The new leadership of the Newark/New York port under Port Director TenaVel T. Thomas was celebrated Wednesday at a special VIP event, and the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce was honored to be among those few intimate guest welcoming their close friend to her new post while helping establish new relationships with leaders in the department of US Customs and Boarder Control locally and nationally.

The Change of Command Ceremony was held with great fanfare at the Cape Liberty Cruise Terminal in Bayonne, New Jersey, where US Acting Commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection Troy Miller traveled in from DC to formally hand over the post to its new leadership.

The Newark/New York port is the busiest nationwide, and Mrs. Thomas’s able command since her appointment in March has been a boon for trade operations in the region. In seeking to foster close relationships with diverse business communities and provide the greatest access to their individual needs, Mrs. Thomas has already forged a deep personal relationship with the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce and was most recently Honored by the Chamber for her leadership at the Chambers World trade Week event that they hosted together with Mayor Eric Adam’s in NYC. Mrs Thomas is working constructively with the Chamber helping give the community a voice in the halls of government.

“The Chamber prides itself on its ability to be a liaison at the highest levels of government for each individual with a need or concern,” says Duvi Honig, founder and CEO of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce. “We are so delighted to have someone in office who genuinely understands the importance of reaching out and building individual relationships with communities.”

The scale of the event was in keeping with a position of this caliber, drawing the top brass of Customs and Border Protection, including the head of the agency, Commissioner Troy Miller, who performed the honors, along with hundreds of rank-and-file officers. Also in attendance were NYC Chief of Police Jeffrey Madrey and Bayonne Mayor James Davis.

Mr. Honig took the opportunity to invite the commissioner to come to Ocean County and experience and connect with the Jewish community there first-hand. He also spoke with the Chief of Police about their continuing collaboration to develop strategic approaches to combat hate and anti-semitism in NYC.

Rabbi Meir Melnicke offered the concluding benediction at the ceremony and praised Mrs. Thomas as one who embodies Lee Iacocca’s famous “nine c’s” of effective leadership. “It is fitting that the first port of entry into our community should be administered by someone who has shown such eagerness to include all voices,” he said.