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WALL, N.J. – New Jersey Resources (NJR) today announced the appointment of Mariellen Dugan as vice president and general counsel, effective December 2005. In addition to legal matters, Ms. Dugan’s responsibilities will include corporate governance, compliance, insurance and rights of way and claims. Since 2003, Ms. Dugan has served prominent roles in the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, first as Chief of Staff, and most recently as First Assistant Attorney General.

“We are pleased to welcome Mariellen to our team,” said Laurence M. Downes, chairman and CEO of NJR. “She brings with her a strong, accomplished legal background as well as diverse experience that will greatly benefit our company and all our stakeholders.”

Ms. Dugan, a veteran litigator in private practice, served as counsel to the law firm of Kevin H. Marino, P.C. prior to her work in the Attorney General’s executive staff. Her law career began with a clerkship for the Honorable Dickinson R. Debevoise, United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey. She has also served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey where she worked in the Criminal Division, the Fraud and Public Protection Division and the Special Prosecutions Division. In addition, she has taught as an adjunct professor of law at Seton Hall Law School.

Ms. Dugan attended Montclair State University, where she received her undergraduate degree and graduated summa cum laude in 1988. She then went on to study law at Seton Hall Law School where she served as a member of the Seton Hall Legislative Bureau and graduated magna cum laude with a law degree in 1991.

New Jersey Resources (NYSE:NJR), a Fortune 1000 company and a member of the Forbes Platinum 400, provides reliable retail and wholesale energy services to customers in New Jersey and in states from the Gulf Coast to New England, and Canada. Its principal subsidiary, New Jersey Natural Gas, is one of the fastest-growing local distribution companies in the United States, serving more than 462,000 customers in central and northern New Jersey. Other major NJR subsidiaries include NJR Energy Services and NJR Home Services. NJR Energy Services is a leader in the unregulated energy services market, providing customer service and management of natural gas storage and capacity assets. NJR Home Services offers retail customers heating, air conditioning and appliance services. NJR’s progress is a tribute to the more than 5,000 dedicated employees who have shared their expertise and focus on quality through more than 50 years of serving customers and the community to make NJR a leader in the competitive energy marketplace. For more information, visit NJR’s Web site at njliving.com.