- days
- Hours
- Minutes
- Seconds
April 28, 2026, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Teaneck, New Jersey
Be part of North Jersey’s premier gathering on the environment. Connect with public officials and New Jersey’s most influential environmental leaders. Find allies and partners through the Summit ECOlab. Build your ability to engage key decision makers and community members. Get inspired with ideas to help make the Hackensack River Watershed – or where ever you live or work – greener, cleaner healthier.
Hackensack River Nation Summit is the annual conference of Hackensack River Nation, which is produced by the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation.
Get updates about the 2026 HRN Summit
Stay informed on the Hackensack River Nation
Get Updates/Contact Us
For general questions about the Summit, please contact NNJCF Foundation Coordinator Stephanie Hartman at stephanie@nnjcf.org
For questions about content, sponsorships or scholarships, please contact NNJCF Executive Director Leonardo Vazquez at leo@nnjcf.org or 201-568-5608, x1
Sessions at a glance
| 8:30 am - 3 pm | ECOllab - Would you like help with a project or initiative? Need advisors? Put out a call for collaborators on the Summit ECOllab board. Everyone who registers for the Summit by April 20 is welcome to place a call for collaborators. Questions? Contact Leo Vazquez at leo@nnjcf.org |
| 8:30 am - 9:30 am | Doors open for registration, breakfast, networking, and Environmental Fair |
| 9:30 am - 9:45 am | Welcome and introductory remarks |
| 9:45 am - 10:30 am | State of the River Keynote - Captain Bill Sheehan, Hackensack Riverkeeper |
| 10:30 am - 11:30 am | Plenary session: Leadership Models for Collective Action
Speakers: Dr. Christopher C. Obropta, Professor, Extension Specialist, and Director of the NJ Water Resources Research Institute, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Nicole Miller, Jersey Water Works Steering Committee Co-Chair; Principal, MnM Consulting Randall Solomon, Executive Director, Sustainable Jersey Moderator: Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP, Executive Director, Northern New Jersey Community Foundation |
| 11:30 am - 11:50 am | Break and networking |
| 11:50 am -12:50 pm | Breakout sessions A
|
| 12:50 pm - 2 pm | Lunch |
| 2 pm - 3 pm | Breakout sessions B
|
| 3 pm -3:30 pm | Wrap-up: What now, what’s next? |
Directions and parking
The Summit will be held at the Greg Olsen Student Union Building at the Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Metropolitan Campus in Teaneck. The address for GPS purposes is 860 SUB Lane. Get directions.
Free parking is available in front and behind the building.
The building is ADA accessible.
About Hackensack River Nation
The Hackensack River is a special place. This North Jersey artery has nurtured people for more than 10,000 years, supported a diverse ecosystem for even longer, and helped build the prosperity that so many people in Bergen and Hudson counties enjoy.
Yet despite this, too many business leaders and public officials over the past three centuries have treated the river as a dump site, killing off native wildlife and causing so many people to figuratively turn their backs to the river.
Hackensack River Nation, established in 2024 by the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation and several partner organizations, is dedicated to raising awareness and improving the health of the Hackensack River and its 197-square-mile watershed. which soans northeastern New Jersev and southern New York.
This collaborative effort seeks to underscore the power of unity and set a precedent for community-driven environmental stewardship for problem areas like pollution, flooding and overdevelopment. We also strive to develop a shared vision for the future of the Hackensack River and the watershed.
Inspired by the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation’s philosophy, “What can we do together that we can’t alone?”, the Hackensack River Nation brings together municipalities, public agencies, nonprofits, businesses, educational institutions, and community organizations. This collective effort aims to enhance the watershed’s health and accessibility through collaboration.
Produced by NNJCF.
