Edited by DICCON HYATT
MJH Associates, 2 Clarke Drive, Cranbury 08512.609-716-7777. Michael Hennessy, CEO. www.mdnetguide.com.
MJH Associates, the healthcare communications firm that publishes magazines such as MD Magazine, the Pharmacy Times, CURE Magazine, and others, has moved from Plainsboro Road to Clarke Drive in Cranbury. The company's staff has expanded as it has added new publications and its new office space is bigger, in order to accommodate the new employees.
As of 2014, the company had 160 employees spread over three buildings. A reporter described their headquarters at the time as “labyrinthine cubicles stuffed with writers and editors” (U.S. 1, November 18, 2014). A spokesman said if was “the fastest growing privately owned U.S. healthcare media company.”
Michael Hennessy is the son of a medical publisher, and his brothers are also involved in different medical publishing businesses. Jack Hennessy Sr. founded his own business, Med Publishing, in Jamesburg. Jack Hennessy Jr. ran Medical World Communications, selling it in 2004, and Jeff Hennessy owns HMP Communications on Windsor Center Drive.
The company was founded in 2001 as a spinoff of California based Freedom Communications called Intellisphere. It was an early pioneer of using the Internet to reach healthcare professionals, developing that side of the business alongside its print publications. It serves both physicians, who read its magazines and websites, and life science industry professionals who buy advertising space and education programs. In recent years, MJH has begun distributing publications aimed at patients, such as CURE magazine.
MJH Associates has continued to expand its offerings. On January 18 it launched a website for its Center for Biosimilars. Last year it launched the publication American Veterinarian, as well as a digital news resource, Contagion, aimed at practitioners and specialists working in infectious diseases.
Edison Partners, Edison Partners, 281 Witherspoon Street, Suite 300, Princeton 08540. 609-896-1900. Chris Sugden, managing partner. www.edisonpartners.com.
Edison Partners has funded Tracx, a social media management platform based in Maryland. Edison partnered with Baltimore-based Camden Partners on the $12.5 million round.
Tracx is a “social enterprise platform” that uses data from social media channels to help companies plan targeted branding and marketing campaigns.
“Edison Partners is a big believer in digital innovation and disruptions that address the inherent communication issues and [customer relations management] shortfalls in the modern enterprise,” said Ryan Ziegler, general partner at Edison Partners. “Tracx is rapidly capturing market share because today's brands understand the value of real-time actionable data for revenue, service and product initiatives. We're pleased to be partnering with the company.”
Taft Communications, 2000 Lenox Drive, Princeton Corporate Center, Suite 200, Lawrenceville 08648. 609-683-0700. Pete Taft, CEO. www.taftcommunications.com.
Taft Communications, a public relations firm formerly known as Taft and Partners, has hired John Shure, former spokesman for Governor Jim Florio during his 1990 to 1993 term.
“Jon Shure’s robust experience in local and national politics, journalism, policy research, and philanthropy immediately strengthens our ability to counsel clients strate-gically,” said Ted Deutsch, president of Taft Communications. “He is the consummate expert in crafting motivating messages for different target audiences, including politicians, members of the media, and the public at large.”
Shure was previously founder and president of New Jersey Policy Perspective and more recently was director of state communications for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington.
Shure's career also includes serving as vice president for The Twentieth Century Fund (now The Century Foundation); teaching at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, as an adjunct professor of political science; and directing seminars for Lead New Jersey. He began his career as a journalist covering politics for the Record newspaper of Bergen County.
Bancroft Construction, 101 College Road East, Second floor, Princeton 08540. 609-436-5888, www.bancroftconstruction.com.
The construction management and general contracting company has opened an office on College Road East. It also has an office in Wilmington, Delaware.
United Way of Greater Mercer County has selected Sandra Toussaint-Burgher, interim president and CEO, to be the permanent CEO. She became interim CEO in September when Herbert Klein III stepped down in September after six years on the job.
Toussaint-Burgher was previously United Way’s VP of resource development, serving as lead strategist for cultivating revenue streams.
Prior to joining UWGMC, she was director of development for an educational nonprofit in New York, Youth Communication Inc. Toussaint-Burgher has held a number of senior positions at local and national organizations including Special Olympics and Twenty-First Century Foundation.
“On behalf of the board of directors, we are delighted to bring Ms. Toussaint's leadership to our United Way. Sandra's vision is exactly what we were seeking in order to move the United Way of Greater Mercer County forward while continuing to help improve our community,” said UWGMC Board President Scott Nelson.
Klein's tenure was marked early on by controversy over the organization's approach to dis-persing funds to other nonprofit groups. In 2012 the United Way's revenues had slipped to $4.5 million, less than half of its high point of $10.1 million in 2007. In response Klein cut staff and also cut money to other nonprofit agencies it had previously funded.
Some nonprofit leaders criticized the way Klein prioritized which programs got funding. His data-driven approach — seeking to fund programs that produced measurable outcomes — rankled some longtime activists who thought this method undervalued short-term programs like food assistance and domestic violence shelters. (U.S. 1, December 5, 2012.)
In 2015 the group reported revenues of $3.6 million.
In November, 2016, a former employee of the United Way, Jodi Inverso, filed a suit against the organization claiming it fired her because she was pregnant.
United Way of Greater Mercer County, 3150 Brunswick Pike, Suite 230, Lawrenceville 08648. 609-896-1912, Sandra Toussaint-Burgher president/CEO. www.uwgmc.org.
Minerva Reed, 67, on January 16. She was the first woman and the first African-American director of career services at Princeton University. A memorial service will be at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 28, at the Witherspoon Presbyterian Church, 124 Witherspoon Street in Princeton.
Jeremiah K. Reilly, 88, on January 15. After a career that included professional tap dancing, nuclear power engineering, and running a baking company, he opened Halo Farm in Lawrence in 1975. He later opened Halo Pub ice cream shops in Hamilton and Princeton and Halo Fete in Princeton.
A memorial service will be held at St. Paul’s Church, 214 Nassau Street, Princeton, on Saturday, January 28, at 11 a.m.
Keith Mersereau, 54, on January 10. He worked for ATT-Bell Labs in Hopewell, which later became Lucent and then AVAYA, where he was marketing manager. He was an expert in optical technologies who published and presented numerous technical papers on the subject. A memorial service will be held at noon on Saturday, February 18, at Holcombe-Fisher Funeral Home, 147 Main Street, Flemington.
Kenneth Negus, 89, on January 20. He taught graduate level German literature at Princeton. He also co-founded the Astrological Society of Princeton and was its president for 44 years.
Priscilla Alexandra Waring, 72, on December 15. A former senior vice president and director of Gallup and Robinson, Inc., she was also was owner of Gryphon Group, a market research firm, and a realtor associate with Weidel Realtors.
Mary Elizabeth Claffey, 88, on January 13. She worked for New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company for 48 years and retired as head of the payroll department.
Daniel Roberts, 40, on January 17. He was a wildlife biologist for the state Department of Environmental Protection.