By Joshua Burd
A longtime insurance executive is taking the helm of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, a key state agency involved in guiding and funding projects in Atlantic City.
Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday announced the appointment of Sean M. Pattwell as the authority’s executive director, following unanimous approval this week by its board of directors. In the role, he will lead an agency whose mission is to facilitate community-oriented redevelopment in the resort town, in part by redirecting casino tax revenue and through some involvement in certain land use matters.
“Sean brings a wealth of experience to the table as the CRDA’s new executive director,” Murphy said. “He is the right person to lead the CRDA as it plays a critical role in Atlantic City’s recovery from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. I look forward to working with Sean on our administration’s efforts to attract investment to Atlantic City that will be for the benefit of the city’s residents and workers.
“I am also grateful for the contributions and hard work of Interim Executive Director Monica de los Rios. During this transition period, she has served the people of Atlantic City with great integrity, and the city is the better for her contributions to it.”
Pattwell spent decades in the U.S. and international insurance industry, serving as the co-CEO of Herbert L. Jamison & Co. and as the founding chairman of Grosvenor Brokers in London, according to a news release. The state also cited his extensive background in the areas of directors and officers liability insurance and professional liability for major law and accounting firms.
Prior to his work as an insurance broker, Pattwell was an officer of Chubb & Son Inc. and held senior executive positions with American International Group.
“I would like to thank Governor Murphy, his executive leadership team and the staff at the New Jersey Authorities Unit for the opportunity to be of service to the people of Atlantic City and New Jersey as the new executive director of the Casino Redevelopment Authority,” Pattwell said. “I look forward to joining the highly dedicated and experienced staff of the CRDA and to working with all the key stakeholders in Atlantic City to continue the important redevelopment work in this historic and vibrant city.”
Murphy’s announcement Thursday also detailed Pattwell’s role in education, noting that he is a former board member of Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, the chair the Dean’s Advisory Board of Rutgers University’s School of Graduate Studies and a Rutgers Foundation trustee. The Middletown resident received his bachelor’s from Kean University and holds master’s degrees from Kean and Rutgers.
“We welcome Sean to the CRDA and look forward to closely working with him to serve the residents of Atlantic City and expand economic opportunities and development in the city,” said Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, who serves on the CRDA board in her capacity as commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs. “The CRDA has done so much in recent years to truly support the Atlantic City community whether it’s through funding community policing initiatives, helping to bring a full-service supermarket to the city or demolishing neglected properties to address neighborhood blight.
“Sean’s background in business and his reputation for team building and innovation will serve the CRDA well as it continues to advance its mission of being a catalyst for meaningful, positive change for Atlantic City and the people who call it home.”
CRDA Chairman Modia Butler added: “Sean’s decades of experience in the business world will serve the CRDA well as we work to build a better Atlantic City that works for all of its residents. I look forward to working with him and know that he will prove to be a great asset to the CRDA and the Atlantic City community at large. Monica has been a fantastic leader during these past few months and we are grateful for her contributions to the CRDA.”
