The Leadership Award recognizes individuals who have an outstanding commitment to improving the quality of life and promoting smart growth in New Jersey through sustainable land-use policy and practice.

Anyone curious about Gil could spend hours reading about his remarkable career. They would discover an accomplished attorney, Certified Public Accountant, licensed real estate broker, respected public servant, and a successful business leader. They would read about his decades of work in both the public and private sectors, shaping New Jersey’s economic future, and his service on countless boards and commissions.

But these achievements do not reveal everything. As a member of New Jersey Future’s Board of Trustees and a longtime friend, we know Gil for the positions he has held, but we also know him for his humility, curiosity, and belief in the potential of our communities.

Spend a few minutes in conversation with Gil and you quickly realize that he is as interested in hearing your perspective as he is in sharing his own. He listens and asks considerate questions. Whether he is reflecting on his early days as a self-described “radical” at Rutgers University–Camden, quoting a sonnet by Shakespeare, or discussing the future of New Jersey’s cities, Gil offers a level of authenticity that is completely organic.

Gil moved from Puerto Rico to Camden as a young child, where he grew up seeing both the challenges and the promises the communities of New Jersey have to offer. Those experiences laid the groundwork for a career dedicated to strengthening neighborhoods and helping to build a more prosperous state.

After graduating from law school, Gil began his career as a litigation attorney with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Later, when he was offered the opportunity to serve as finance chair in Camden, he was told he would need to become a Certified Public Accountant. So he became one.

Gil doesn’t tell that story to sound exceptional. In fact, he rushes past it, which reveals something important about his character. When Gil faces a challenge, he doesn’t think about why it can’t be done. Instead, he just does what needs to be done to make it happen. 

That mindset has defined every chapter of his career. During his time as Secretary of Commerce under Governor Christine Todd Whitman, Gil saw firsthand that economic development and thoughtful land-use and environmental policy were not binary. In fact, he came to believe that New Jersey was strongest when those goals were pursued together. Working alongside policy leaders and the Department of Environmental Protection, he helped advance an approach that showed how economic growth can align with sound planning and environmental stewardship. 

That experience became an important part of how Gil thinks about growth to this day. For him, smart growth is not about choosing between a strong economy or healthy communities. He understands that the two are inseparable. That is why New Jersey Future is proud to honor Gil Medina with the 2026 Smart Growth Leadership Award. For more than four decades, he has brought that perspective to the work of building New Jersey. His combination of economic vision, respect for place, and commitment to bringing people together is what makes Gil a well-deserved honoree for this award.