MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris County Advisory Committee on Women will award its second “Seeds of Change” award this fall to a woman who has worked to improve our community, and been a leader and inspiration for other women in the county.
The award is inspired by the example of the late State Sen. Leanna Brown, who was a groundbreaking female political leader in Morris County,
The Committee is seeking nominations for the award, with a July 30 deadline for submissions.
The Seeds of Change Award seeks to highlight and celebrate women who build up other women. Often it is those who work at the roots levels who go unrecognized, but the Morris County Advisory Committee on Women would like to demonstrate its appreciation for those grassroots efforts through this new Freeholder Award.
The recipient of the Seeds of Change Award must meet the following required criteria:
- Age 18 or above;
- A woman residing in Morris County;
- Active in grassroots efforts to advance a women’s-focused cause in Morris County;
- Be a volunteer or participate in community activities connected to women’s-focused causes.
It is preferred, but not required, that the recipient be linked with a cause of current interest to the Advisory Committee on Women. Current areas of interest include housing and homelessness, human trafficking, incarcerated women, and women in the military or female veterans.
Nominations will be sought from community and civic groups, government and nonprofit agencies, and for-profit organizations throughout Morris County.
The first “Seeds of Change Award’’ was presented in 2018 to Lila Bernstein of Mendham Township.
Lila Bernstein’s record of accomplishment is extensive. She has been very active in many organizations, such as the Morris County Youth Services Advisory Committee, Mendham Township Library, Morris County Child Placement Review Board, N.J. Child Placement Advisory Council, Jewish Family Service’s Rachel Coalition, National Council of Jewish Women, and the Jewish Women’s Foundation of N.J., among others.
In 1972, Leanna Brown became the first woman elected as a Morris County Freeholder, and the second women to serve in that capacity (Margaret D. Baker was appointed in 1932 to fill an unexpired term). Following her freeholder term, Leanna Brown went on to serve in many other important capacities. She was the first Republican women to serve in the New Jersey State Senate. She was a driving force behind the creation of the Morris County Advisory Committee on Women.
Nominations for the Seeds of Change Award should be submitted by email to Allison Delcalzo-Berens at allison.delcalzo@atlantichealth.org. For more information, please contact Gayle Pearson at (201) 874-7687 or g.pearson@rutgers.edu.
| Your Name: | |||
| Your Telephone: | Your Email Address: | ||
| Name of the person you are nominating: | |||
| Her Telephone: | Her Email Address: | ||
| Is this person over the age of 18? (circle one): YES NO | |||
| Town of residence: | |||
| Impact Area – check all that apply: | |||
| Housing and Homelessness | |||
| Human Trafficking | |||
| Incarcerated Women | |||
| Women in the Military or Female Veterans | |||
Please describe the grassroots work that the candidate has done, including whether it is through volunteerism or employment, the location of the work, the cause and some details about why this candidate stands out:
You may attach no more than one page of additional information for the committee to consider when making selections.
