NJCC announces new director of public relations

The New Jersey Catholic Conference has named veteran communications leader John W. Hardiman as director of public relations.

Hardiman joins the NJCC – the public policy arm of New Jersey’s Catholic bishops – with nearly 27 years of increasing public relations experience and more than 15 years of leadership experience. In this role, Hardiman will work with conference staff in planning and implementing strategic communications, outreach and public relations efforts that effectively promote the legislative and public policy interests of the Catholic Church in New Jersey.

“We are delighted to welcome John to our team,” said James King, NJCC executive director. “His expertise in public relations and communications, along with his leadership experience and passion for the values of the Catholic Church, make him an outstanding fit at a time when we are looking to increase our reach to the nearly 3.5 million registered Catholics in New Jersey. We are confident in his ability to quickly begin making important contributions toward our mission.”

“I’m thrilled to be a part of an organization with such a rich history and important mission,” said Hardiman. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to utilize my skills and experience on behalf of an organization whose work is so important to me.” 

Hardiman most recently served as the director of public affairs for NJM Insurance Group, where he led the company’s communications, public relations and teen driver safety efforts. He began his career at NJM in 1994 after graduating from Rider University in Lawrenceville. Hardiman is a Lead New Jersey Fellow, class of 2014, and a former executive board member of both the MidJersey Chamber of Commerce and the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber. He is certified in public relations by Rutgers University, New Brunswick, and in crisis and media management by the Institute for Crisis Management, Denver, Colorado.

About the New Jersey Catholic Conference

Founded in 1949, the New Jersey Catholic Conference represents the Catholic Bishops of New Jersey on matters of public policy. The NJCC serves as a liaison to governmental agencies and institutions and coordinates public policy communications and activities among the dioceses and between the bishops and secular agencies. There are more than 3.5 million Catholics registered in parishes in the seven dioceses throughout New Jersey that are served by the NJCC.