was appointed USCM Membership Chair. In 2010 he was elected to the 28 member USCM Adviosry Board, and in 2011 served on the USCM Nominating Committee.
Mayor Wahler recently served as the President of the New Jersey League of Municipalities and as Chair of the Telecommunications Committee and the Utilities Task Force. He is a member of the Piscataway Planning Board and is on the Executive Committee of the American Parkinson Disease Association-NJ Chapter.
Mayor Wahler is a graduate of Rutgers University. He and his wife, Paulette, have three children, Olivia, B.C. and Michael.
Broadband Deployment in New Jersey and The Federal Incentives Funding Them Them Sponsored by Best, Best, & Kreiger
Clearly broadband access is not just necessary but required for so many things: information, education, employment, and entertainment. Now that federal money is being distributed to township to provide broadband service to everyone, we at JAG need to understand how this money is being used at the local level and what it means for our stations. There are a variety of programs that are supposed to feed money to New Jersey Municipalities—the BEAD Program, Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), Universal Service Fund, H.R.278 - BROADBAND Leadership Act, H.R. 339 - Broadband Resiliency and Flexible Investment Act. We will find out where things stand with them, how it could affect us directly, and how changes in our nation’s capital might affect NJ’s broadband efforts. Panelists: Robert Boyle, CEO, Planet Networks; Joe Rivera, Manager of Broadband Access, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities; Gerry Lederer, Partner, Best, Best & Krieger LLP; Mike Wassenaar, President & CEO, Alliance for Community Media; Moderator: Brian Wahler, Mayor of Piscataway
JAG’s 25th Anniversary Banquet and JAG Awards Sponsored by Varto Technologies
Tonight JAG’s celebrates its 25th Anniversary. We will reflect on our history and all that we have accomplished. Joining us will be some of the key people that helped JAG find its way in developing relationships with vendors and establishing JAG as a major player in the development and protection of community Media. Welcome: Bob Duthaler, President, JAG; Presentation of JAG Recognition Awards and President’s Ovation Award Anniversary Program Host: Rich Desimone, Managing Director, JAG Guest Speakers: Gina Forbes, Founding Member; Stehpanie Gibbons, Founding Board Member; Mayor Brian Wahler, Sharon Colucci, Founding Board Member; Ed Cologna, Original member and Other Guests: Dave Ambrosy, Founding Board member; with videos from original members & past presidents Cindy O’Connor and Lee Beckerman
Partners Dinner Sponsored by Switchboard
JAG realized early that we needed to partner with as many towns as possible to deal with all the obstacles that were keeping stations from reaching their potential. That concept of partners continued to be a main focus in developing JAG. This included JAG joining organizations that were battling legislative controls that would have a negative impact on community media distribution in NJ. We also recognize the need to develop relationships with vendors for assistance in building and updating our facilities. This evening key representatives responsible for JAG’s development will share their thoughts about their partnership with JAG and our future together. Thank you to our guests for their support and believing in JAG’s mission. Welcome: Bob Duthaler, President of JAG; Host: Rich Desimone, Managing Director, JAG; Guest speakers: Jesse Lerman, President/CEO, TelVue Corporation; Rudy Ellis, CEO, Switchboard, Mike Wassenaar, President & CEO, Alliance for Community Media, Paul DeStefano, Northeast Regional Sales Manager, DeSisti Lighting; Varto Keshishian, Owner, President, Varto Technologies