Trenton, NJ – Governor Chris Christie exercised his veto power for the first time related to a $1.267 million change order approved on January 6 by the board of the Schools Development Authority.

Including the vetoed amount, change orders for construction of a new addition to the Burlington City High School in the Burlington School District total $18.825 million. The original contract price was $28,723,000, meaning that the project has now increased by 66 percent to $47,548,791, according to figures provided by the SDA.

“We will be placing far greater scrutiny than ever previously imposed on contracts and expenditures like these,” said Governor Christie. “This is symbolic and symptomatic of a much larger problem at the SDA when you
have change orders that increase a building contract price by a staggering 66 percent.”

“This careful and critical review is precisely the role that my Authorities Unit will undertake during my administration to ensure that taxpayer money is not being wasted,” Governor Christie said.

The Governor’s veto letter was delivered to the SDA yesterday afternoon. The Governor also vetoed action taken at SDA’s January 6 meeting, in which the board approved the readoption of certain regulations of the
New Jersey Administrative Code.Executive Orders 1, 2 and 3, issued by Governor Christie on January 20,
require that all pending and proposed rules and regulations be reviewed by the Red Tape Review Group prior to adoption by any state agency or authority.

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Trenton, NJ – Governor Chris Christie continued to build a qualified, experienced team with the announcement of two more cabinet positions today. Christie nominated Dr. Poonam Alaigh as Commissioner for the New Jersey Department of Health and Marc Larkins as Executive Director for the New Jersey School Development Authority Board.

Gov. Christie Said, “It is important we have a qualified team with the attitude and willingness to get to work, make tough decisions and strive for results. These appointments will assure that the status quo isn’t acceptable and the health and education of New Jersey’s citizens will be in the best of hands.”

Alaigh will need to be confirmed by the Senate and Larkins will need to be confirmed by the School Development Authority Board.

Dr. Poonam Alaigh, Commissioner of Health

Dr. Poonam Alaigh is the Executive Director at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey where she is responsible for the major clinical areas that ensure the delivery of quality healthcare for its members. Dr. Alaigh has a multifaceted background in health care administration and delivery, including clinical practice hospital practice, hospital administration, managed care, pharmaceutical medicine, and health care policy.

Prior to joining Horizon BCBSNJ, Dr. Alaigh served as National Medical Director for GlaxoSmithKline and was working with health plans on a number of national issues, including better use of health care technology, the reduction of disparities in health care and healthcare access to the under and uninsured population.

She continues her clinical work at the New Jersey Veterans Administration at Lyons providing direct patient care and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Practice at UMDNJ/Robert Wood Johnson University Medical School.

Dr. Alaigh has had publications in the field of vascular disease and population health. She is a board certified internist with a specialty in vascular diseases and is certified as a Diplomate in Internal Medicine and licensed to practice in New York and New Jersey. She received her MD and her Masters in Health Care Policy and Management at State University of New York at Stony Brook, NY. She is a certified black belt in six sigma business management strategy.

Dr. Alaigh has a number of affiliations and achievements. She is a fellow of the American College of Physicians, one of the founding members of SATHI (South Asian Total Healthcare Initiative) a program of the UMDNJ-RWJMS in New Jersey, is the past president and current member of the Board of Directors for the American Heart Association, Northern New Jersey chapter and the Founders’ affiliate. She was appointed to serve on Governor-Elect Corzine’s Transition Team on health care policy, strategies and issues in 2005. She was appointed to the Board of Trustees for the College of New Jersey in 2007.

Dr. Alaigh currently resides in Warren, New Jersey.

Marc Larkins, Executive Director of the New Jersey School Development Authority Board

Marc Larkins is the Assistant United States Attorney in the US Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey. While serving in this capacity he has held the titles of, Executive Assistant US Attorney, Acting First Assistant US Attorney, Acting Executive US Attorney and Council. In each of these capacities Mr. Larkins was involved the oversight and management of all operations of the US Attorney’s Office, including implementing all significant policies established by the US Attorney and the Department of Justice and acting as Ethics Officer.

Mr. Larkins also worked in a number of Divisions within the US Attorney’s office, including serving as Chief of the Government Fraud Unit. As Chief Mr. Larkins was responsible for the supervision of Assistant US Attorney’s investigation into fraud committed against federal agencies and programs.

Prior to serving in the US Attorney’s office, Mr. Larkins was a Trial Attorney in the US Department of Justice, Criminal Division from 1999 to March of 2003. Mr. Larkins was responsible for the investigation and prosecution of international and domestic narcotics trafficking organizations. Concurrently, from February of 2000 to March of 2002, Mr. Larkins was Special Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia.

A graduate of Seton Hall University School of Law, Larkins served as law clerk to both Justice James H. Colman Jr. of the New Jersey Supreme Court and Judge Joseph A. Greenaway Jr., US District Court in Newark, New Jersey. He earned his B.S., Magna Cum Laude, from Seton Hall University.

Mr. Larkins currently resides in Irvington, New Jersey.

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