George Street Playhouse to Honor Thomas M. Gorrie, Ph.D. at 2026 Gala Benefit

George Street Playhouse's 2026 Gala Benefit will honor Thomas M. Gorrie, Ph.D. with the prestigious Thomas H. Kean Arts Advocacy Award. Named in honor of former New Jersey Governor Thomas H. Kean, the award recognizes distinguished leaders whose advocacy, service, and philanthropy have significantly strengthened the arts and civic life in New Jersey.

The 2026 Gala Benefit will take place on Wednesday May 6, beginning with a champagne reception and dinner at Stage Left/Catherine Lombardi followed by a cabaret and awards presentation at New Brunswick Performing Arts Center. 

Dr. Gorrie will be honored with the Thomas H. Kean Arts Advocacy Award alongside the previously announced Roberto Muñiz, President and CEO of Parker Health Group. Additionally, Emily Mann will receive the Arthur Laurents Award for Distinguished Artistic Achievement. Together, the three honorees represent a powerful intersection of artistic excellence, healthcare leadership, and civic advocacy.

While internationally recognized for his distinguished 35-year career at Johnson & Johnson, where he held numerous positions and ultimately served as a Corporate Officer and Vice President of Government Affairs and Policy worldwide, Dr. Gorrie’s impact close to home has been equally profound. Throughout his career and into retirement, he has consistently championed educational, healthcare, and cultural institutions that strengthen communities and expand access to opportunity.

He currently serves as a Trustee for Duke Kunshan University in Kunshan, PRC; is on the Advisory Board of Duke Global Health Institute; is a Distinguished Executive in Residence and Adjunct Professor at the Rutgers Business School; is a Senior Advisor to the China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investments in China; is chair of the Board of Trustees of the Vail Health System in Colorado; and is on the board of the Steadman Philippon Research Institute in Colorado. A Rutgers University graduate who earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from Princeton University, Dr. Gorrie has long believed that thriving institutions are essential to civic life. His service on numerous boards, including leadership roles with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, The Hun School, Duke University and Duke University Health System, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, reflects a lifelong commitment to sustaining organizations that enrich public life.

In the arts community, Dr. Gorrie has been a steadfast advocate for the role of theatre and cultural institutions in fostering dialogue, education, and shared experience. His support of George Street Playhouse and other not-for-profit arts and cultural institutions across the region has helped ensure that world-class artistic work remains accessible to audiences in New Jersey.