The Bloustein School’s Nashia Basit (MPP/MCRP ’24) was one of 22 applicants selected as a 2025 New Leaders Council New Jersey (NLC-NJ) fellow.
NLC-NJ is the statewide chapter of the nation’s largest organization that develops, connects, and uplifts inclusive, cross-industry leaders who transform our country through social and political change. NLC trains the people who change the world.
“The 2025 class is a reflection of New Jersey’s greatest strength – our diversity,” said Mayrose Wegmann, Statewide Director of NLC-NJ and Northwest Region Director at New Jersey Education Association (NJEA). “The future of our workplaces, our movements, and our democracy is in great hands with this incoming class of changemakers. This is an incredibly talented and inspiring group of leaders.”
For 14 years, NLC-NJ has run a fellowship institute that provides intensive leadership development and meaningful connections with other changemakers across issues, industries, and identities. The 2025 Institute will launch in January and will run for six months. Each month, fellows will focus on skills building, goal setting, strategic communications, organizing, finance and fundraising, coalition building, public policy, and equity and inclusion.
The incoming class embodies the vision of a more inclusive and equitable future:
- Half (11) identify as women
- More than three-fourths (17) identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color
- 8 are from North Jersey, 9 are from Central Jersey, and 5 are from South Jersey
- All 22 fellows work in the nonprofit, government, social justice advocacy, education, healthcare, labor, and political sectors.
“These Fellows represent just how deep the bench is in New Jersey,” said Rob Matos-Moran, Deputy Director of NLC-NJ and Director of Legislative Affairs to Governor Phil Murphy. “This year’s cohort is comprised of extraordinary leaders committed to strengthening their communities and driving our state forward. We warmly welcome and congratulate the 2025 Class of Fellows to the expansive NLC-NJ community.”
Nashia Basit is the Governor’s Fellow for the Department of Labor and Workforce Development focusing on strategic enforcement and compliance. She received dual master’s degrees in Public Policy and Urban Planning specializing in social policy/community development from Rutgers University. Her experiences working in state government from the Legislative Affairs Division to the state Legislature inspire her interest in social justice advocacy and public service.
Through the ANHD/Morgan Stanley Community Development Graduate Fellowship, she organized initiatives centered on racial and economic justice opportunities in the Bronx. She was a Leadership Scholar at Institute for Women’s Leadership, a Ralph Voorhees Fellow for Public Service, and an Eagleton Graduate Fellow. She is passionate about expanding opportunities for underserved communities through the implementation of new social safety net programs.
