John E. Harmon Sr.

John E. Harmon Sr. is founder, president, and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey (AACCNJ). In this role, he is responsible for establishing, implementing, and executing the organization’s mission and for its fiduciary oversight and governance. He identifies strategic public and private sector partnerships to connect AACCNJ members to opportunities to grow and sustain their goals and objectives. He also advocates to ensure that policies at the municipal, county, and federal level are fair, equitable, and accessible to Black residents and Black-owned businesses statewide.

Before joining AACCNJ, Harmon was the president and CEO of the Metropolitan Trenton African American Chamber of Commerce. He is a board member and former board chairman of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, a board director at the United States Chamber of Commerce, a member of the United States Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100, and a founder and chairman of the New York State Black Chamber of Commerce. Harmon serves on several other boards, including the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, and the Supplier Diversity Development Council.

Harmon has an associate’s degree in business administration from Mercer County Community College, an honorary degree from Burlington County College, and a bachelor’s degree in business management from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Harmon completed a one-year fellowship on regionalism and sustainability sponsored by the Ford Foundation as well as the minority business management seminar at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He also completed the four-year Institute for Organization Management program at Villanova University, sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.