Named Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of New Jersey Resources Corporation

Mariellen Dugan, class of ’91, long-time member of the Board of Visitors, and last year’s recipient of the Woman of Substance Award, was just named Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of New Jersey Resources Corporation. NJR is a Fortune 1000 energy services holding company providing retail and wholesale energy services to customers from the Gulf Coast to New England and Canada. Ms. Dugan was previously General Counsel to NJR, having joined it in 2005. Her prior positions were wide-ranging and include: clerking for United States District Judge Dickinson R. Debevoise; working as an associate with the firm that is now Gibbons P.C.; serving as Assistant United States Attorney; being Of Counsel to Marino & Associates; and serving as First Assistant Attorney General for the State of New Jersey, which included stints as Acting Attorney General.

This breadth of experience has enriched Ms. Dugan’s work with Seton Hall Law and its students. In addition to her service on the Board of Visitors, she has been generous with her time as an adjunct professor and frequent guest lecturer. Most recently, in Professor Paula Franzese’s Property class, Ms. Dugan reminded students of the value of their career path: “Mostly what I love about being a lawyer is that I can help people when they are at their most vulnerable,” she said. “It might seem mundane to handle a real estate closing, but when people buy a home, they are usually putting their life savings in your hands. At NJR it’s my responsibility to help ensure we continue to operate, because we employ thousands of people. That’s an enormous responsibility. So, look at your legal career as the opportunity of a lifetime.”

Dean Kathleen M. Boozang summarized the Law School’s debt to Ms. Dugan: “Mariellen remains invested in growing future leaders of the profession. She moderated a program on leadership just last year at the Law School and this semester is participating in our new course for emerging leaders within our student body. Role models significantly impact our students, and there are no better influences than Mariellen Dugan. We could not be more proud of her well-deserved success.”