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Business Partners of the Year

In recognition of the essential role employer partners play in maintaining strong career and technical education programs across the state, each of New Jersey’s 21 county vocational-technical school districts annually recognizes a Business Partner of the Year.

Learn more about recent honorees and their contributions:

Diane Chaleff, who works for Google, teaching Bergen students
A hair stylist from Kristina Michelle Salon is presented with flowers as Warren County’s Business Partner of the Year.
An employer partner from Northeast Precast works at their business, on the job, with a student from Cumberland County.
Owners of Martenette Farms working with Somerset students in a greenhouse

Business Partner of the Year honorees:

Atlantic County Institute of Technology

2018 – Dr. Edwin Lopez-Bernard, Galloway
2017 – Jeff Walker, owner of Walker’s Automotive Service, Pleasantville
2016 – Barry Bruner, Mutual Aid Emergency Services, Absecon
2015 – Peter Avangliano, Galloway
2014 – Kelsey and Kim’s, Atlantic City and Pleasantville
2013 – Reliance Medical Group, LLC, Pleasantville

Bergen County Technical School District

2018 – The Hospital for Special Surgery Outpatient Center, Paramus
2017 – Snap-On Incorporated, Newton
2016 – John Bryndza, project engineer at Stryker Orthopaedics, Mahwah
2015 – Sterling Medical Devices, Rochelle Park
2014 – PepsiCo, Valhalla, NY
2013 – Lou Lento, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, US Department of Labor, Hasbrouck Heights

Burlington County Institute of Technology

2018 – Quality Concepts, Inc., Moorestown
2017 – Virtua Health System, South Jersey
2016 – Rowan College, Burlington County (RCBC)
2015 – Morgan’s Automotive Service, Burlington
2014 – Inductotherm Corp., Rancocas
2013 – Pemberton Fabricators, Rancocas

Camden County Technical School

2018 – Sean L. Reed, senior global engineer at the Campbell Soup Company, Camden
2017 – Mark Leonetti, owner of B&M Custom Cabinetry, Bellmawr
2016 – Jeffrey S. Swartz, director and CEO of the Camden County Workforce Development Board, Camden
2015 – Lexus of Cherry Hill Mount Laurel and Frank Hiller, Mount Laurel
2014 – Dave Scott, Laurel Oak Garden Center and Landscaping, Medford
2013 – Sanders Home Services, Voorhees

Cape May County Technical School

2018 – Atlantic City Electric, Mays Landing
2017 – Douglas Gomersall, chef, sculpter, and owner/operator of Living Ice, Cape May
2016 – New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife, Trenton
2015 – Cape May County Beach Plum Association, Cape May
2014 – Cheryl Elias, Supercuts, PA/NJ
2013 – Dr. Eric V. Thomas, Sunshine Dentistry, Rio Grande

Cumberland County Technical Education Center

2018 – Horizon AVL Systems Integration, Blackwood
2017 – Sysco Philadelphia, LLC, Philadelphia
2016 – Team Nissan, Vineland
2015 – Inspira Health Network, Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, and Camden counties
2014 – Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, Bridgeton
2013 – Keen Compressed Gas, Wilmington, DE

Essex County Schools of Technology

2018 – The Donald M. Payne, Sr. Global Foundation, Newark
2017 – The Donald M. Payne, Sr. Global Foundation, Newark
2016 – Joseph Jingoli & Son, Inc., Newark
2015 – Christopher DiMeo, director of programs for the New Jersey State Building and Construction Trades Council (NJBCTC), Clark
2014 – Panasonic System Communications Company of North America, Newark
2013 – Gary Bloore, founder and team captain of IRONBOUND USA, Newark

Gloucester County Institute of Technology

2018 – Chef John Pilarz, owner of Anthony’s Creative Italian Cuisine, Haddon Heights
2017 – DCI Group, Glassboro
2016 – Depasquale Salon Systems, Fair Lawn
2015 – Lowe’s Home Improvement Center, Manuta
2014 – Garrison Architects, Bellmawr
2013 – Ryan McMullen, territory manager with US Foods, Bridgeport

Hudson County Schools of Technology

2018 – Andrew Campbell, president of Eastern Millwork, Inc. (EMI), Jersey City
2017 – Daniel Gans, co-founder of Hoboken Brownstone and president of the HCST Foundation, Hoboken
2016 – Antonio Quinlan, owner/operator of Hudson River Honey and executive director of the Hudson River Apiary Society, North Bergen
2015 – Robert Sutton, managing partner of Cosi Restaurants, Teaneck
2014 – Force 21, Andrew Campbell, CEO of Eastern Millwork, Jersey City
2013 – Laurent Lisimachio, Gensler, New York, NY

Hunterdon County Vocational School District

2018 – Anne Thornton, owner of MSI Plumbing & Remodeling, Lebanon
2017 – Dr. Christina Wilson, owner of Equiheart Veterinary Service, Califon
2016 – Kristyna Barbella-Saja, owner and founder of KB Multimedia, Clinton
2015 – Clover Hill Animal Hospital, Flemington
2014 – Ingersoll Rand, Annandale
2013 – Tractor Supply Company, Ringoes

Mercer County Technical Schools

2018 – New Jersey School Boards Association and John Henry, STEAM and Sustainable Schools Specialist, Pennington
2017 – The U.S. Army, Lakehurst
2016 – Stout’s Transportation, Trenton
2015 – Chez Alice Catering Company, Pennington
2014 – KNF Neuberger, Hamilton
2013 – Capital Health Medical Center, Pennington

Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools

2018 – Greg Hancox and Carolyn DeWolf of S.T.A.R. LLC, Lyndhurst
2017 – The New Jersey Carpenters Union Apprentice Training and Educational Fund
2016 – McCarter Theatre, Princeton
2015 – Shannon McGrady, president of Arm-R- Lite, Piscataway
2014 – Bill Leary Air Conditioning and Heating, Metuchen
2013 – Chrystal Skillman, playwright, Brooklyn, NY

Monmouth County Vocational School District

2018 – Festo Didactic, Inc., Eatontown
2017 – Stefanie Aber, senior vice president of Hackensack Meridian Health for Nursing & Rehabilitation, Red Bank
2016 – Dr. Scott Gygax of FEMERIS Women’s Health Research Center, Hamilton
2015 – Wegmans Food Market, Ocean Township (Monmouth County)
2014 – Rik F. van Hemmen, vice president and senior partner with Martin, Ottoway, van Hemmen and Dolan, Inc., Red Bank
2013 – CommVault Systems, Oceanport

Morris County Vocational School District

2018 – Prudential, Newark
2017 – Moretrench, Rockaway
2016 – County College, Morris (CCM)
2015 – Dialogic, Inc., Parsippany
2014 – Steven Jones, Millburn
2013 – Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters, Kenilworth

Ocean County Vocational Technical School

2018 – Viking Yachts, New Gretna
2017 – Ray Soehngen, owner of Broadway Ray, Brick
2016 – Thompson Healthcare and Sports Medicine, Ocean and Monmouth counties
2015 – Hal Morris, director of the Ocean County Fire and First Aid Training Center, Waretown
2014 – Debbie Bilota and Kathy Stewart, Front Row Theatrical Originals, Toms River
2013 – Paul Barlo and Barlo & Associates Architects, Brick Township

Passaic County Technical-Vocational Schools

2018 – The Market Basket, Franklin Lakes
2017 – FedEx, Newark
2016 – Columbia Bank, Wayne
2015 – Morgan Advanced Materials, Fairfield
2014 – Regency Gardens Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Wayne
2013 – Kevin J. Mayer, productivity center manager with Sandvik Coromant, Fairlawn

Salem County Vocational Technical School District

2018 – Diamond Materials, Newport, DE
2017 – ARC Design and Consulting, LLC, Elmer
2016 – Holtec International, Woodstown
2015 – Precious Time Child Development Center, Pennsville and Penns Grove
2014 – Buzby Farms, Pilesgrove
2013 – Dan Bestwick and Dan’s Auto Service, Pennsville

Somerset County Vocational and Technical Schools

2018 – Richard and Debbie Norz, owners of Norz Hill Farm, Hillsborough
2017 – Gerald Truppelli, owner of Graphic Concepts, Inc., Bound Brook
2016 – Bridgewater Motorworks, Bridgewater
2015 – Tricorp Amusement, Inc., Somerset
2014 – Boyd Electric, North Plainfield
2013 – Pete Sansom and Sysco Metro NY LLC, Jersey City

Sussex County Technical School

2018 – Joseph Butto, the Hardyston Township Construction Official, Hamburg
2017 – Phillips Precision Medicraft, Elmwood Park
2016 – Jason Nicholas and j2n Architecture, Oak Ridge
2015 – Stephan Koch, owner of NAPA Auto Parts – Koch’s Auto Parts, Inc., Newton
2014 – AWISCO, Maspeth, NY
2013 – Fonzarelli’s Auto Body and Repair, Augusta

Union County Vocational-Technical Schools

2018 – Mark Sproul, engineer with Picatinny Arsenal, Wharton
2017 – For Solutions, Newton
2016 – TE Connectivity/Subcom, Eatontown
2015 – We Connect the Dots, Cold Spring Harbor, NY
2014 – Atlantic, Tomorrow’s Office, Bloomfield
2013 – Pineda Conservatory, Scotch Plains

Warren County Technical School

2018 – N/A
2017 – Oxford Auto and Tire, Washington
2016 – Smith Motor Company, Washington
2015 – John Maxman, owner of JHM Signs, Alpha
2014 – N/A
2013 – Joe Fox and Warren County Fire Academy, Washington

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