Meet Our Spirit of Edison Impact Award Honorees

Dr. Ahmed A. Azmy

President, Azmy Architects

Dr. Azmy is renowned for his consummate ability to conceptualize and refine project design from complex criteria to an elegant solution In a career spanning more than 40 years, he has designed projects ranging from cultural centers, to corporate headquarters facilities, to the development of award winning Middle East urban design plans representing developments involving over $300 Million US in investment capital.

Dr. Azmy was born, and received his early architectural education and training, in Egypt, giving him a unique perspective of the cultural and design milieus of the country and the entire Middle East area. He maintains close ties with professional colleagues and family in Egypt and elsewhere in the region. In addition to his direct design experience, Dr. Azmy has served as an urban design consultant for the United Nations.

Dr. Azmy has been a member of the Thomas Edison State University Foundation Board of Directors since 2004.

Degrees:

• BS, Architecture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt;
• M.Architecture, University of Pennsylvania;
• M.City Planning, University of Pennsylvania;
• MFA, Princeton University;
• PhD, Architecture, Princeton University

Frank Clyburn

Chief Executive Officer, IFF

Frank Clyburn has served as IFF’s Chief Executive Officer since February 2022.

Previously, he held the role of Executive Vice President and President of Human Health for Merck & Co. (Merck), where he had full P&L responsibility of their largest business. During his tenure, he was also responsible for building one of the leading oncology businesses in the world, which is the largest business within Merck and has transformed cancer care on a global scale.

Mr. Clyburn joined Merck in 2008 and held several positions including Chief Commercial Officer, the inaugural president of the company’s Global Oncology business, and President of its Primary Care and Women’s Health businesses. In addition to leading the creation of the Global Oncology business, Mr. Clyburn also executed the worldwide launch of Merck’s immuno-oncology medicine which helped establish the company as a leader in oncology.

Before joining Merck, Mr. Clyburn was Vice President of the Oncology and Internal Medicine business units at Sanofi Aventis and held a wide range of leadership roles with the company.  In addition, was actively involved in the $65 billion integration of Sanofi and Aventis.

Mr. Clyburn received his Master of Business Administration degree from Arizona State University and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Franklin & Marshall College. Notably, he served on the Board of Directors of DuPont from June 1, 2019 to January 20, 2022. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). He also served as chairman to the Thomas Edison State University Board of Trustees.

Jeannine Frisby LaRue

Senior Vice President, The Zita Group

The Honorable Jeannine Frisby LaRue’s clients depend on her extensive contacts, relationships, and knowledge gained over a 40 year career that included policy, governmental, and political positions throughout the state. She joined TZG in 2011 after retiring from Rutgers University as Vice President of Public Affairs, where she served in the University President’s Cabinet and was charged with advancing the University’s goals of cultivating and maintaining relationships with key leaders in the public and private sectors.

Prior to joining the University’s administration, Jeannine served as Deputy Chief of Staff for former New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine. She remained in that post for two years and oversaw the Office of Appointments, the Office of Constituency Services and the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

From 1996-2006, Jeannine was Senior Vice President of Governmental Affairs for Saint Barnabas Health Care System. During her decade-long tenure at the System, Jeannine advised the CEO, senior management and physicians on legislative and regulatory matters.

Jeannine was appointed by Governor James J. Florio to the Casino Control Commission and served for 5 years on the body that oversees and regulate all casino operations in New Jersey. Prior to that appointment, Jeannine served for 10 years as the chief lobbyist for the New Jersey Education Association. A former English teacher, Jeannine counts adjunct professor, college administrator and Trustee for the Camden County College and the Essex County College among the many positions she has held. She served 12 years in elective office serving both on her local school board and her town council.

Jeannine has long been a champion of issues affecting women and children. She convened the first ever Statewide Women’s Summit in 1992. The success of that event was noted by then Governor Whitman who, in 1994, made the annual event a function of state government and changed the name to The Governor’s Conference for Women. That event has continued under every governor since and today attracts more than 2,000 participants annually. Jeannine continues to be involved in organizing that event today.

Honored by more than 60 organizations, Jeannine is a graduate of Glassboro State College, now known as Rowan University.