In her role as the executive director of New Brunswick City Center, the not-for-profit management company overseeing the business improvement district for the City of New Brunswick, New Jersey, Stefanek facilitates public/private partnerships encouraging economic growth, revitalization, and development. She immerses herself in the community, forging alliances and partnerships with numerous organizations to enhance programming that encourages tourism and ecommerce in New Brunswick.

Through New Brunswick City Center, Stefanek is involved in a collaboration with Rutgers Global Health Institute and other city establishments to offer free COVID-19 testing in downtown New Brunswick. The testing is an effort to help the city’s businesses remain open safely during the pandemic, as convenient testing was identified as a local need.

Stefanek’s passion for the importance of tourism and commerce in New Brunswick motivates her work developing and overseeing specialized business services, small business grants, and marketing initiatives that promote New Brunswick as a premier destination. She has developed events and programming that include New Brunswick Restaurant Week, Oktoberfest, Fall Fest, Raritan River Festival, Shop Local campaigns, a downtown farmers market, and multiple holiday programs. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, she has been involved with activities to keep the city’s business community healthy.

She also serves as the director of New Brunswick Public Sculpture, Inc. and is an active volunteer with numerous community organizations, such as The Salvation Army New Brunswick Corps, Special Olympics New Jersey, Elijah’s Promise, Kelsey Charity Run, and several South Plainfield committees. She also is involved with trade organizations, including Downtown New Jersey, Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce, Central Jersey Convention and Visitors Bureau, Rotary Club of Greater New Brunswick, and New Brunswick Sister Cities.

Prior to joining New Brunswick City Center, Stefanek worked in the banking industry for 20 years, serving as vice president of marketing and community relations at Bank of America and their predecessor banks. She oversaw marketing and corporate giving for all lines of business throughout New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.