Joan Verplanck Named One of New Jersey's 2012 Best 50 Women in Business

Cushman & Wakefield Senior Director Honored by NJBIZ Awards Program. End Quote

Newark, NJ (1888PressRelease) March 09, 2012 - Joan Verplanck, senior director of commercial real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield, Inc., has been named one of New Jersey's 2012 Best 50 Women in Business. The awards program, produced by NJBIZ and sponsored by Wells Fargo, WithumSmith+Brown, and Wolff & Samson, honors New Jersey women who have been making headlines in their field.

"An independent panel of judges selected the winners based on their dedication to business growth, professional and personal accomplishments, community involvement, and advocacy for women," said Thomas Curtin, publisher of NJBIZ. "As business and community leaders, the honorees are constantly redefining success within and outside the business arena."

Verplanck, former president of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, joined Cushman & Wakefield in 2011, bringing 24 years of economic development experience. She is working with one of the firm's nationally top-producing office leasing teams, headed by Bob Donnelly and Marc Rosenberg, specializing in corporate advisory and representation for Fortune 1000 companies. With a focus on client relationships and development and special projects, she also coordinates the Economic Policy Summit, an annual event which is an outgrowth of the C-Suite Survey of senior-level executives representing all critical industry sectors in New Jersey. Originally launched in 2008, the survey and summit are being spearheaded this year by the New Jersey Business and Industry Association (NJBIA) in conjunction with Rutgers University and Cushman & Wakefield.

Prior to her role with the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, Verplanck was president of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce for eight years. While there, she founded the Morris Area Development Group, an initiative supported by the commercial real estate industry.

"Joan Verplanck has been an incredible asset for promoting economic development in New Jersey," said Donnelly. "She has clearly enhanced our firm's ability to provide client value and, because of her strong business relationships, create new business opportunities. She is certainly deserving of this honor."

NJBIZ and the program sponsors will honor this year's winners during an awards ceremony on Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at The Palace at Somerset in Somerset, NJ. The honorees will also be highlighted in a special supplement to NJBIZ in April 2012.

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