Joe Roth recognized for his life-saving achievements in New Jersey receives NJBIZ ICON Honors award and other prestigious appointments

NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ – Joe Roth, President and CEO of NJ Sharing Network, is committed to driving awareness of NJ Sharing Network as it marks its 30th anniversary of saving lives through organ and tissue donation. He was recently awarded the prestigious NJBIZ ICON Honors, which recognizes seasoned New Jersey business leaders for their notable demonstration of strong leadership both within and outside of their chosen field. Roth was also appointed to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Liver and Intestine Transplantation Committee, the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation Board of Directors. He is also a member of the New Jersey State Health Care Administration Board.

Roth’s contributions to his field have been widely recognized and noted with the highest distinction. Within the organ and tissue donation and transplantation community, he received the penultimate AOPO (Association of Organ Procurement Organizations)/Cryolife Achievement Award in 2010 and the AOPO President’s Award in 2000. In 2003, he was named a Healthcare Professional Triangle Award honoree by the New Jersey Chapter of Transplant Recipients International Organization (TRIO) for his dedication to donation and transplantation. In 2009, he received the New Jersey League of Municipalities Distinguished Public Service Award. Roth was recognized for excellence in leadership in 2014 by the Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce.

“It has been a pleasure to observe the way Joe’s leadership has shaped NJ Sharing Network and its continued success is a product of his guidance,” says Howard Nelson, Chair, NJ Sharing Network Board of Trustees. “He inspires our Board and the staff to carry out the organization’s life-saving mission.”

Roth joined NJ Sharing Network in 1998, and during his tenure has transformed and elevated the organization to better serve those depending on its life-saving work. In 2016, more lives were saved than ever before, making 613 organ transplants possible. This represents a 16 percent increase from 2015 and a 58 percent increase over the past two years.

One example, the Donate Life license plate – still seen on the road today – is the direct result of Joe’s idea implemented to raise awareness and financial support. Roth also used his experience driving legislative change to pass the NJ Hero Act, mandating the availability of organ and tissue donation education for grades 9-12 at public schools as well as nursing and medical schools. This act was the first of its kind in the nation. Under Roth’s guidance, NJ Sharing Network also piloted the National Donate Life Registry, which was later adopted by the rest of the country as a means to register organ and tissue donors.

Roth has always believed that more could be done to support residents touched by organ and tissue donation. In 2005, he created a Foundation for NJ Sharing Network that now raises over $1.5 million annually for transplant research, family support services, public education and awareness.

Elisse Glennon, VP and Chief Administrative Officer, NJ Sharing Network says, “Joe’s vision and leadership revolve around his lifelong commitment to saving lives. There has never been a day when he’s wavered from achieving this goal and we at NJ Sharing Network are fortunate to have him as our leader.”

Prior to joining NJ Sharing Network, he served as Director, Government Affairs at Schering-Plough Corporation (now Merck). In an earlier position, he was Director, State and Community Affairs for the corporation. Before joining Schering-Plough in 1991, Roth held various positions in Sales, Marketing and Government Relations for Ciba-Geigy (now Novartis). Roth holds a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology/zoology from the University of Maryland and lives in Morris Plains, NJ.

There is still more work to be done for Joe Roth and NJ Sharing Network. To date, there are over 120,000 people waiting for a transplant and 22 die each day while waiting, but one organ donor can save eight lives and one tissue donor can restore health to over 75 people. In New Jersey, there are over 4,000 people on the waiting list and one person dies every three days waiting.

New Jersey residents can help save lives by registering as organ and tissue donors at www.NJSharingNetwork.org, having a conversation with family and friends and joining NJ Sharing Network at its upcoming events.