Status of Women

Previous Union County Commission on the Status of Women Women of Excellence Award

28th Annual Union County Women of Excellence Awardees Announced

The Union County Commission on the Status of Women is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2020 Women of Excellence Awards. Ten Union County women were selected to receive awards for their outstanding contributions. The awardees will be honored at the annual Women of Excellence Gala Awards Dinner on March 27, 2020.

“For 28 years, the Freeholder Board has recognized women among us who lead, serve, and inspire. Through their work, they raise awareness about the influence of women in every sphere of the Union County community, from business and legal affairs to public service and education,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “We are proud to acknowledge their contributions towards a positive difference in the quality of life for everyone in the County.”

The Union County women being recognized for their accomplishments by the Commission on the Status of Women are:

  • Women’s Advocacy – Margot Baruch – Mountainside
  • Mental Health Advocacy – Joyce Benz – Springfield
  • Volunteerism – Joan Crout – Westfield
  • Environmental/Activism – Marian Glenn – Summit
  • Education – Monica Goncalves – Elizabeth
  • Lifetime Achievement – Sister Percylee Hart, RSM – Scotch Plains
  • Healthcare – Pamela Palmieri – Fanwood
  • Special Education Advocacy – Diana Pinto-Gomez – Fanwood
  • Entrepreneurial/Medical – Nancy Polow, PhD. – Scotch Plains
  • Government – Clara Fernandez – Elizabeth

Each awardee will be presented with an engraved Women of Excellence plaque and a Freeholder Resolution in their honor recognizing their impact on the Union County community.

The 2020 Women of Excellence Gala Awards Dinner will be held on March 27 at 6:00 p.m., at the Gran Centurions in Clark. The cost is $60 per person.

The Women of Excellence awards are sponsored by the Freeholder Board and the Union County Commission on the Status of Women, with the Union County Office on Women.

Mission Statement

The Mission of the Union County Commission on the Status of Women is to recognize annually with their most prestigious award, The Union County Women of Excellence Award.  Nominations for women who live and or work in Union County and have distinguished themselves by their outstanding achievements in various categories including:  Arts and Humanities; Business/Entrepreneurial; Community Service; Education;  Government; Law; Law Enforcement;  Lifetime Achievement; Medicine/Health Care; and /or Women’s Advocacy.

Criteria for Consideration

  • Nominee must reside in or be employed in Union County, New Jersey
  • Nominee must have made significant accomplishments and demonstrate outstanding achievements in one or more of the suggested categories above; other categories will be considered.
  • Nominator must include examples of how the nominee has demonstrated outstanding achievements in the above named categories and reasons why the nominee should be considered for the annual Women of Excellence Award
  • Nominator must indicate how the nominee has made a difference or improved the lives of Union County residents or employees based in Union County
  • Nominator must supply correct contact information to the Commission in order to reach-out to the nominee if necessary.

Eligibility

  • Open to all women, 21 years or older, who either work or live in Union County, New Jersey
  • Nominee must have exemplary performance and/or results in their nominated category
  • Previous nominees may be re-nominated
  • Previous Women of Excellence recipients are ineligible

Supporting Documentation

  • Nominator’s statement (please paste or attach pages below – maximum of three pages):
  • Please state why the nominee should receive the Women of Excellence Award
  • Please include description of nominee’s contributions, and corresponding event date(s)
  • Please state the benefits others have received as a result of this nominee’s efforts and contributions
  • Please include any feedback given by persons who have benefited by the nominee’s outstanding achievement or efforts

Letters of Support

Additional letters of support are not required, but highly recommended, and should be submitted if they are necessary to support the nominee’s contributions/achievements as stated. Nominator/nominee may include up to three letters of support, for example:

  • Manager/Supervisor
  • Colleague
  • Benefactor of nominee’s achievements or efforts

Deadline

Please use the online submission form below, however, if you wish, you can physically mail us supportive documentation to the address below, no later than December 2, 2019.

Union County Office on Women
Department of Economic Development
Second Floor, 10 Elizabethtown Plaza
Elizabeth, New Jersey 07207

Award Dinner

Nominators and Nominees will be notified prior to the New Year from the Commission regarding their nomination.  The The 2020 Women of Excellence Award Dinner begins at  6:00 PM for cocktails and the program follows cocktail hour, Friday, March 27, 2020 at the Gran Centurions, 440 Madison Hill Road in Clark, NJ.

Online Application

This application is now closed for new submissions.