As outlined in the Authority's by-laws, the Authority consists of seven members, three of whom are ex-officio (namely: the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, the Commissioner of Human Services and the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance).

(Serves during her term as Commissioner of the Department of Health and Senior Services)

Mary O’Dowd was serving as Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Health and Senior Services when she was nominated by Governor Chris Christie on March 25, 2011 to serve as the state’s health commissioner. Commissioner O’Dowd was sworn in on June 3, 2011. She has wide ranging experience in the health care field with a focus on management and finances. Ms. O'Dowd served as Deputy Commissioner of the Department since March 2010. In that capacity she oversaw the areas of Healthcare Financing, Health Facilities Evaluation and Licensing, Senior Benefits and Utilization Management and Aging and Community Services.

During O’Dowd’s time as Deputy Commissioner, New Jersey significantly increased its financial support to hospitals through the Department’s Charity Care program and also reformed the program to make it more equitable and predictable. Specifically, despite the unprecedented fiscal crisis facing the State of New Jersey, she led the effort to secure an $85 million increase in Charity Care funding for fiscal year 2011 as well as ensuring that funding for prescription drug assistance programs for New Jersey seniors was not reduced.

Prior to serving as Deputy Commissioner, O’Dowd previously served as Chief of Staff for the Department from January 2008 to March 2010. As Chief of Staff she managed a workforce of more than 1,800 employees and a budget of nearly $3 billion. In this role O’Dowd shaped the Department’s policy in the areas of health care delivery, senior services, public health, and emergency preparedness.

Before joining the Department, Ms. O’Dowd managed Revenue Cycle Operations for the Emergency Department at NYU Medical Center where she developed quality assurance programs to achieve goals related to productivity and financial metrics. Additionally, she worked as a Legislative Aide for the NJ General Assembly on education and healthcare issues, and as Assistant Vice President of Legislation & Policy with the New Jersey Hospital Association.

Ms. O’Dowd is a graduate of Douglass College, Rutgers University and holds a Masters in Public Health from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. She also completed a fellowship in hospital finance at NYU Medical Center.

Ms. O’Dowd currently serves on the Rutgers Institute for Women’s Leadership Board and chairs the Institute for Women’s Leadership Scholar’s Program Alumnae Board. She was recently ranked number 8 on NJ Biz’s 50 most powerful people in New Jersey Health Care.

Member (serves during her tenure as Commissioner of the Department of Human Services) 

Jennifer Velez was sworn in as Commissioner of the Department of Human Services (DHS) in June, 2007 and was re-nominated by Governor Chris Christie and reconfirmed on March 22, 2010. Prior to her nomination by Governor Jon S. Corzine, Velez served as Deputy Commissioner for Family and Community Services at DHS, during which she oversaw the divisions that administer the Department's largest programs and was responsible for two-thirds of the Department's $9.4 billion budget. She was also involved in making recommendations for the Commissioner on all aspects of the Department's responsibilities.

Before joining the DHS Office, Velez served as New Jersey's First Assistant Child Advocate beginning with that position's creation in September 2003. From 1998 until 2003, Velez served Governor James E. McGreevey, Acting Governor Donald DiFrancesco and Governor Christine Todd Whitman as Senior Associate Counsel and Assembly Liaison in the Office of Governor's Counsel, where she was primarily responsible for advising on DHS-focused legislation and regulation.

Before entering public service, Velez was in private practice at the law firm of Pitney, Hardin, Kipp & Szuch in Florham Park. She received her law degree from Rutgers School of Law and her undergraduate degree in Economics from Drew University.  Velez lives in Summit with her husband and two children.

Member (serves during his tenure as Commissioner of the Department of Banking and Insurance)

Thomas B. Considine was nominated by Governor Chris Christie to serve as Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance on January 15, 2010 and confirmed by the Senate on March 22, 1010.

Prior to his appointment, he worked at MetLife, Inc., a global financial services company, for nearly 17 years beginning in 1993 where he served most recently as Vice President & Government Relation Counsel, managing a staff of attorneys, public policy analysts and other professionals.  He also served on a Legal Affairs Diversity Subcommittee at MetLife.  Prior to joining MetLife, Mr. Considine served as a litigation associate at Connell, Foley and Geiser.

Recognized as a leader in the insurance industry, Mr. Considine has held various industry-related posts including a seat on the Board of Directors of the National Organization of Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Associations and a role as a founding appointee to the NJ Department of Banking & Insurance Financial Services Advisory Board.

While in college, Mr. Considine served as an intern on the Washington staff of Representative Frank Guarini.  He received both his J.D. cum laude and his B.S. magna cum laude from Seton Hall University, where he later served on the Alumni Board of Directors. He is married to the former Anne E. Sullivan, and the couple has a daughter, 11 and a son, 9.

Vice Chairman (term of office expired April 30, 2010) 

Mr. Escher is a Managing Director at Bergen Capital, a division of Scott & Stringfellow, an East Coast regional Investment Bank with over 46 offices from New York to Georgia.  He previously served as Vice President of New Jersey Public Finance at PNC Bank located in East Brunswick.  Prior to joining PNC, Mr. Escher was affiliated with several leading investment banks and commercial banks and provided financial advisory services in both the housing and governmental sectors. He also held executive positions at several consulting firms, a State financing agency, and a local governmental unit.

Mr. Escher received both his Masters degree in Architecture and Urban Planning and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University. He resides in Princeton, New Jersey. 

Treasurer (term of office expires April 30, 2015)

Dr. Munr Kazmir heralds a lifetime of leadership as a CEO, entrepreneur, physician, and philanthropist in the healthcare industry. Having served on numerous hospital boards, healthcare research, and healthcare advisory committees, his experience will be a great benefit to the Health Care Facilities Financing Authority. As a recipient of various humanitarian awards, Dr. Kazmir also brings a deep appreciation of the intricate and essential role of health care for the citizens of New Jersey.

Dr. Kazmir has served on the Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee and The National Advisory Council for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Currently, he is serving his second-term as vice chairman for the New Jersey Lottery Commission, and has served under four governors as a commissioner.

Dr. Kazmir is the founder and CEO of Quality Home Care Providers, Direct Meds Pharmacies, Inc., and Easy Carry Inc.

Over the past three decades, Dr. Kazmir has been recognized domestically and internationally for humanitarian efforts to combat juvenile diabetes, contributions of prosthetic devices to children, improving the care and rehabilitation of multi-handicapped blind children, opening a school in Asia with top-quality education and medical care, promoting democratic governance in third-world countries, and supporting law enforcement foundations throughout the United States.

In May 2011, Dr. Kazmir joined the ranks of six former presidents and Nobel Prize winners in being awarded the distinguished Ellis Island Medal of Honor for his outstanding accomplishments and upstanding citizenry.

Dr. Kazmir graduated from the University of Punjab where he received his M.B.B.S./M.D. He completed his internal medicine internship at the White Plains Hospital/Montefiore Medical Center in New York and additional medical studies at the Methodist Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, in Houston, Texas. He also completed his PGY3 at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Department of Medicine in New York.

Secretary (term of office expires April 30, 2013)

Suzette T. Rodriguez, Esq. is in-house Associate Counsel for Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc., where she is responsible for managing defensive and affirmative litigation matters, including vicarious and direct liability claims, employment litigation, franchise litigation, and enforcing intellectual property rights.  She is also responsible for advising company personnel in diverse matters affecting the business operations of the Company. 

Prior to joining Jackson Hewitt, Ms. Rodriguez worked in the Labor and Employment Departments of LeClairRyan in Newark, New Jersey and Wong Fleming in Princeton, New Jersey.   Ms. Rodriguez also served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Travis L. Francis of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division-General Equity.

Ms. Rodriguez received her Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in English Literature from Hunter College, City University.  She received her Juris Doctorate from Rutgers School of Law-Newark.   While in law school, Ms. Rodriguez served as the Managing Articles Editor of the Rutgers' Race and the Law Review and was awarded a fellowship from Equal Justice America.  In addition, Ms. Rodriguez served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Marina Corodemus, Superior Court of New Jersey, Civil Division-Mass Torts.  In 2003, Ms. Rodriguez was granted the Distinguished Graduate Award by the National Catholic Educational Association for exemplifying the best qualities of catholic education and rendering distinguished service to the Catholic Church.

Ms. Rodriguez is admitted to practice law in the State of New Jersey, State of New York and the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. 

Ms. Rodriguez is currently the President of the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey and the Deputy Regional President (Region III) of the Hispanic National Bar Association.  She is also active in the community and serves as an Advisory Board Member for the New Jersey Educational Empowerment Project (NJLEEP), a pipeline diversity effort dedicated to increasing minority representation in the legal profession by introducing students to the law and skill building at a young age.   In December 2009, Ms. Rodriguez was appointed by Governor Jon S. Corzine to serve as a public member of the New Jersey Health Care Facilities Financing Authority, where she is currently the Secretary and serves on the Audit Evaluation Committee.

All Authority staff can be reached by telephone at (609) 292-8585 followed by the staff member's extension as listed below. To reach a staff member by facsimile, send the fax the individual's attention at (609) 633-7778.