John E. Harmon Sr., IOM

In 1997, as a small businessperson, John E. Harmon, Sr. was an early member of the Metropolitan Trenton African American Chamber of Commerce (MTAACC), becoming its president, two years later. Under his guidance, MTAACC grew its membership, forged alliances with business associations/organizations and government, and forged strategic partnerships in the public and private sectors to benefit African American businesses throughout New Jersey. Harmon recognized the growing need for a statewide organization that could align both government and business interests to advocate for New Jersey’s Black entrepreneurs and their communities. That led him to establish the AACCNJ – which is heralded as the leading voice for business development and economic empowerment for New Jersey’s Black owned businesses.

Harmon has served as the Founder, President, and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey (AACCNJ), since 2007. In this role he has the responsibility of establishing, implementing, and executing the mission, as well as the fiduciary oversight and governance of AACCNJ in accordance with its Bylaws. In addition, he works to identify strategic partnerships in both the public and private sector to connect AACCNJ members and supporters to resources and opportunities to grow and sustain their goals and objectives. Moreover, Harmon serves as an advocate on behalf of the 1.2 million African American residents and the over 80,000 Black owned businesses statewide to ensure that policy at the municipal, county, and federal level provides fairness, equity and access to a level playing field in the marketplace. Harmon hosts the Gold Telly Award winning - AACCNJ monthly television show “Pathway to Success” as well as the Chamber’s weekly radio show “The Empowerment Hour.”

Prior to his twenty-three-year career as a chamber executive, Mr. Harmon was previously employed at The Bowery Savings Bank (now part of Capital One Bank) in New York City where he managed the bank's Residential Real Estate Department overlooking major mortgage loan transactions; and at Chemical Bank where he managed third party loan originations for New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. While working at Chemical Bank, Mr. Harmon established The Affordable Housing Loan Program. Following his banking career, Mr. Harmon founded a transportation company in 1989, called Harmon Transfer, Corp. The company transported dry goods, perishable commodities, and produce throughout the Northeast United States and Canada.

Harmon is a Board Member and the Former Chairman of the Board for the National Black Chamber of Commerce; there are 150 Affiliate Chapters of the NBCC and over fifteen international affiliates. Harmon was recently appointed to the US Chamber of Commerce – Board of Directors, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Economic Community Advisory Council (ECAC), Hackensack Meridian Health Board of Directors, Board of Directors Fairleigh Dickinson University. Harmon is also a Board Member of Digital Place Based Advertising Association and is a member of the US Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100. He is the Founder CEO & Chairman of the New York State Black Business Alliance, Inc. (NYSBBA). Additionally, Mr. Harmon is a Board member of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce (NJCC), New Jersey BPU, Supplier Diversity Development Council (SDDC), Opportunity New Jersey, Better Choices, Better Care NJ, Chairman of Crime Stoppers of Greater Trenton. He is a former Board Member Investors Bank, American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE), First Book, Minding Our Business (MOB), a youth entrepreneurial initiative in affiliation with Rider University.

Harmon was honored by NJBIA as the Executive of the Year in October of 2022, and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra at their Spring Gala in May of 2022. Harmon was acknowledged in 2022 by Return on Information-New Jersey (ROI), for the second consecutive year as the Number 1 Person of Color in New Jersey. Harmon was awarded NJ Biz Power 100 List for 2022. Harmon was recognized as one of the NJ Business Hall of Fame Class of 2021 Laureates on December 9th, 2021. In 2021, for the third consecutive year, Harmon was acknowledged in South Jersey Journal’s list of the “Twenty-five Most Influential African Americans in New Jersey. Harmon is also recognized as a Center of Influence (COI) for the United States Army and was selected as a participant in the Joint Civilian Orientation 2018 Conference (JCOC) hosted by the Secretary of Defense. The JCOC program is the oldest and most prestigious public liaison program in the Department of Defense. Harmon was selected as one of 40 individuals (out of 230 applicants) to attend JCOC 18. In addition, Harmon was the only attendee from the State of New Jersey to participate in the conference. Harmon was selected for ROI-NJ “2018 Power List of Influencers. Harmon was selected to NJBIZ 2018 Power 10. Harmon was the first individual selected as a member of the host committee for NFL Super Bowl XLVII held in NJ in 2014.

John E. Harmon, Sr., IOM, ABA, BA, ABA, h.c., BS, L.H.D. h.c. holds an associate degree in Business Administration from Mercer County Community College and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management, Fairleigh Dickinson University, 1983. Shortly before graduating in 1983, Harmon received a call from FDU’s career development office encouraging him to apply for a management training program for future bank presidents. Of 150 candidates, he was one of only 12 chosen – and the only African American. Mr. Harmon also successfully completed a one-year Fellowship on Regionalism and Sustainability sponsored by The Ford Foundation and completed the Minority Business Management Seminar at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in 2009. Additionally, Mr. Harmon completed a four-year Chamber Executive Management Program, at Villanova University, sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in 2014. Harmon was conferred with an honorary Associates Degree in Business Administration from Rowan College Burlington County, in 2014. Harmon was awarded a honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.), honoris causa, from Fairleigh Dickinson University in May of 2022.

Harmon grew up in a large, working-class family in Trenton, NJ. His father operated his own trucking business; his mother was a factory worker. In high school, Harmon studied auto mechanics and aspired to one day running his own business like his father. Harmon is an avid sports fan, as a young man he played on the local baseball team. Today he enjoys golfing. He has three sons, John Jr., Joshua, and Justin. He is member of Higher Ground Interdenominational Church, in Ewing, NJ.