2022 New Jersey Women Business Leaders Forum

Howeda Ali is an accomplished digital transformation/automation ‘woman leader in technology’ at Honeywell and a ‘super hero’ to her son. She has the passion for emerging technologies, innovation, empowering people, coaching and mentorship. Her experience in managing high performance global teams brings effectiveness, progressiveness, and a high level of attention to detail. She calls her ability to connect with people, handle ambiguity, while effectively balancing multiple priorities and objectives in both her personal and professional life, her strength and spur.

Alethea M. Batts is First Senior Vice President of Learning and Development and Chief Diversity Officer at Lakeland Bank. In this role, she manages learning strategy and organizational development, including Talent Management, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategy and initiatives, Leadership Development, Succession Planning and Mentorship programs.

Alethea has over 25 years of experience in financial services. Prior to joining Lakeland, she spent most of her career as the NJ Area Director for Citibank and SVP and Consumer Market Executive for the Bank of America, leading and managing Retail Operations throughout NY and NJ.

Alethea holds an undergraduate degree from Princeton University. She is a graduate of the Consumer Bankers Association for Retail Executive Management program at University of Virginia. She holds a Diversity and Inclusion for HR Certificate from Cornell University and is a Senior Certified Professional for the Society for Human Resource Management.

With a passion for making a positive difference, Alethea is an active member of the NJBankers and American Bankers DEI Councils, a frequent panelist, public speaker, advocate and volunteer for Women’s initiatives, Diversity initiatives, Youth and Young-Adult counseling and Financial Literacy.

Alethea received the inaugural “Excellence in Diversity” Award from NJBankers and was named a ROI Influencer of Diversity & Inclusion in 2022.

Alethea is deeply committed to community development. She is a Leadership New Jersey fellow, a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, a Princeton Alumni Schools Committee Volunteer, and sits on the Board of Trustees for the Second Street Youth Center, Inc. She actively participates in the Music Ministry of Fountain Baptist Church. Alethea is a proud mother of her daughters, Mikaela and Alana, and son-in-law, Jaleel.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/lakeland-bank

Liz Bailey is the Senior Director of Sports at KPMG LLP. In this role, she is responsible for the strategic design, and execution of the U.S. firm’s sports priorities and sponsorship portfolio.  She has developed and led multiple sponsorship programs for KPMG’s brand ambassadors in professional sports, each with a focus on delivering results against strategic business imperatives including reaching Fortune 500 C-suite executives and driving brand awareness and reputation.

Liz is passionate about using the power of sports to create positive social impact. Since 2015, she has led the KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit, an annual flagship program held in conjunction with the firm’s title sponsorship of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Under Liz’s leadership, these programs have served as a catalyst for advancing and elevating women in golf and in business. Proceeds fund the KPMG Future Leaders Program which annually awards top female high school seniors the opportunity to enhance their personal growth through college scholarships, a leadership development retreat, and executive mentorship. In 2022, the program reached $4.5 million in scholarships given to 122 deserving students since the program’s inception.

During her 20-year career, Liz has had extensive experience in working across various functions at the professional league, team, and brand side of the sports business. Liz began her career at the NFL League Office in Marketing & Sponsorships where she served as a day-to-day resource for NFL clubs on best practices related to ticket sales and marketing activation. In her time with the NY Football Giants she contributed to gameday operations and the team’s efforts around community relations including player appearances with key community partners. Liz also has experience at the NBA where she worked in Marketing Partnerships managing strategic activation, contract negotiation, executive relationships, and sponsorship profitability for many iconic global brands across the NBA, WNBA, and USA Basketball properties.

Prior to her time at KPMG, Liz also worked at Lenox Advisors, a wealth management and insurance advisory firm. Her focus on operational excellence, contributed to the firm’s substantial progress toward digitalization, resulting in improvements in productivity, data management and client service delivery.

Liz is an impact-oriented leader who thrives on teamwork and empowering others. She is committed to excellence and integrity, and building strong, diverse, and inclusive teams.

She holds a B.A. degree in Sports Management from Seton Hall University where she also received a Certificate in Leadership Studies from The Buccino Leadership Institute at the Stillman School of Business.

She resides in NJ with her husband and three young sons.

Shell Bobev is the founder of Disrupt The Gap, a platform that empowers people’s lifelong financial independence through a multi-front disruption of pay gaps. After advocating for her own equal pay in the corporate world, she realized a calling to create bold solutions for systemic change. Disrupt The Gap guides organizations with implementing equitable and future-proof compensation practices, as well as empowers individuals with self-advocacy skills. Among other degrees, Shell holds a Masters of Adult Education, and Certifications in Human Resources & DEI. With a background in talent development, she has impacted thousands of people across corporate, community, and university settings.

www.WeDisruptTheGap.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shellbobev/

Michelle Bodden joined the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) in March of 2020 in the newly-created position of Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (D&I) Officer. In this role, she leads the efforts to cultivate equity and inclusiveness both within the organization, as well as through the resources it provides to the State. She has a long history driving D&I strategies, standards, and policies.

Michelle led the supplier diversity program for Allied Universal, a leading security and facility services company with more than 200,000 employees. Prior to that, Michelle furthered D&I focused initiatives for the Women Presidents’ Educational Organization, advancing and ensuring the success of women-owned enterprises. Michelle also has experience as an entrepreneur, having founded a successful business development consulting firm that provided planning and best practice operations for multi-physician medical practices to help maximize profitability and streamline workflows.

Michelle graduated from Delaware State University with a B.A. in Sociology, and is a Certified Diversity Executive (CDE).

Ruthi Zinn Byrne is a founder and sole owner of Zinn Graves & Field Inc., Public Relations and Marketing. Over the past 42 years, as clients have become more diverse and demanding, she has led her firm beyond the mindset of traditional public relations and marketing into new areas of communications such as board governance consulting, public acceptance and public affairs strategizing, community relations, and crisis management.

Representative of her past and current client base are such organizations and firms as St. George’s University School of Medicine, University Hospital, St. Peter’s Healthcare System, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Trinitas Hospital, Barnabas Health, Urban League of Essex County, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Felician University, Drew University, Liberty Science Center, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Nico Kitchen + Bar, The Hilton Short Hills, PSE&G, Sun National Bank, Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, General Motors Corporation, Lebenthal & Company, the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Dental School, PNC Bank, the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism, New Jersey Network Public Television and Radio, the Garden State Cancer Center, The CIT Group, and Community Foundation of New Jersey. In addition, her clients have included Feitlowitz & Kosten Architects, Value Research Group, Greenberg Traurig, and Bendit Weinstock Counselors at Law. Mrs. Byrne serves as a consultant for H.A.N.D.S., a non-profit group dedicated to the redevelopment of the Valley area of Orange and East Orange, New Jersey. Working with such clients, Mrs. Byrne and her expert staff have earned a reputation for professional work, political savvy and the ability to get things done effectively and with results.

Over the years, Ruthi Byrne has also played a major role in raising funds and increasing general support for many non-profits. In 2006, she led fundraising efforts for the Governor’s School program. The three-week effort raised nearly two million dollars and kept the state program alive for talented high school students to have meaningful summer experiences.

In addition, Mrs. Byrne serves on the Boards of several non-profits, including the Paper Mill Playhouse, New Jersey Reentry Program, Luna Stage and the Drumthwacket Foundation Board. She is also a member of the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce, Rutgers Business School and Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Advisory Boards, Greenwood Gardens and is a former member of the UMDNJ President’s Advisory Board.

She is the widow of former Governor of New Jersey, Brendan T. Byrne.

Jaclyn Cooper is an account executive with more than ten years of experience in the information technology industry helping strategic commercial, state and local clients innovate and transform operations. She is responsible for business strategy, client relationship development and global delivery. She graduated from Emory University with a bachelor’s degree in Economics.

Rosanne DeTorres is the managing partner and co-founder of DeTorres & DeGeorge Family Law. Rosanne DeTorres is one of only 2% of lawyers in the State of NJ with a specialty certification in family law.  Her firm settles 99% of all cases without going to trial using an “iron hand in a velvet glove” approach to conflict resolution.

Ms. DeTorres received her undergraduate degree from The Johns Hopkins University and graduated with honor from The University of Maryland School of Law. Ms. DeTorres also holds a doctoral degree in Business Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

Ms. DeTorres is an adjunct professor at Middlesex College in the Business and Computer Science Department teaching Business Law and Advanced Legal Research & Writing.

Ms. DeTorres has been recognized for her community engagement, volunteerism, and business growth including being named to the NJ Super Lawyers List, a Top 25 Leading Women Entrepreneur, receiving the Delta Dental Small Business of the Year award by the Morris County Chamber of Commerce, and the M&T Bank Woman of Achievement Award.

She is also the author of two books: “Breakthrough Results” and “Divorce: The Answers You Need Before, During & After”. Her doctoral study is entitled, “The Relationship Between Office Aesthetics and the Decision to Engage a Professional Service Provider,” and can be found here.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/detorres-and-degeorge-llc/ 

Monica Eboda is an International Executive Coach and Leadership Consultant who brings over 25 years of business leadership experience and expertise to help organizations, leaders and business owners drive growth and profitability. Her focus is helping executives, women in business and emerging leaders unlock their potential, discover their true passion and ascend to extraordinary levels of performance.

As a Sr. Vice President in the financial services industry, Monica managed a highly profitable business unit with a portfolio valued at over 1/2 a billion. She worked extensively with small to mid-size businesses by partnering, consulting and customizing solutions to support their growth. Her achievements and success were recognized in 2011, when she was named a Women of Influence by the National Association of Women’s Business Owners (NAWBO). In 2019, Monica was named “Talent Person of the Year” Finalist by Delaware Business Times (DBT) in partnership with Delaware Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

Monica has extensive experience across a variety of industries including Financial Services, Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare, and Non-Profits. Her specialty includes supporting small to mid-size companies, and helping women, both business owners and executives, find and establish their unique sources of power and influence, and coaching them to unparalleled business growth.

Monica has numerous certifications and training including Coach Master ToolKit (CMT-WBECS 15 months), GAP International: Executive Challenge Course (9 months), Executive Mastery (12 months), and Taking Flight with DiSC Certified trainer.

Monica is a member of the World Business Executive Coaching Summit (WBECS), Delaware Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), and a Founding Member of the Women’s Advisory Group of Delaware.

Jackie is a Championship Director for the PGA of America dedicated to working on the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. In her 5 years with the PGA, she has managed the 2018 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Kemper Lakes Golf Club in suburban Chicago; the 2020 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in suburban Philadelphia; the 2022 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club in suburban Washington D.C., and is currently working on the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, NJ.

Prior to her current role, Jackie worked at the NCAA in Championships & Alliances, Corporate Relations and managed key accounts such as Reese’s, Infiniti, Northwestern Mutual, LG, and Unilever, and helped these accounts activate at the Men’s and Women’s Final Four and many other of the NCAA’s 90 collegiate championships.

In 2015, Jackie had the privilege of working as the Championship Manager for the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club, the most successful U.S. Women’s Open to date holding the record in attendance, ticket sales, and corporate sponsorships.

Jackie has also held various roles in sales and marketing for both Kemper Sports, and the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. She got her start in golf managing the corporate hospitality sales program for the US Women’s Open in 2012 in Kohler, Wisconsin.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in coaching from Wisconsin Lutheran College where she was a two-sport athlete in soccer and basketball; and holds a Master’s degree in Sport Management from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is passionate about sports, and is an avid fan of her beloved Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Bucks. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, and exploring national parks. Jackie, her husband Tim, and their two rescue dogs Clancy & Penny reside in Bethesda, MD.

Dr. Loubna Erraji is an ICF-certified executive coach, neuroscientist, adjunct professor, and management consultant, with more than 20 years of global experience encompassing scientific research, teaching, consulting, and coaching. Based out of New York City/ New Jersey and frequently traveling abroad, Dr. Erraji’s work has spanned the globe across the US, Europe, and North Africa. Her clients are leaders at Fortune 500 companies in healthcare, banking, financial services, technology, CPG, higher education, and more, working for the likes of UBS, IBM, Prudential, Deloitte, Mondelez, Merck, AbbVie, BMS, to name a few.

During her extensive career, Loubna has held academic positions as well as corporate roles in sales, marketing, business development, and management consulting within the healthcare, pharmaceutical industry, and higher education. She has managed client projects, developed partnerships, and provided strategic advisory services to C-Suite and senior executives.

Dr. Erraji is the Founder and CEO of Advancis Consulting, LLC that provides services to organizations and individuals committed to creating impactful leadership and high-performance environments. Her zone of genius is to support her clients connect the mindset with the skillset, design a forward-looking and intentional vision, build the confidence to make bold decisions, and empower their teams at the highest levels. She is proud to offer that missing ingredient that executives need to enhance their mindset, align their career and transform their life. Her purpose is to be a source of inspiration to everyone she connects with, and believes that everyone can be inspired to level up their career and life, and unleash their full potential.

Dawn Fitch is an author, speaker and the founder and CEO of Pooka Pure and Simple, an artisan bath and body company.  After battling illness and feeling the need to adopt a healthier lifestyle, she began making and selling her own products.  The response was tremendous.  That’s when the realization hit that she had an incredible business idea and Pooka was born!

The company has grown from Dawn making products on her stove in her apartment to a showroom in Kearny, NJ.  The products are currently sold in various Whole Food markets, were featured on QVC and sold online and through various distributors.

Dawn has been a speaker and panelist for many events including the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference, Girl Scouts of America Gold Awards and National Black MBA Associations’ National Conference. She has been featured on The Today Show, CBS Evening News, Our World with Black Enterprise, PIX11 News, Arise TV and various TV outlets.  In 2012 she graced the cover of Black Enterprise Magazine and was featured in Essence Magazine in 2019 as one of their top 20 Black Beauty Brands.

Dawn has been the recipient of many awards including, The Influencer Award for Entrepreneurship given by the Urban League, the Black Executive Award given by the African American Chambers of Commerce, and an Agent of Change award from the National Council of Negro Women.

After being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, she became a health advocate and uses her platforms to support women and especially women suffering from auto-immune diseases, to explore natural healing and lifestyles.  She started a FB community called The Best Life Tribe, where women could share and learn about alternative health and healing.  The Group began in November 2017 with 20 women and has grown to over 5600 women.

Jessica Gonzalez is a lifelong New Jersey entrepreneur and self-starter.

She founded her event technology company InCharged ten years ago by selling everything she had, moving in with her parents, and working three jobs – all while retaining 100% ownership of the company.

As a Latina woman and mother, the path to building a business hasn’t been easy – but Gonzalez lives and works with the attitude that “nothing is impossible.” Over the last decade, she’s grown InCharged into an event technology fixture – partnering with brands like Google, Coca-Cola, and T-Mobile to implement cutting-edge experiential marketing campaigns and events.

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, the event business came to a grinding halt – and Gonzalez knew she needed to pivot not only to keep her company afloat, but more importantly to support a new economic landscape where businesses and organizations had entirely different operational needs. She channeled her in-depth knowledge of event operations and applied finely honed cutting-edge research & development processes to start Lux Disinfect, a company offering a complete suite of tools, products, and services to help others safely reopen their businesses. Most disinfection companies focus on only one technology, but Lux Disinfect provides customized solutions to address each of the ways that viruses are spread – through the air, surfaces, and personal space. All of the product lines come together with LUX 360, a comprehensive system to train employees and keep customers informed on the full disinfection process in real time, building trust through transparency so businesses can reopen and people can finally be together again.

Gonzalez has never fit the mold of a “typical” business leader, but she prefers it that way. She brings a fresh, think-outside-the-box approach to every problem she tackles and is ready to leverage her experience and perspective to help keep the families and communities of New Jersey moving forward and safe.

In 2022 Jessica is happy to announce her companies were acquired by IBrand Global and together they created BluLabs a retail technology company focused on innovation.

Brittany’s journey, shaped by her time as an undefeated trial attorney, public official, and risk management strategist, led her to establish BND Consulting in 2017. With a deep understanding of the challenges leaders face in today’s rapidly-changing world, Brittany is passionate about providing women leaders with the clarity they need to lead their teams with confidence.

Weaving together a unique blend of executive coaching and strategic advisory, she helps women develop their leadership styles, create stability and structure in their organizations, navigate team dynamics, and embrace a leadership style that is authentic to them, impactful for their organizations, and inspiring for their people. In her work, she’s increased a client organization’s budget by 16%, developed a fundraising strategy that led to the highest growth in contributions in 1 quarter, and reduced attrition from 26% to 0% in 14 months.

Along with founding BND, Brittany co-founded an enterprise peace intelligence startup designed to teach conflict de-escalation. She’s also served as fractional CEO and COO at entrepreneurial-focused nonprofits.

Brittany has been featured in Essence, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Fast Company and been invited to speak at Harvard University, Columbia University, SHRM Inclusion Conference, and the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference. Recently, she received the Top 40 Under 40 Award from NJBIZ. She is a 92NY Women inPower Fellow and a member of the Advisory Council for the Harvard Business Review.

Dorian joined Investors Bank in November 2017 and is responsible for all marketing, product management and operations at the bank. She quickly launched the “Innovation Station”, a cross-functional team which focuses on leveraging digital technologies to drive transformation, improve the customer experience, and streamline bank operations. She also leads many other teams working collaboratively on the customer experience, brand management, corporate sponsorships including the New York Football Giants, the New Jersey Devils and the Prudential Center, as well as commercial and retail product management and the Bank’s client care center.

In 2019, Dorian and her team successfully launched the Investors eAccess Online Bank, offering certificates of deposit, money market and checking accounts to a nationwide audience. That same year, Dorian and her team also launched a remote check service for businesses, a new Online Escrow Platform and Zelle, a top consumer and business rapid payment service. She also formed an employee council centered around evaluating, streamlining and improving existing internal processes and workflows so that they’re friendlier, easier and more efficient for both customers and our employees. The results are evident from the feedback the bank continues to receive from our customers, who are surprised and delighted by our unique, tailored approach to banking.

In April 2022, Investors Bank was acquired by Rhode Island-based Citizens Financial Group, one the nation’s oldest and largest banks. Since the acquisition, Dorian has transitioned to a leadership role in the Integration Management Office. In this capacity, Dorian is charged with ensuring the integration is successful. Her responsibilities include product mapping and customer integration as well as oversight of the full platform and technology conversion, currently slated for the first quarter of 2023.

Before joining Investors Bank, Dorian was General Partner in charge of Banking Products & Services for Edward Jones in St. Louis, Missouri. Prior to her time at Edward Jones, she held various positions at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC, including Managing Director, Head of Financial Advisor Recruiting and Head of Lending & Banking Services.

Dorian received her MBA from Columbia Business School in New York, and her BBA from Pace University and is a General Securities Principal. Dorian also actively supports many charities, helping to drive awareness of the many meaningful impacts made at every level in the communities served by Investors Bank and the Investors Foundation. Dorian has a son, Ryan, and lives with her husband Michael and their pooches, Stella Bella Doodle and Zellie, in their recently renovated brownstone in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Lori Herndon, RN, BSN, MBA, is President and CEO of AtlantiCare. She is responsible for the health system’s strategic growth, operations and development. She leads more than 6,000 AtlantiCare staff, providers, and volunteers who serve the community in five southern New Jersey counties.  

AtlantiCare, based in Egg Harbor Township, NJ, comprises AtlantiCare Regional Health Services including AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center (ARMC) with three locations (Atlantic City Campus, Mainland Campus, Pomona, NJ, and Satellite Emergency Department, Hammonton, NJ), other ambulatory care services, and AtlantiCare Physician Group; the AtlantiCare Foundation, and AtlantiCare Health Solutions, an accountable care organization.  

Herndon joined AtlantiCare in 1983 as a staff nurse in critical care. She has served in executive roles for the system since 2007. Prior to her current role, she concurrently served as executive vice president, AtlantiCare, and president and CEO, ARMC. Her early leadership roles at ARMC included hospital administrator, Mainland Campus; administrative director, Maternal Child Health Services; director, Total Quality Management; clinical manager, Medicine/Surgery; and director, Nurse Recruitment.   

Under her leadership, ARMC became the 105th hospital in the nation to attain status as a Magnet® designated hospital and has been redesignated three times. ARMC Atlantic City Campus earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Advanced Certification for Comprehensive Stroke Centers in 2017 with redesignation in 2019. Also in 2019, she led ARMC in earning the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for advanced certification for Inpatient Diabetes Care. ARMC became one of only 81 organizations across the country, and four in New Jersey, that had earned this certification.  

AtlantiCare earned the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s recognition as a “Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality” for nine years in a row, most recently in 2020, under Herndon’s leadership. She played a key leadership role in AtlantiCare’s being named a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Winner and recognition in Modern Healthcare’s Best Places to Work in Healthcare. 

Herndon’s focus on listening to patients – critical to her role as a bedside nurse – is a hallmark of her leadership. She regularly rounds on patients, families and staff at all AtlantiCare sites. Herndon co-chaired AtlantiCare’s Patient and Family Advisory Council from its inception in 2011 through 2016. This Council, comprised of current and former patients, staff, and other members of the community, is key in integrating the voice of the customer into AltantiCare’s daily operations.  

Throughout her career, Herndon has personally been committed to volunteerism and has encouraged AtlantiCare’s staff, providers, and leaders to donate their time and talents to enhance the wellbeing of the community. She is on the Board of Trustees and serves as chair of the New Jersey Hospital Association. She is on the boards of the Stockton University Foundation, Atlantic City Police Foundation, Atlantic County Economic Alliance, and the OceanFirst Bank Advisory Board. She has also served as chairperson for multiple community events supporting local nonprofit organizations.   

Herndon is a member of the American College of Health Care Executives. Closer to home, she is a lifetime member of the Ruth Newman Shapiro Cancer and Heart Fund and the ARMC Mainland Campus Auxiliary.  

The New Jersey Institute for Nursing recognized Herndon in 2019 among its Don and Diva Award recipients for her extraordinary impact on the nursing profession and the community. The Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce named her Business Leader of the Year in 2018. The Boy Scouts Jersey Shore Council honored her as Distinguished Citizen of the Year in 2014. In 2013, Herndon was inducted into the Atlantic County Women’s Hall of Fame, and Stockton University’s William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy honored her with its “Distinctive Alumni Leadership Award.”  

Herndon earned her Master of Business Administration degree at St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing at the Richard Stockton College of NJ, Pomona, NJ; and her registered nurse degree at Geisinger Medical Center School of Nursing, Danville, PA.  

Donna M. Hughes, JD, is a credentialed executive coach, consultant, and experienced human resources and legal executive. She is the Founder and CEO of Hughes Solutions, LLC, an executive coaching and human resources consulting business. Hughes Solutions’ mission is to enable senior and emerging leaders, particularly women and people of color, to excel in their leadership capabilities, and positively shape their teams, organizations, and communities.

Over the course of her career in Fortune 500 global organizations, and a not-for-profit organization, Donna gained the respect of executive leaders and corporate boards for her ability to drive positive cultural change through inclusive leadership, and for her legal and business acumen. Donna most recently served as the Chief People Officer for EmblemHealth, one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit health insurers. In her time at EmblemHealth, Donna was named to Crain’s New York Business’ 2022 list of Notable Black Leaders, 2021 list of Notable Leaders in Healthcare, 2020 list of Notable Women in Talent, and was also named to Diversity Leadership, Inc.’s 2021 national list of “Top 50 HR Professionals”. Her career and contributions at EmblemHealth were showcased by Profile Magazine’s December 2019 article, “How Donna Hughes Guides Teams along the ‘Curve of Change’”.

Donna’s prior roles include SVP, Human Resources, for Impax Laboratories, Inc., Vice President, Labor & Employment for Allergan, plc, and Director and Assistant General Counsel for Circuit City Stores, Inc. Her rise through progressive leadership roles in the field of law to her tenure as a C-suite human resources executive was showcased by American Healthcare Leader’s December 2017 article, “Seizing New Opportunities for Growth”.

Donna is a sought-after speaker for institutions of higher education, national organizations, and has been a guest podcast speaker on various topics including, the value of executive coaching, conscious leadership, diversity, equity and inclusion, culture transformation, and leading organizations through the Covid-19 pandemic and social unrest. In October 2021, Donna was the featured speaker at the Le Moyne College, Madden School of Business program “Conscious Leadership and Culturally Competent Healthcare.”

Donna received her Juris Doctor from Rutgers University School of Law-Newark, and her Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers College, Rutgers University. In addition, she holds a certificate in Leadership Coaching for Organizational Performance from Rutgers University, and she maintains the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential bestowed by the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

Read more about Donna at https://signitt.com/donna-m-hughes/.

Stacey Kavanagh has been a resident of New Jersey her entire life. Growing up in Jersey City, Stacey was exposed to various financial industries which led to her eventual career choice in banking over 25 years ago. Her upbringing also allowed her exposure to many non-profit based groups and many local residents that needed a hand up. Stacey merged her interest in banking with her commitment to her community and headed on a journey of utilizing her corporate skills to make a real difference in the communities that she serves.

Currently, Stacey is a First Vice President and Market Manager at Provident Bank. Provident Bank proudly serves the NJ, NY & PA markets. Provident Bank has a more than180 year history of commitment to our customers, communities and employees. Stacey has been with Provident Bank for the past decade and is the co-director of ProvidentWomen, an employee resource group dedicated to the professional & personal growth of women at the bank. In addition, she sits on the bank’s diversity Council.

Stacey is a proud member of the retail banking team at Provident. Day to day she leads a group of extraordinary bankers from 5 bank locations to provide a superior customer experience. Additionally, Stacey works with business clients throughout the network to create, build and execute their financial goals. Working as a trusted advisor, Stacey feels you need to go beyond the bank to leverage relationships that are mutually beneficial for all.

Stacey is the President of Ocean’s Harbor House, a non-profit that supports vulnerable youth, by providing shelter, support and services. She is on the foundation board of the African American Chamber of Commerce of NJ. Stacey is on the foundation board of Ocean County College. Stacey was honored as a “Hometown Hero” in 2020.

Erin has been helping businesses and organizations create powerful connections with their audiences for more than 15 years. Her diverse background in branding, marketing, creative, and agency operations combined with her consultative approach and passion for helping people succeed ensures our clients and internal teams are empowered to create solutions that inspire — and get results.

Erin has been recognized as SNJ Business People’s Top 40 Under 40, the New Jersey Advertising Club’s Jersey’s Best MARCOM Professionals under 40, SNJ’s Top Women in Business, and as a finalist with honorable mention for the Young Professional of the Year by the MIDJersey Chamber of Commerce’s midJersey Business magazine. She holds a bachelor of arts in communications, with a concentration in business and professional speech and a minor in marketing and advertising, from Rider University.

When this mom of young twin boys has a moment to spare, she enjoys giving back to the community through sitting on Boards or Committees of organizations such as The New Jersey Communications, Advertising and Marketing Association (NJCAMA), United Way of Greater Mercer County, Business Women Networking Involving Charity & Education (BWNICE) and Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Christina Lance is the Director of Communications for the LPGA, one of the longest-running women’s professional sports associations in the world. Christina and her team manage global public and media relations for the LPGA Tour, with 200-plus players representing more than 35 countries. The Tour annually competes in 32-plus events across North America, Europe and Asia.

Prior to joining the LPGA, Christina worked for the United States Golf Association, focused on public and media relations efforts for its women’s championship. She began her career in sports television, working for ABC Sports and NBC Sports in production and operations.

Christina spent much of her life in Massachusetts and New Jersey, but now makes her home in Nashville, Tenn. She is a 2003 graduate of Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tenn., with a degree in Communications (Broadcasting and Public Relations). She is a proud aunt of three, diehard Patriots fan, avid reader and constant world traveler.

A career labor and employment lawyer, Andrée Peart Laney has both prosecuted and defended employers. At EANJ, she advises them on minimizing employment law risks in their day-to-day workplace decisions. Andrée commenced her career in employment law as a senior trial attorney for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, where she litigated workplace discrimination cases against private employers in federal courts. She went on to serve as an EEOC administrative judge, deciding discrimination cases filed by federal employees. Andrée has counseled and defended employers as a labor relations director for the City of New York, in-house counsel for an international financial services firm, and as counsel at law firms in the New York Metropolitan area. Andrée now leverages her prior experience to facilitate compliance in all areas of labor and employment law through day-to-day management and HR counseling, legislative interpretation, and training. 

Erica Lasan is a multi-passionate entrepreneur, wife, and mom, on a mission to transform the world (and future generations) through RADICAL JOY!

Over the past two decades, Lasan has built a career and personal brand that revolves around creative expression and service.

From starting a jewelry line (at the tender age of 13), and successfully transitioning to an e-Commerce business (while working in fashion) – Lasan’s quest for creative freedom eventually led her into a career of media, television/video production, and content creation. This career-pivot ultimately led to Lasan’s dream of becoming an on-air host, and the opportunity to work with several major publications including: EBONY magazine, Black & Sexy TV, Mom.com, and Juicy Magazine.

After a sudden layoff in 2016 (quickly followed by an unexpected transition into full-time motherhood), Lasan looked to “JOYGems” gained over the course of her career to navigate this new season of life. It was from this period of self-rediscovery, shifting identities, and uncertainty that the JOYrney To Purpose™ was born.

Now as a JOY Strategist & Creative Consultant, Lasan guides busy women and entrepreneurial moms in reclaiming more: time, energy, and space – to rediscover what “lights them up” with JOY.

Through Lasan’s signature process, women are brought to a space of healing, freedom, and amplified faith as they explore “what’s next” …ONE feel good thing at a time!

To keep up with JOYrney, visit EricaLasan.com and follow her across social media @EricaLasan.

As a partner in the Business Litigation practice at McCarter & English, Justice Jaynee LaVecchia draws upon her decades of judicial experience and deep understanding of New Jersey’s state agencies and regulatory landscape to help clients resolve their most complicated legal matters.

Justice LaVecchia brings a deep understanding of litigation and trial strategy and counsels clients through each stage of their legal matters and business disputes. Her extensive knowledge and experience with the appellate process informs trial strategy for the most complex cases, ensuring that potential appellate issues are identified at the earliest possible stage and positioning clients for success. Her regulatory experience likewise provides valuable insight into the complexities and processes of numerous state agencies touching every industry from financial services to healthcare and public utilities. Justice LaVecchia also handles internal investigations and serves as a mediator or arbitrator.

Nominated by Governor Christine Todd Whitman, Justice LaVecchia served for more than 21 years on the New Jersey Supreme Court. During her tenure, Justice LaVecchia presided over hundreds of cases and authored numerous opinions on critical issues impacting New Jersey’s most prominent industries. On her departure from the bench, her fellow justices cited her extensive knowledge of the intricacies of the state’s governmental laws and agencies.

Before her nomination to the Supreme Court, Justice LaVecchia served as the New Jersey Commissioner of Banking and Insurance, overseeing thousands of insurance companies,  banks, and credit unions. Prior to that, she held various leadership positions, including Deputy Chief Counsel in the Office of Counsel to Governor Thomas H. Kean, Chief Administrative Law Judge in New Jersey’s Office of Administrative Law, and Director of the Division of Law within the Department of Law and Public Safety. Justice LaVecchia has presided over hundreds of agency hearings, adding to her extensive knowledge of the inner workings of the state government, on issues ranging from procurement and healthcare to public contracts and utilities. This government experience allows her to help businesses navigate complicated regulatory issues at the state and local levels.

As the longest-serving female justice in New Jersey history, Justice LaVecchia has received numerous awards and honors. She is a member of the Rutgers University Hall of Distinguished Alumni and recipient of the New Jersey Women of Achievement Award and the Rutgers Law School Distinguished Alumni Award. She is also an elected member of the American Law Institute and a Fellow of the American Bar Association.

Liza Lee Luk (she/her) has 15+ years of experience in Business, Strategy, and Human Resource Management and has worked with dozens of Fortune 500 companies and medium/small organizations in different capabilities.

Currently, she is an HR leader with Delta Dental of NJ/CT because her professional passion lays in building great cultures. Liza has a BS from Cornell University and an MBA from Columbia University. Outside of work, she’s a CMO (Chief Mom Officer) and oversees the growth and innovation department… for her 6-year-old twin girls.

Her breadth of experiences, both professionally and personally, has given her a wide range of perspectives to share in the NJBIA Women Business Leaders Forum. She’s honored to serve as a panelist on the Building Workplace Confidence session and will explore how to harness strengths and turn them into confidence to be used immediately at work with coworkers and others.

We’ll talk about specific tactics that works! Her hobbies include international travel (20+ countries and counting), health and wellness (consistent HIIT workout and meditation practice 5-6x/week), and mentoring future women leaders and being mentored by women leaders (favorite motto: ABL – Always Be Learning).

At 21, Aixa started working for Johnson & Johnson in manufacturing as a 3rd shift production supervisor and technology transfer engineer. She was in charge of 75 employees who doubled her age and oversaw technology transfer projects between Puerto Rico and Texas.

At 30, she became the first non-civil engineer and female to direct a public works department in a municipality in Puerto Rico, managing over 200 construction & sanitation employees. Her work caught the attention of State-level officials. As a result, she managed the Metro Region water infrastructure construction projects and a capital improvement program of over $100 million in public assets.

With 30 years of experience in multiple industries, Aixa currently serves as an independent consultant for nonprofit organizations, acting as an extension of their staff and supporting operational management, reengineering efforts, and programmatic logistics.

She has received multiple productivity improvement awards in the manufacturing industry and was recently recognized as one of NJBiz’s 50 Best Women in Business. She has also been a speaker at NYU’s GSTEM Summer Program.

Aixa lives in the Newburgh-Beacon Region in NY with her husband, Jose Reyes, also an industrial engineer with expertise in Quality and President of Qualis-Solutions, LLC. Their daughter, Andrea, lives in NYC and works for Marc Jacobs in fashion product development.

Jackie Lue Raia is the president of ALEXENA Consulting, a firm focused on Workforce Development and Employee Engagement. As a certified Minority/Women Business Enterprise, the firm serves as an essential and important partner to businesses and stakeholders across all industry sectors. Their goal is to ensure the creation of the strongest, most engaged and satisfied workforce possible. This is accomplished by creating a professional atmosphere and environment that is empathetic, nurturing, engaging and safe. Based on formalized evaluations and feedback from their clients, the firm’s planning and execution of unique, highly customized, interactive, real-life workshops and roundtable discussions have been well received and impactful.

Jackie currently sits on the Leadership Committee of NJ Business and Industry Association’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council; Board of Directors of the Bergen and Essex County Workforce Development Boards; Leadership Council for the New Jersey Statewide Network for Cultural Competence; Board of Directors for Global Business Travel Association – NJ; Advisory Board Member of NJ Association for School Resource Officers (NJASRO); and is the Goodwill Ambassador of the Blue Knights NJ Chapter VIII law enforcement motorcycle club. She was awarded a certificate for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace by the University of South Florida.

ALEXENA Consulting was awarded the 2022 New Jersey Business & Industry Association and New Jersey Business Magazine’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award for Excellence in DEI Initiatives.

In 2023, Jackie received the YWCA Northern New Jersey Tribute to Women of INfluence (TWIN) award.

Dianne is the CEO, President & Founder of Precious Stones Coaching offering award-winning leadership, career, life coaching and consulting. Her passion is to enable and equip emerging leaders, newly developed teams, and individual contributors to exhibit excellence in their leadership capabilities while experiencing positive effectiveness in their organizations and in their homes.  

Her confident, supportive, and creative approach to coaching and consulting combines with her long career in Corporate America resulting in career advancement and leadership growth for her clients. She provides a safe, non-judgmental space where clients can identify challenge areas and develop their plan to not only overcome those challenges but to rise above them and move forward in their career and in their life. 

In her previous positions, Dianne successfully interacted at all corporate levels (including C-Levels). She was able to grow in her career and develop strong relationships with executives, management, peers, and team members which allowed her to successfully spearhead major projects while negotiating and navigating bureaucracy. Dianne led teams, influenced peers, and mentored team members in the Fragrance, Agricultural Chemical, Barter, and IT Services industries from large Corporate publicly held companies, to both large and small privately held companies. 

Whatever you may be facing, you can trust Dianne to listen deeply, to help you learn from your challenges and to grow in your career and leadership areas of focus. Her care and passion for her clients’ success is evident in every interaction. Dianne’s clients move forward, achieve career success and truly triumph as leaders in their companies.  

Dianne holds multiple certifications including: ICF Associate Certified Coach, Strengths Champion Certified Coach®, DiSC® Certified Coach. She is the Director for the Bethany DivorceCare for Women Ministry, a Presidential member of the American Association of Christian Counselors, a member of The Stress Management Institute, the International Coaching Federation (ICF), the International Society of Female Professionals, International Christian Coaches Institute, Connected Commerce Council, a former member of the MRCC Women In Business Initiative, and the current Lead of the Christian Women’s Business Organization in the NY/NJ area. 

Constantina Meis is currently Community Relations Manager for the non-profit New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP) where her work allows her to continue engaging and supporting local communities throughout New Jersey. NJMEP is focused on helping manufacturers in the state become more competitive. However, close collaboration with local government is a vital part of this mission. In her role, Constantina Meis serves as an advocate that develops partnerships and cultivates relationships between the local community, local manufacturers, and local/federal government entities. She plays an instrumental role in ensuring the NJ legislature continues to support NJMEP, local workforce development incentives and the manufacturing industry as a whole.

Previously she has served as District Director with Senator Bob Gordon supporting the community she grew up in and worked nationally through Young Democrats of America with several leadership initiatives and training programs including “Rising Stars” which gave women and people with disabilities and others impacted by social, racial or economic disparities the tools to become more engaged in community organizing and politics. She has also served as Coordinator with the American Conference of Diversity, Youth Development Specialist with Boys & Girls Club of Newark and has been involved in local, gubernatorial and presidential races since her time after college; exampled range from Campaign Manager for Passaic County Democratic Committee to Hudson County Director for Menendez for Senate. She graduated from Bloomfield College and supports her Alma mater.

She is a proud mother of an adventurous 2 year old, Enoch, with her loving husband Jorge.

Mrs. Maisha Y. Moore earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Cheyney University of Pennsylvania in Political Science in 2009. Since receiving her degree Mrs. Moore has devoted her career to public service. She has worked for Non-Profits in grant writing, under a US Senator with a focus on Uniform Services, Department of Veteran Affairs, Department of Corrections, Internal Revenue Service and Federal Emergency Management Agency.

For the last four years, Mrs. Moore has worked for the City of Atlantic City Municipal Government. In this role she served as the former Mayor’s Chief of Staff, where she directed the day to day operations of the Mayor’s office. She designed, implemented and managed a system that ensured the Mayor’s office was efficiently and effectively meeting the needs of the City. Mrs. Moore collaborated and guided Directors within City Hall to bring department processes and functions to current industry standards for municipal services. She also collaborated with stakeholders within the State of New Jersey to bring new direction and opportunities to the City. During this time Mrs. Moore had the opportunity to work alongside the Director of Planning and Development. It was in this department that she realized the potential the City holds.

Mrs. Moore is a lifelong resident of Atlantic County and currently resides in Pleasantville with her husband and two daughters. Her knowledge and loyalty of the City and surrounding areas provides a deeper desire to be a part of the future and growth of the City of Atlantic City.

Becky most recently was the Championship Director, of the 17th Edition of the Solheim Cup for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in the fall of 2021. The Solheim Cup is the largest women’s professional sporting event in the world and was conducted at Inverness Club.
• The event exceeded all expectations after facing all the challenges dealing with a global pandemic when the country shut down in March of 2020.
• Toledo “Set a New Standard” for the future of this international competition.
o 130K fans from 50 states; 30K attended the two-day Downtown Toledo Festival; 150 local and national corporate partners; 2,000 volunteers from 39 states; and over 9M people consumed the LPGA across linear, streaming, social/web platforms.

Becky joined the LPGA in December of 2010 as the Director of Sales & Marketing, 2013 Solheim Cup in Denver, Colorado and was promoted to Tournament Director in June of 2012. At the conclusion of the 2013 Solheim Cup Becky relocated the family to LPGA Headquarters in Tournament Business Affairs and is in her 11th year with the Tour.

Prior to moving into her new role as Tournament Director for the Solheim Cup, Becky spent five years as the Director, Tournament Business Affairs. Becky served as a primary liaison between the LPGA and approximately 10 LPGA tournaments to ensure events are properly serviced, responsible for renewal of existing tournament agreements, development of new tournaments and related sponsorships as well as assists with the development, negotiation and implementation of the LPGA schedule. She worked closely to improve the quality of assigned tournaments by way of personal visits and information exchange relative to marketing techniques, promotional options, special event opportunities and tournament production. In addition, Becky traveled extensively both domestically and internationally.

Becky spent five years working for IMG in their Golf Division primarily as a Tournament Director for several LPGA events and support staff for managed PGA Tour events and the Masters hospitality program. She also worked at Octagon running a Men’s Asian Tour event in Beijing, China and prior to that she spent approximately 13 years as the Director of Operations for the LPGA’s Chick-fil-A Charity Championship hosted by Nancy Lopez in Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating from BGSU Becky’s teaching career started at Ottawa Hills Elementary School in Toledo, OH and she also spent nine years at Maumee Valley Country Day School teaching and coaching both in the High School and Lower School.

She is a native of Maumee, Ohio and graduated with a degree in Education from Bowling Green State University in May of 1983. Becky and her husband, Mark currently reside in Windsor, CO. They have two children; Eric a graduate of Colorado State University, Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture resides in Denver, Colorado and Nicole a graduate of the University of West Georgia in Sport Management and a Master’s in Business resides in Atlanta, Georgia.

Geri’s new venture with her family, is the additional Life Celebration Funeral Home located in Jackson to be completed in Spring of 2021. This will have a banquet facility, store and café for a completely new funeral experience. For a total immersion into one’s life as you once knew them.

She then pursued a bigger dream of owning her own funeral home and opened her first funeral home, Oliverie Funeral Home in Lakehurst in 1987. In 1988 she also managed Shore Memorial Funeral Home in Pt. Pleasant Beach until it sold. In 2000 she opened her second funeral home in Manchester Township.

Geraldine married Michael J Hennicke who is also a licensed funeral director and co-owner of their businesses. They have three children, Marissa, Licensed Funeral Director, Bridget, MD, and Michael currently a Junior in Fordham University NROTC.

Geri, is the nickname she is commonly known by, is a charter member of the Funeral Ethics Association. She is a member of the NJ State Funeral Directors Association, & current Treasurer of the Monmouth – Ocean Funeral Directors Association. Member of the National Funeral Directors Association and serves on their Scholarship Committee and also a Pursuit of Excellence recipient since 2014. An OGR member, Order of the Golden Rule, Community Award Recipient twice, 2015 & 2019. Geri is also a Certified Celebrant and the 2020 American Funeral Director of the Year and 2021 Order of the Golden Rule Golden Light Recipient for Professional Excellence.

Geri was honored with the Women of Distinction Award by the Jersey Shore Girls Scouts for her community involvement and she was also honored as the Humanitarian of the Year from the American Cancer Society, and served on the Monsignor Donovan PTA as President & was the recipient of their Giving Tree Award. She currently is serving as a board member for the St Joseph’s Century Club. . She annually volunteers to build on a project with Habitat for Humanity with NFDA all over the country. Geri was honored with the prestigious Jackson Alumni Hall of Fame Civic Award in October 2006 from her alma mater.

Geraldine is an active supporter of her community. She has her Annual Flu Clinic in September, Annual Blood Drive in April & sponsors the Manchester Little League, is an Honorary Lifetime Member of the Manchester Volunteer Fire Co. and is a Platinum sponsor for the Lakehurst Fleet Reserve #124 Summer Olympics and also, a Platinum sponsor for Manchester Day. She is a member of the Chamber of Commerce since 1992. Geri also is a major sponsor of the Children’s Memorial Garden in the Winding River Park, Toms River that the Compassionate Friends of Toms River Maintain.

She was elected to the Lakehurst Borough Planning Board and she was elected Council Woman for the Borough and she was elected to the Board of Education. She is very active with the Lakehurst-Manchester Rotary Club, a member since 1988 she has held many positions. She is a Presidential Citation recipient from District 7500, & she is a District 7500 Service Award honoree and a Rotary International Paul Harris Honoree and also an International Benefactor.

Geri’s new venture with her family, is the additional Life Celebration Funeral Home located in Jackson to be completed in Spring of 2021. This will have a banquet facility, store and café for a completely new funeral experience. For a total immersion into one’s life as you once knew them.

Chaya Pamula is the President and CEO of PamTen Inc, a global technology company which she co-founded in 2007 following her successful career in IT at Bristol Myers Squib. She is a technologist, philanthropist, a visionary, mentor, an entrepreneur and above all a passionate human being. She holds an MBA and an Executive Education Certification from Harvard University.

Her positive approach, energy and creativity propelled her towards achieving the challenging goals she had set for herself. She founded SOFKIN (Support Organization For Kids In Need) an NGO that is currently supporting over 100 destitute & underprivileged children in India. SOFKIN creates loving and caring homes where the children are given medical attention, cared for, fed, educated, and provided with a nurturing environment which encourages overall personality growth and leadership skills under Chaya’s guidance and inspiration. SOFKIN has youth groups established in New Jersey, Philadelphia and India where the students from local high schools and colleges volunteer for the organization.
Her passion to empower young girls and women in the field of Technology led her to found SheTek in 2018. SheTek is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to increase the percentage of women represented in the technology industry by creating a pipeline of talent that is highly skilled and job ready. This unique SheTek community is powered through partnerships and collaborations to provide training, mentorship and internships that lead to job placements through SheTek Staffing Services.

Chaya serves on the board of several non-profit organizations including MAHER, which is supporting destitute women and children in India, and Gender Reconciliation International, supporting communities through gender reconciliation and inter spiritual training and workshops.

She is a welcomed speaker at many technology and social change events around the world. At the United Nations Commission on Status of Women (CSO), on gender issues and women empowerment; As a panelist on ‘Access to Justice’ at the Harvard India Conference 2016, a prestigious event attended by dignitaries, politicians, organizations and celebrities from India and around the world; at an International Inter-spiritual Conference For Women in leadership and also at many other technology & leadership conferences held in India & Canada.

Chaya is a Certified Business Process Management Professional (BPMP), Project Management Professional (PMP) from PMI and Six Sigma Green Belt. Her accolades and awards include Smart CEOs Future 50 Companies, NJBIZ Top 50 Fastest Growing Companies, NJ Best 50 Women in Business, and NJBIA Executive of the Year for 2018.

Pilar Patterson is Head of Mid-Atlantic Permitting for Ørsted, a global green energy company and world leader in offshore wind energy. Ørsted develops, constructs, and operates offshore and onshore wind farms, solar farms, energy storage facilities, renewable hydrogen and green fuels facilities, and bioenergy plants. In the United States, Ørsted operates the Block Island Wind Farm, America’s first offshore wind farm, and constructed the two-turbine Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind pilot project – the first turbines to be installed in federal waters. Ørsted has approximately 5,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy in development in five states and across seven projects. Pilar is a graduate of Rutgers College of Engineering. As Head of Mid-Atlantic Permitting, Pilar oversees the regulatory permitting process for three of our U.S. offshore windfarms – Ocean Wind 1, Ocean Wind 2 and Skipjack Wind.

Jeana Piscatelli is Senior Vice President, Director of Treasury Management for OceanFirst Bank in Red Bank, New Jersey.  She is responsible for implementation of overall strategy and management of corporate treasury management.

Prior to joining OceanFirst, Jeana held various roles with J.P. Morgan and Wells Fargo in New York.  She was with J.P. Morgan’s Financial Institutions Group, where she had regional responsibility for Banks and FinTech companies in the Mid-Atlantic. At Wells Fargo, Jeana was Director of Institutional Foreign Exchange & Sales for the International division.  Before moving to International, she was in the Global Financial Institutions Group, where she established the bank’s Wholesale correspondent banking presence in the Northeast.

Jeana spent 8 years with AT&T and AT&T Wireless in a series of progressively responsible sales positions. As Manager of Global Accounts, Jeana led sales efforts in the Hospitality & Tech Verticals and developed world-wide wireless solutions for Fortune 500 clients.

A native of New Jersey, Jeana received her B.S. in Marketing and Finance from Monmouth University, and an M.B.A, with a concentration in Finance and a Post-Master’s Certificate in Accounting, also from Monmouth.  Jeana is a member of the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP). She is involved in various community support programs furthering diversity and women’s leadership initiatives and serves on the leadership committee of WomenLEAD, OceanFirst Bank’s program to enhance the professional development of women.

Jeana is an active member of the Board of Trustees for Monmouth University and served as the 1st female chair from 2020-2023.  Jeana chaired the Business Council for the Monmouth University Leon Hess Business School from 2010-2013.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/oceanfirst-bank/

Marjorie Perry, a lifelong resident of New Jersey, is the President and CEO of MZM Construction & Management Company, Inc.  As importantly, she is widely recognized as an innovator, public speaker, writer and role model for women and minorities in business.  Using her extraordinary path to success and 26 years of experience as fodder for inspiration, Perry finds her mission to be one who motivates nascent entrepreneurs to develop and pursue their dreams by sharing the lessons she has learned from her own success, which often meant taking life’s lemons and making lemonade. Trained as an educator with a B.A. from Kean College, Perry’s path in teaching was diverted after she was caught in a series of layoffs in the Newark Public School system. In a fortuitous career move, she decided to try her luck in sales and marketing—which turned out to be an unexpected perfect fit. She went on to work for corporate giants 3M, Johnson & Johnson and United Airlines, ultimately cultivating a burgeoning vision for life as a passionate, self-made entrepreneur. 

Perry launched a consulting company focused on helping start-ups and serial entrepreneurs succeed in the marketplace. Resourceful and open to all possibilities, it wasn’t long before she and two partners founded MZM Construction & Management. Soon after, she became sole principal of the company, which has sustained a multi-million-dollar bottom line for the last 24 years.  

Perry is now a coveted inspirational speaker and writer, motivating people with the message that, “You, too, can do it!” She has spoken throughout the United States to women in business and at small business conferences on how to successfully navigate while playing in shark-filled waters. 

Local speaking engagements include the NJ Governor’s Conference for Women, the heralded Sobel & Co., Executive Women Breakfast Series, The Liberty Science Women’s Program, The National Association of Women Business Owners, and The NJ chapter of Financial Executive Institute (FEI).   

Perry has appeared on MSNBC, CBS, ABC, UPN 9, News 12 and NJN’s New Jersey Caucus with Steve Adubato where she also is a proud member of the Adubato Advisory Board.   

She has received numerous awards and recognitions, including being inducted into New Jersey’s premier business publication’s NJBIZ 2011 Business of the Year, New Jersey Business of Hall of Fame, 2012 SBA Business of the Year, 2012 Best 50 Women in Business, and one of the Top 25 Entrepreneurs in New Jersey. More recently, Perry was selected by Goldman Sachs and Bloomberg in 2015 as one of the top 15 businesses in the country to watch for in the future with major growth within the next five years. To top it off, she has been selected to receive the prestigious 2018 NJBIZ Lifetime Achievement Award, which has only been presented to three other New Jersey business women over the years. She is also a graduate of Goldman Sachs 10,000 small business initiative. 

Perry sits on the following boards:  The Board of Overseers at NJIT as Chair which includes being a part of the Joint Investment Board, Real Estate and Acquisition Committee, assisting in the selection of new ventures which support the University in acquiring new land for expansion to further advance the ongoing strategic plan; is a Board member of the Newark Regional Business Partnership and newly elected to the Executive Board of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce.  In her spare time she lends her voice to the Advisory Board for the Montclair State University Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship, and the Finance Chair for the East Orange School Board, and a recent past member of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and Kean University Foundation Board. In academia, she is an adjunct professor at NJIT and Stevens Institute of Technology, teaching MBA students the means and methods of being a successful entrepreneur.  In her spare time Perry mentors inner city college-bound youth because it matters that they make it too. 

Perry excelled in receiving her MBA in finance from NJIT with additional coursework at Rutgers, Stevens, NYU and NJIT and completed Leadership for the 21st Century at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.  In addition, she completed a finance certification program in 2016 just completed Harvard Business School   (HBS) OPM Executive Program  and was voted class speaker  November, 2020.  

Karen Reif was elected vice president – renewables and energy solutions, effective July 2018.  In this role, she oversees PSE&G’s clean energy strategy.  She is responsible for the operations and strategic growth of both PSE&G and PSEG Long Island’s solar energy, energy efficiency, demand response and alternative fuel vehicle programs.

As of July 2018, PSE&G has made more than $1.3 billion in solar investments in New Jersey and more than $400 million in energy efficiency programs in the state.  PSE&G’s current Solar 4 All investment is concentrating on turning landfills and brownfields green by building solar farms on otherwise unusable sites. In addition, the company has announced plans to propose an additional $2.5 billion in energy efficiency programs, $300 million in electric car infrastructure investment and $100 million in battery storage projects.

Previously, Ms. Reif was senior director of continuous improvement for the Shared Services Organization at PSEG.  She established this function for PSEG, which is responsible for developing sustainable, repeatable and quantifiable business improvements based on industry best practices.

Ms. Reif has been with PSEG since 1995 and spent 14 of those years in the Information Technology Department.  She worked in multiple areas of IT holding several leadership roles.  Areas of focus included finance, strategy, business relationship, application implementation, quality assurance, process management and program management. Prior to joining PSEG, she was a consultant with Scott, Madden & Associates.

Ms. Reif holds a BA in Economics and International Studies from Emory University and a MBA (MSIA) from Carnegie Mellon University.  She has the following certifications: Project Management Professional, Lean Six Sigma, and Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Foundation.

Beatrice Romao is a Senior Vice President and Market President of Retail at TD Bank.

A proven and thoughtful leader, she leads the strategic growth of more than 120 TD locations with over 1,200 employees across Central and South New Jersey.  In this capacity, she champions TD’s vision with respect to customer, employee and shareholder experiences, implementing effective strategies and plans that achieve top line growth and bottom-line results.

Having started as a part time teller more than 30 years ago in the industry, Beatrice assumed expanding roles of responsibility within retail banking and operations spanning from Store Management, to Retail Operations, supporting Mergers & Acquisitions and Sales Strategy, always seeking challenges.  She is passionate about developing talent and understands the value of every individual, as well as the collective strength and need of developing and living a diverse & inclusive culture.

In her personal time, she enjoys music, volunteering as a family and outdoor activities with her husband of 28 years and her daughter.

Debra concentrates her practice in the area of complex environmental and toxic tort litigation and environmental due diligence and compliance with a special emphasis on the defense of complex, multiparty groundwater contamination cases involving claims under the New Jersey Spill Act and CERCLA for cost recovery, as well as private party litigation seeking recovery for both property damage and serious personal injury. Debra’s work has been in both state and federal courts and she has handled matters in jurisdictions throughout the United States.

Debra has significant experience in other litigation matters, including products liability and chemical workplace exposure cases. She also advises clients on transactions involving purchase and redevelopment of brownfields. Debra frequently counsels clients on environmental compliance issues with a focus on Underground Storage Tank regulations and Industrial Site Recovery Act (ISRA) requirements and is well-versed in the Site Remediation Reform Act, the ARRCS regulations and the Licensed Site Remediation Professional program. She regularly represents clients in compliance and enforcement matters brought by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and has also represented clients in matters involving emerging contaminants, including PFAS chemicals and 1,4 dioxane.

Debra serve as Co-Chair of Archer’s Personnel Committee and is a member of the firm’s Diversity Committee. She is also a founding member and Co-Chair for the Archer & Greiner Women Lawyer’s Network.

Brenda Ross-Dulan is the Founder and Managing Principal of The Ross-Dulan Group, a boutique strategy consulting firm designed to transform companies by transforming decision-makers. She leverages more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry to help CEOs and executives across the US solve their toughest business challenges.

Prior to launching her consulting practice, Ms. Ross-Dulan led the merger of Wachovia and Wells Fargo – noted as the largest merger in the banking industry. She served as President of the consumer banking group for Southern New Jersey, overseeing more than $12 billion in deposits, $5 billion in loans while managing 1,700 employees. Her region’s revenues exceeded $500 million annually and her region was recognized as one of the best places to work in New Jersey.

Driven by her personal mission to continue to make a difference in the lives of others, Ms. Ross-Dulan leveraged her experience in corporate and real estate banking as well as community development to establish RD Capital Partners. The firm seeks to demonstrate that investments in underserved markets can be both transformative and profitable for local stakeholders and investors.

In 2021, Ms. Ross-Dulan was elected to the board of directors of NJM Insurance Group, her first corporate board. She serves on its investment and audit committees. In 2022, she was named to the board of trustees of NCIF, a Chicago based firm that invests in minority owned banks across the nation.

Ms. Ross-Dulan has extensive experience in non-profit board governance on both the east and west coasts. She became the first African American female to lead a majority chamber in the State of New Jersey, when she was installed as the Chair of the Board of the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce in January 2020. She led the board through the unprecedented pandemic and economic shutdown. During that time, she served on Governor Phil Murphy’s Advisory Council for the Restart and Recovery of the state of New Jersey. Her board service is quite impressive and includes College Achieve Charter Schools and Young Audiences, NJTV, Greater Trenton Initiative and Coopers Ferry Community Development Association. She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and an advisor to the New Jersey Black Women’s Collective.

Ms. Ross-Dulan has been recognized as one of the most influential business owners and consultants in New Jersey by ROI-NJ. She has been ranked as one of the nation’s most powerful women in corporate America by Black Enterprise Magazine and has received dozens of accolades as a leading executive.

Ms. Ross-Dulan holds a BBA from Howard University in Washington, D.C., and an MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA.

People who know Brenda describe her as caring, disciplined and visionary. Fearless in the face of challenge, she is guided by her personal mission: to make a difference in the lives of others and to leave them better off. That philosophy has led to countless testimonies about the impact she’s had on them, their careers and companies.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendarossdulan

Gail Friedberg Rottenstrich is co-founder and CEO of ZAGO Manufacturing Co., a woman-owned business and global producer of sustainable sealing fasteners and components. A former corporate attorney, Gail started ZAGO with her husband, Harvey Rottenstrich, nearly 30 years ago at the NJIT Enterprise Development Center small business incubator. Today, ZAGO operates and manufactures from a solar-powered facility in Newark, NJ, and employs over 30 people.

Most recently, in its 2021 NJBIZ Manufacturing Power 50, NJBIZ ranked Gail as the fifth most powerful person in manufacturing in the Garden State for ZAGO’s outstanding work as an Essential Manufacturer throughout the Pandemic when the company pivoted to manufacture sealing screws for pneumatic medical ventilators. In 2022, ROI-NJ named Gail to its ROI Influencers: Manufacturing list and its ROI Influencers: Top 40 Women in Business.

Gail proudly serves on the Board of Trustees, New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP), the New Jersey Manufacturing Policy Academy Home Team and on the Board of Trustees of Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan New Jersey. Gail is a council member (second term) in her hometown of Fair Lawn Borough, and is liaison to the Fair Lawn Green Team and Planning Board.

Gail is a graduate of the State University of New York – Albany and the George Washington National Law Center.

Judy Sailer is the Director of Learning and Development for Primepoint HR & Payroll. She holds a Masters Degree in Management & Organizational Leadership from Springfield College, received her Human Resources Cert from Rutgers University, and is a certified SHRM CP and PHR. She has presented for NJBIA, CCSNJ, NJACP, Tri-State SHRM and Garden State SHRM and has been featured in Forbes and Jersey Matters. She is well-versed in all aspects of management and leadership; her passion is staff development.

Mollie Marcoux Samaan was a passionate multi-sport athlete from the moment she was introduced to sports as a young girl. After watching the LPGA and seeing her older brother play golf, Marcoux Samaan convinced her parents at age 11 to allow her to spend her summer days playing at Newman Golf Course, a public course in Ithaca, N.Y. At 14, she was runner up in the women’s city championship, losing in a playoff. She is a five-time club champion at the North Fork Country Club in Cutchogue, N.Y.

Marcoux Samaan graduated cum laude from Princeton University in 1991. A history major, she wrote her senior thesis on “The Social Construction of Sport and Gender: A History of Women’s Golf from 1895 to 1955.” She was a two-sport varsity athlete, earning four letters each in soccer and ice hockey. In addition to being named First Team All-Ivy in ice hockey all four years, Marcoux Samaan was named to the collegiate women’s ice hockey Team of the Decade in 1990. As a senior, Marcoux Samaan was awarded the C. Otto von Kienbusch Sportswoman of the Year Award, honoring the University’s top female athlete who also displays high scholastic rank and sportsmanship.

Following graduation, Marcoux Samaan served as assistant athletic director, assistant dean of admissions, and coach of girls’ ice hockey and soccer at the Lawrenceville School (Lawrenceville, N.J).

She then began a 19-year career with Chelsea Piers Management, the company that owns and operates two world-class amateur sports complexes, Chelsea Piers New York and Chelsea Piers Connecticut, when its first facility opened in 1995. Marcoux Samaan progressed into senior management positions throughout her time at Chelsea Piers, becoming executive vice president of Chelsea Piers’ 400,000-square-foot multi-venue sports complex in Connecticut, a facility with over 300 employees, including professional athletes, Olympians, former collegiate coaches, former Division I athletes and sports industry leaders. In these roles she developed extensive and cutting-edge sports programming for athletes of all ages and abilities. She also founded and served as executive director of the Chelsea Piers Scholarship Fund, which offers scholarships to provide athletic opportunities to children in need.

In 2014, she was recruited back to Princeton as the University’s Ford Family Director of Athletics. In her seven years as Director of Athletics, Marcoux Samaan has overseen a department known for achievement and excellence, on and off the field. During Marcoux Samaan’s tenure, Princeton teams won a league-leading 65 Ivy League Championships and finished as high as 30th in the prestigious Learfield IMG Cup standings, which measures overall athletics success of all Division I Athletics programs.

Marcoux Samaan initiated Princeton Tiger Performance, which focuses on the optimal performance of the University’s nearly 1,000 varsity athletes each year, putting in place programs that enable them to reach their fullest potential as athletes, students and citizens. She crafted a strategic plan for athletics that has continued to evolve and improve Princeton Athletics, including major improvements in facilities, recruiting and retaining talented coaches and staff, creating effective fundraising and revenue growth strategies and increasing marketing and exposure.

In 2020, Marcoux Samaan’s greatest leadership challenges were off the field: navigating the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the flashpoint in race relations and social justice. With both challenges, she demonstrated the ability to navigate complexity and uncertainty, putting people first, demonstrating empathy and taking constructive action. Her calmness and focus kept the athletic department functioning with resilience, growth and optimism and gave the teams, athletes and coaches a rallying point and direction during the most trying times.

In 2021, Princeton Athletics proudly celebrated 50 years of women’s athletics, highlighting the extraordinary competitive legacy and the profoundly positive impact so many Princeton female student- athletes have had after graduation.

Marcoux Samaan and her husband, Andrew Samaan, are the parents of three children: Maddie, Catie and Drew.

Rachel is a proactive and energetic leader with proven success in performance-based marketing campaigns, long-term client relationships, and operational re-alignment. As a data-driven professional, her strategies leverage target audience analysis, competitive research, and continuous campaign testing. Rachel excels in high-pressure environments and motivates her team members to work toward positions of increased responsibilities.

As chief operating officer of Marketsmith Inc., Rachel has helped the agency not only survive but thrive over the course of the pandemic. Her ability to quickly strategize and implement new procedures internally and in collaboration with clients has led to an increase of both organic and new business this past year. Among the many global, national, and regional brands Rachel helps lead at Marketsmith, she is particularly proud of the work the agency has done for the State of New Jersey promoting services for those suffering from addiction and driving voter registration, among other efforts.

Prior to joining Marketsmith, Rachel led client relationship, marketing strategy, and media subject matter experts Sigma Group, Sparkroom, and Digital Media Solutions, where she continually honed her ability to turn insights into business growth. Rachel is a noted industry speaker and has appeared on many podcasts. Rachel was recognized as a 2018 Woman Leader in Business in the Sales Lead Management Association’s annual honors list, among other awards.

Rachel lives with her husband and two children in Bergen County, New Jersey, where she is heavily involved in volunteer projects through her local temple. Rachel shares the Marketsmith commitment to greater inclusion and better outcomes for her colleagues, her clients, and all members of her community.

Michele N. Siekerka, Esq., President and CEO of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, leads the nation’s largest, most influential employers’ organization, advocating on behalf of New Jersey’s large and small businesses for policies that will make New Jersey more affordable and regionally competitive.

Being known as a collaborative leader, Siekerka is leading an NJBIA established coalition (New Jersey Business Coalition) comprised of more than 100 business and nonprofit associations across the state to tackle the tough economic and business challenges our state is facing during COVID 19.

Well versed on the ‘boots on the ground” issues affecting our state’s business community, Michele is often the “go to” resource for media and is sought after to share her expertise in public forums across the state.

Catherine Frugé Starghill, Esq. is the Vice President of the New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC) and Executive Director of the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development (Consortium). She is also the former Deputy Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Catherine was named to NJBIZ’s Top 50 in Education list in both 2022 and 2023, and was named one of New Jersey’s 25 Most Influential African Americans by the South Jersey Journal in 2017 as one of the “State’s leaders who stands head and shoulders above others and boldly reflects the rich diversity and excellence of the African American community throughout the Garden State.”

As Vice President of the NJCCC and Executive Director of the Consortium, Catherine is the executive who developed and implemented the statewide New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities initiative with over 1,800 industry and education partners aligning education to the needs of the workforce to build a stronger economy. She hosts the annual NJ Pathways to Career Opportunities Summit in Atlantic City, NJ for over 500 industry and education partners gathered to learn from national though-leaders focused on education and workforce training pathways to build stronger state economies, innovative workforces, and economic mobility for the state’s residents.

Before her positions at the NJCCC and the Consortium, Catherine held several executive positions at the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the NJ Department of Community Affairs. Prior to joining the public sector, Catherine worked in the private sector in the Tax and Legal Services practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Corporate Finance Staff of Ford Motor Company.

Catherine simultaneously earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Accounting from the University of Michigan. She later earned a Juris Doctor degree from Wayne State University Law School and a Six Sigma Black Belt Certification from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Catherine was married to the late Rev. Dr. Britt A. Starghill and is the mother of two children, Britt Andrew and Brie Alexandra.

History 

Gordon Stillwell founded the Gordon G. Stillwell Company in April of 1969. He specialized in air conditioning and began working out of a humble converted garage in his home. Shortly after starting his business, he realized that he needed someone with a background in heating to complement his strengths, so he asked his former associate, Paul Hansen, to assist him with some jobs he had booked. Together they formed Stillwell-Hansen Inc., and worked as a team until 1996 when Paul retired. At that time, Gordon and Carol Stillwell acquired Stillwell-Hansen. Carol, who had joined the company in 1969 as a secretary, became President and CEO, while Gordon remained active in Sales Management and acted as their mentor until his passing in 2008. 

A business that has been growing for decades, Stillwell-Hansen keeps Gordon’s legacy of truthfulness, experience and dedication to our customers alive. When you join the company, it’s like becoming part of the family. And by starting a relationship with Stillwell-Hansen, you become part of a family predicated on building a foundation for the future. 

Core Values 

Stillwell-Hansen strives to remain a ‘best in class’ manufacturer’s representative in our market. A solutions provider, we offer premier manufactured applications to address the needs of our customers. We are noted for our integrity, responsiveness, experience, technical competence and team commitment. 

We embrace the entrepreneurial attitude of our company and continue to provide and pursue opportunities for valued customers and associates to grow, develop and prosper. We also continue our drive for growth through excellence while earning a fair profit. 

Philanthropy 

Stillwell-Hansen is committed to all of its endeavors, and that includes supporting philanthropic activities that help improve the lives of others. A portion of the company’s profits support nonprofit causes with a strong focus on aiding cancer, healthcare, and educational organizations. Carol Stillwell has devoted her life to philanthropic causes and serves as an advocate and major fundraiser for numerous charities that are close to her heart. 

Monica Slater Stokes is United’s lead government relations executive in the Northeast region.  In this role, Monica develops and drives external affairs programs in support of the airline’s in-market public policy, social impact investment and business development objectives.

Prior to joining United, Monica worked in local and federal public sectors, including as director of Constituent Services and Community Development for the late U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, during which she advised on state and local education, small business, and economic development issues.

Monica, a Newark, NJ native, holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Vermont. She sits on several boards, including the Regional Plan Association and Choose New Jersey, and serves as chair of the board of the Newark Regional Business Partnership.

Nikki Sumpter is an experienced executive with demonstrated success in developing strategies to unleash the power of people to succeed, communities to thrive and organizations to grow. As Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer for Atlantic Health System, Ms. Sumpter oversees Human Resources, Diversity and Inclusion, Organizational Effectiveness, Philanthropy, Environmental Health and Safety, Sustainability, and Marketing and Communications.

Ms. Sumpter has an extensive background in leading enterprise-wide, transformational change to support key strategic initiatives, organizational design, environmental, social and governance initiatives, reputation management, workforce engagement, talent management and succession planning.

Under her leadership, Atlantic Health System has been named to Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” and “Best Workplaces for Women” rankings, and earned Practice Greenhealth’s System for Change and Environmental Excellence awards.

Ms. Sumpter’s professional experience in human resources spans more than twenty years. Prior to joining Atlantic Health System, she served as SVP of Human Resources and Learning at JPS Health Network in Fort Worth, Texas, where she led the human resources division, network education and learning, occupational health and wellness, and diversity and inclusion functions.

Ms. Sumpter serves on the board of trustees for Saint Elizabeth University and is a board member for Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC), Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey, and New Jersey Morris-Sussex-Warren Workforce Development Board. She has been recognized among the NJBIZ Best 50 Women in Business and as a Woman of Achievement awardee by the Girls Scouts of Northern New Jersey.

Ms. Sumpter earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a master’s degree in Human Resources Development from Villanova University.

For over 25 years, Cal has been teaching, training and coaching professionals and business owners to improve both their business performance and their personal performance.; With C-level sales expertise spanning a broad range of industries and operational experience with Fortune 100 companies to sole proprietorship, he brings an exceptional breadth of understanding to help his clients excel in their sales and management roles.

Please visit https://www.tailwind.sandler.com, for more information.

Paula Troy, Founder and President of RWK Consulting, LLC started RWK in 2000 and named the company in memory of her father “Raymond.” Paula makes it widely known that she feels blessed to work at what she loves, which also gives her the outlet for her passion to help others. Her journey toward success began with a background in accounting, economic development and business management, moving onward to business ownership. This broad base of experience helped her career expand into the political and governmental arena, holding leadership roles in the Mercer County Improvement Authority and the New Jersey Business Incubator Network. Paula credits much of her success to her family. Husband Tom, Children Angelina and Mark who give their total support to Paula/RWK and helping others.

Paula has served in many roles of leadership to include; Senior Director of Operations/Finance – Allies Inc., – Director of Business Development – Burlington County College to include complete oversight of the Technology and Science Incubators where she achieved unprecedented success, exceeding previous tenant numbers and significantly increasing growth records for fledgling businesses with over sight of more than 40 companies.

Prior to her position with Burlington County College, Paula served as Executive Director of Business Development for the Trenton Business and Technology Center, where her tenure resulted in increases to small business growth statewide with an increase in grants of 200%. Paula’s experience includes providing testimony before N.J. Senate and Assembly budget hearings related to funding for small business development and job growth and research for science and technology.

As a result of her exceptional leadership and organization skills, Paula has been widely recognized by the business community, having been named one of Mercer County’s 50 Most Interesting People SJ Magazine, as a “Person to Watch” for 2010. Paula has been interviewed in publications including NJBIZ, the Trenton/Burlington County Times and the Philadelphia Business Journal. Paula’s accomplishments have also been recognized by New Jersey State Legislators as well as Burlington County and Mercer County Boards of Chosen Freeholders.

In addition to her business accomplishments, Paula has served her community in a variety of ways, including volunteer work with the Mercer County community group, Prodigal Sons & Daughters Redirection Services. Drawing upon her professional experience, she provided training and mentor-ship to the group in optimizing redirection for those in transition after reflection. By sharing her experiences and effective work habits with others, she promotes a drive toward success and encouraged emergence from existing challenges.

In past years she lent her political knowledge to local government, participating in key organizations including the Mercer County Improvement Authority, the Robbinsville Township Planning Board, Redevelopment Committee. Hamilton Township Economic Development Council and the YMCA of Hamilton Strong Communities Committee.

Paula is an ongoing supporter of Women in Business. Paula supports the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce and the local Chambers to include the NJBIA. Paula regularly raises sponsorship funds for organizations of true character and vision.

Paula was also honored by receiving an award from NAWBO (the National Association of Women Business Owners – South Jersey Chapter) having been the recipient of, Business Advocate of the Year, Community Leader of the Year awards along with many others to dat

Angie is the Senior Vice President of Government Banking & Team Leader of NJ Business Development for Northfield Bank. She has invested over 33 years in the banking industry and take pride in my job, as she loves to build strong relationships in the communities that we serve and beyond. 

Her contributions to the community are reflected by the numerous boards’ positions that she serves, some of which are: 

• Past Chairman, Woodbridge Metro Chamber of Commerce 
• Vice Chairman, Linden Chamber of Commerce 
• Trustee, 200 Club of Middlesex County 
• Executive Director, Keep Middlesex Moving 
• Director, Feeding Middlesex County 
• Director, East Brunswick Regional Chamber of Commerce 
• Director, Union County ELC 

An award-winning journalist, Briana Vannozzi serves as the anchor for NJ Spotlight News. She’s worked in several capacities since joining the news division in 2012, as interim anchor and senior correspondent after years of general assignment reporting as a multimedia journalist. Vannozzi began her television journalism career by cutting her teeth on New Jersey State House politics for New Jersey Network News. And later as a news radio correspondent at FM News 101.9 in New York City. A Burlington County native, she’s honored to be serving and covering her home state. 

Diane Wasser is Partner-in-Charge of New Jersey and Managing Partner of Regions at Eisner Advisory Group as well as a member of the Eisner Advisory Group Executive Committee. She is responsible for New Jersey office stewardship and growth, client service initiatives, talent maximization, and day-to-day operations and administration as well as the fostering of a consistent firm culture amongst all the firm’s offices.

Diane has over 30 years of experience in public accounting, particularly focusing on audits of employee benefit plans. Diane founded the Pension Services Group within EisnerAmper LLP in the early 1990s and has been responsible for building that practice to now serve over 450 clients annually and be seen as a recognized leader in the industry.

An active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Diane previously served on the Employee Benefit Plan Expert Panel, Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center Executive Committee, and numerous AICPA Task Forces. Diane has also worked with the AICPA in the production of employee benefit plan auditing self-study courses.

Diane was appointed to the Audit Committee of the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce and is recognized as one of New Jersey’s most influential and respected accounting firm leaders in the “ROI Influencers” list 2022 Accountants and was also recognized in 2021. She is a “NJBIZ” 2021 Power 50 in Accounting honoree and a past honoree of the Executive Women of New Jersey’s Women of Professional Distinction. Diane was also previously named by NJBIZ as one of New Jersey’s Best 50 Women in Business.

Diane is a well-seasoned instructor at AICPA and NJSCPA national conferences and conference calls on specific audit topics. Diane provides commentary via television, radio, and print media on the New Jersey business climate, saving for retirement and employee benefit plan issues.

After successfully creating, scaling and selling her 150-employee marketing and analytics consulting company to a private equity firm, Dr. Sandi Webster fulfills her passion of ensuring that women are fully prepared for business through her online education and advisory services company, Sandi Webster LLC.

As Chief Learning Officer of her brand, Sandi Webster Coachsulting, she develops and delivers curriculum for workshops and retreats, and creates customized advisory experiences for her coaching clients. Her new online business course, “How To Form An Advisory Board,” targets entrepreneurs who need external help and advice via a course plus online Live Sessions.

Dr. Webster, a serial entrepreneur, with a Family Office that includes a partnership in Pandi-App LLC that invests in small businesses and Pre-IPO stocks, sits on boards, builds marketing apps, and hosts her publishing company.

• She’s an author of Black and White Strike Gold: Practical Nuggets to Grow Your Business from the Women Who Launched Consultants 2 Go, a MultiMillion Dollar Company.
• She authored a chapter in the recently-published book, Immigrant Hustle: How 50 Entrepreneurs Came to America and Built Something Out of Nothing.

Sandi holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from Temple University’s Fox School of Business, researching technology’s impact on flexible work arrangements for millennials and baby boomers. She coaches women business owners to understand further how to work from home while scaling their businesses. She also has an MBA from Dowling College in General Management (International) and a BS degree in Marketing from Marymount College at Fordham University.

As a member of NAWBO-NYC, she is an ex-Board member who helped to start the Mentoring Program (NAWBO-NYC.org); is a member of WPO-NEXT, where she speaks and organizes workshops for women with multi-million dollar businesses; and is an Ambassador of the International Women’s Enterprise Challenge (www.iwecfoundation.org), who travels internationally to recognize and meet with women business owners in countries including Peru, Sweden, Spain, and India.

She volunteers with the Carter Burden Network, helping seniors to stay healthy through their luncheon club. Since COVID, she leads Zoom workshops and vision board and budgeting classes to the elderly, disadvantaged women, and churches.