Two senior officials in the Corzine administration say a change in address for the New Jersey-Israel Commission in no way signals a change in the state's commitment to economic exchange with the State of Israel.

The officials were responding to questions about a decision to move the commission from the purview of the Commerce, Economic Growth, and Tourism Commission to that of the NJ Department of State.

Some critics are concerned that the move may diminish the commission's role in brokering business exchanges between New Jersey and Israeli firms.

In a joint interview with NJJN, the two officials stressed the Corzine administration's commitment to a strong relationship between New Jersey and Israel.

"It is clearly a priority of the governor that the economic vitality of the relationship be enhanced," said Gary Rose, chief of the Office of Economic Growth, as he sat with New Jersey's secretary of state, attorney Nina Mitchell Wells, in the State House in Trenton on Aug. 14.

"This structural change in no way diminishes our desire, frankly, to grow the activity level, both in Israel and New Jersey," Rose said. "I would say that the change in the state venue of the Israel commission is not representative of any change in the importance and priority of both cultural and economic activity between the state of New Jersey and the State of Israel."

"I agree," Wells said. "We don't see any change whatsoever. It's going to be as terrific a relationship as it's always been. It's growing and enhanced all the time."

Wells said she sees the commission's move to State as an appropriate one. "I think it's a perfect fit," she said. "As you know, one of the primary interests of the commission is education, culture, and tourism, so really, it's perfect in that regard."

The secretary said that she plans to meet soon with NJIC executive director Andrea Yonah. "At that point, they will decide the direction they want to focus on, and we'll fully support them," Wells said. "There are a host of great things going on. It's a wonderful time to bring them into the department."

What remains unclear is whether the NJIC left its economic portfolio behind at Commerce when it moved into its new offices at State in mid-August.

In June, Karen Wolfe, public relations supervisor for the commerce commission, told NJJN that the move marked the separation of economic and trade programs from cultural and educational exchanges linking New Jersey and Israel.

The aim of the move, Wolfe told NJJN at the time, was "to improve the effectiveness of the commerce commission and its serving the community in an effort to create jobs and grow the state's economy. It increases the efficiency of how we serve the business community."

Also playing down the economic role of the NJIC was Assemblyman John Burzichelli of Thorofare (D-Dist. 3), deputy speaker of the General Assembly. The move to State, the legislator said in a press release, was "in line with the Israel commission's mission, which is more culturally and diplomatically based, as opposed to being fueled by purely economic ties."

Rose seemed to echo that view during the Aug. 14 interview. He said that the move of the NJIC to State was part of a bigger reorganization intended to consolidate at Commerce all state agencies and commissions dealing with the economy, and to bring those dealing with promotional initiatives under the purview of State.

When NJJN pressed him to assess the consequences of the move for the mandate of the NJIC, Rose responded, "The change in mandate — I'm not sure. A change in location — yes. I'm not sure in any way either of us thinks the mandate has at all shifted. We see a big part of what the commission does as tourism and cultural exchange."

But Leonard Posnock, who has served as cochair of the NJIC for the past four years, sees it differently. Posnock, a resident of Monroe Township, and his cochair, Marlene Herman of Edison, continue to serve on the 78-member commission; however, new cochairs are expected to be appointed in the near future.

"Over the last four years, the commission has really sprung alive and created some very beneficial things for the state of New Jersey," Posnock said during a telephone interview. "Now, all of a sudden, there seems to be a change of address and a de-emphasizing of the commission and its focus — even though we've been assured that the focus is the same."

Gov. Jon Corzine seemed to reaffirm that focus last January, when he signed an executive order extending the commission through January of 2012. "I'm proud that New Jersey will continue this long-standing tradition of encouraging international commerce with Israel," Corzine was quoted as saying at the time. "Israel represents an important partner in the further development of New Jersey's technology, life sciences, and stem cell research industries."

As he understands the governor's executive order, Posnock said, the commission is empowered to have an economic component, as well as tourism, cultural, and educational components.

"If it's not broken, why fix it? And the commission was doing a tremendous job," he said.

Posnock pointed in particular to the dozen or so Israeli companies that, shepherded by the NJIC, expanded their operations into the United States by opening headquarters in New Jersey over the past four years. During that same period, he noted, the NJIC facilitated five grants — three of them for $1 million each — that were made by the Tel Aviv-based Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation to underwrite joint projects involving New Jersey and Israeli firms.

"That, to me, was a major function of the commission," Posnock said. "It shows the extent of the influx we brought to New Jersey. What I'm looking for is a clarification as to exactly what the [commission's] functions are."

Herman, for her part, said she plans to wait and see how everything shakes out.

"I see it's a change. I understand it's going to change aspects of what we do," Herman said in a phone interview, "but I think it's just going to realign where our energies will flow."

The apparent change in the commission's focus means that commission members will have to change their approach and the extent of their involvement regarding certain kinds of projects, Herman said.

"We can still use the contacts we have to attract interest in our state and business in our state — and then we'll give it to the proper person to handle it," she said. "We still can do the work we started. We can still make contacts, and then if Commerce is going to handle that aspect — well, good.

"I don't see it as a loss of power," she added. "I understand that we have a job to represent the state of New Jersey vis-a-vis the State of Israel, trying to do education and culture and ties between the two states where we can."

Another member of the commission, Roy Tanzman of South Brunswick, said that he and Posnock and Herman have met with Rose and Wells about the reorganization, and they expect to meet with them again soon.

"We really did tell Gary that we had to have some type of economic component," Tanzman said in a telephone interview. "We have contacts we need the state to act upon. That's what we're going to be talking about. As far as I can see, they think the commission is an important thing and also that it's important to keep the economic end of it going."

All in all, it's actually not a bad thing to have the commission at State, where it will get more attention, Tanzman added. "I don't see it as a negative move. I see it as a restructuring, if done correctly," he said. "They really want to be a true partner with us in this."

A request from NJJN to the Department of State to interview Yonah about these matters is pending.

As the NJIC settles in at State, Rose said, he expects the commission to be in touch with Commerce and the NJ Economic Development Authority and his own Office of Economic Growth. However, he said, the responsibility for working with the BIRD Foundation will remain at Commerce.

"What I'm saying is, look at the substance of what we are doing, not at the change," he said. "We'll stay connected and coordinated."

Wells also emphasized the benefit of coordinated efforts. "You have to encourage collaboration," she said, "and this will be, I think, one of those very successful collaborations."

Rose added that he fully expects the NJIC to create a committee of commissioners who have a particular interest in fostering economic trade with Israel. That committee can then bring their suggestions to his office and to Commerce and the EDA.

"If they don't, I guarantee that at some point, we'll knock on their door, because Israel is high on our agenda," he said.

Also high on the Corzine administration's agenda are plans to reschedule the governor's economic trade mission to Israel just as soon as Corzine is ready to travel, Rose said. This past April, plans for such a trip were aborted when the governor suffered a near-fatal automobile accident on the Garden State Parkway on the eve of the mission.

The state is also exploring the possibility of creating a new memorandum of understanding with Israel, the OEG chief said. And, he added, several other possibilities are in the works that, if they come to fruition, can only serve to strengthen the relationship between New Jersey and Israel.

"I want it to be better. The governor wants it to be better," Rose said. "That's the most important thing."