Fighting for a seat Who runs N.J.? It’s still mostly men. Powerful boards lack women, despite Murphy’s pledge for diversity. Published on May 02, 2021 Some states have laws requiring or encouraging state boards and commissions to have a 50/50 split between men and women. New Jersey is not one of them. Twitter Share At her first meeting as a new commissioner of the state Sports and Exposition Authority, Karen Kessler said officials handed her a gift. It was a men’s necktie. “What am I supposed to with this?” Kessler recalls saying. The neckties, featuring the logo of the Sports and Exposition Authority, were given to every member of the powerful board. At the time, it never occurred to anyone that a woman might be a voting member of the board at the public agency that oversees sports arenas and racetracks.