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Board of Trustees at County College of Morris Elect Officers

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File Photo

MORRIS COUNTY — The County College of Morris (CCM) Board of Trustees held its annual reorganization meeting on November 20 and elected its officers. 

Elected were George J. Milonas, a CCM graduate from the Class of 1998, as Chair; Paul R. Licitra, as Vice Chair; Jack N. Frost Jr., Esq., as Treasurer; and Lauren Inganamort, as Secretary. 

Continuing their service on the board are Laura M. Gabrielsen, Dr. Barbara L. Hadzima, Devanshu L. Modi, Esq., Donna T. Pepe, and Rida (LNU) ’23 as Alumni Trustee. Also serving as Morris County Executive Superintendent is Dr. Nancy H. Gartenberg. 

New to the board is James B. Loveys of Randolph Township, appointed by the Morris County Board of County Commissioners. As a managing member of Grove Associates, a real estate management and development firm, Loveys has overseen the construction of several residential housing developments and retail projects in northern New Jersey.  He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Middlebury College and is a lifelong Morris County resident. Over the past 20 years, he has served the Randolph community in several different leadership capacities, including as Deputy Mayor and Mayor. His service to the community extends as a volunteer coach and committee member of various township recreation programs.  

George Milonas is an accomplished corporate compliance and risk management leader with extensive experience working with multinational companies specializing in the strategic design, implementation, and oversight of global regulatory compliance and enterprise risk management programs. He began his higher education at CCM earning an associate in science degree in criminal justice, and received his bachelor’s in sociology from Centenary University, and his master’s in administrative science from Fairleigh Dickinson University.  

Paul Licitra currently serves as office administrator for Senator Steven Oroho, Assemblyman Parker Space, and Assemblyman Hal Wirths; and serves as the Sergeant of Arms for the New Jersey Senate. He also has extensive insurance experience spanning more than 45 years and covering all aspects of risk management for large domestic and international clients. In the public sector, he served as mayor of Mount Olive from 2000-04 after serving eight years on the Township Council. He earned his bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University, where he also taught as an adjunct professor in the Tobin College of Business. He also served on the board of directors for the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery.  

Jack Frost is an attorney with Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP. He earned his law degree from Seton Hall School of Law, and his master’s and bachelor’s in philosophy and international relations from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, U.K. 

Lauren Inganamort served as Manager of Global Compliance at Tiffany & Co. in Parsippany, where she was responsible for the development, execution, and management of compliance programs and risk assessments. She received the company’s Finance Achievement for Commitment to Excellence Award for exceptional dedication and service. Inganamort serves as a trustee for the Educational Foundation of the Chesters and on the Advisory Committee of the New Jersey Governor’s STEM Scholars program. She holds two bachelor’s degrees in engineering and a master’s in engineering management from Dartmouth College. 

Laura Gabrielsen retired as Professor of English at CCM in 2021, after 47 years of service at the college. She began as an adjunct instructor in 1974 and was appointed professor in 1977. While at the college, she was presented with a National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Award for Teaching Excellence. During her time at CCM, she served as the Assistant Chair of the Department of English and Philosophy; and served on numerous committees. Gabrielsen also served as the president of FACCM and vice president of ACAC. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Seton Hall University.  

Dr. Barbara Hadzima is a retired middle school administrator and college adjunct. She has participated in the Chinese Bridge Delegation (Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters) to Chinese Universities which focuses on school visits, cultural activities, and South Korea. Additionally, she was sponsored by New Jersey for program studies at European concentration camps and at Yad Vashem in Israel. Hadzima then assisted with the development of the New Jersey State Curriculum Guide to teach Holocaust/Genocide. She earned her doctorate in educational leadership from Seton Hall University, her master’s degree from Kean University, and her undergraduate degree from the College of St. Elizabeth. 

Dev Modi, Esq is a founding member of the Morris County law firm of Lyon, Glassman, Leites & Modi, L.L.C. He also currently serves as a Subchapter V Trustee under the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019 after being selected by the Department of Justice’s U.S. Trustee Program. He is a former Deputy Attorney General in New Jersey and previously served as an investigator with the Bureau of Securities. He served on the Harding Township Board of Education and, subsequently, on the Harding Township Committee. He earned his law degree from Seton Hall School of Law and bachelor’s degrees in business administration and accounting from the University of Delaware. 

Donna Pepe, a marketing and public relations executive, was the founder and CEO/President of Communications Strategies (CSI), specializing in pharmaceutical marketing & public relations. CSI was one of the fastest-growing independent marketing and communications agencies in New Jersey, garnering many prestigious awards during the 20 years it operated. Ms. Pepe also was lauded throughout her career for her creativity and marketing savvy, as well as her dedication to raising up other women in business. She was and still is a champion of women’s rights. Before starting her company, she spent 10 years at Johnson & Johnson building the company’s pharmaceutical sector’s first in-house marketing communications department. Pepe rose through the ranks at J&J to become its first woman vice president in that sector, elevating the issue of women’s health and making many products into household names. Before her CCM board appointment, she spent the past four years creating and rolling out a rebranding campaign complete with TV, radio, social media, and print advertising for CCM. Pepe was a long-term member of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, served for three years on the board of directors at Dress for Success Morris County, and was a founding member, secretary, and chair of public relations and marketing of Emerge New Jersey. She was one of the first women awarded the “Best Businesswomen in New Jersey” award by NJBIZ.  

Dr. Nancy Gartenberg, a lifelong public educator, was appointed by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Commissioner of Education Dr. Angelica Allen-McMillan to serve as Executive County Superintendent in Morris County overseeing 41 school districts, with over 70,000 students. She holds a doctorate in education with distinction from Rider University, serves as a Board Trustee for the Morris County School of Technology, and is a court-recognized educational expert witness. Dr. Gartenberg earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Georgian Court University in Lakewood, New Jersey. Dr. Gartenberg is an experienced school superintendent, principal, teacher, and coach.  

Former Vice President of NJ Real Estate Investment Firm Faces Civil Enforcement Action for Deceptive $630 Million Scheme

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Ivel Turner

MORRIS COUNTY — Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin declares that the New Jersey Bureau of Securities, operating under the Division of Consumer Affairs, has initiated a civil enforcement action against the ex-vice president of a New Jersey-based real estate investment company, which deceived investors from across the nation with a total investment of $630 million in the firm.

According to a complaint filed in Superior Court in Essex County today, Ivel Turner, a former vice president of the now-defunct National Realty Investment Advisors, LLC, fraudulently sold at least $2.35 million of unregistered securities issued by Oasis Realty Investment Group, LLC, a Delaware-based firm he founded while still working for NRIA, and then misused investors’ funds for his benefit.

Turner sold the fraudulent unregistered Oasis securities to at least two investors – including a New Jersey resident who invested $2.15 million – misrepresenting to them that their money would be used to buy and develop large-scale real estate projects, perform house flips of single-family homes valued over a million dollars, and invest in other real estate-related ventures that would generate profits of up to 13% a year.

In reality, Oasis had no involvement with large-scale real estate projects, and Turner misused at least $500,000 of the investor funds on retail and jewelry purchases at luxury stores, personal investments, school tuition, and other personal benefits.  Turner also transferred a significant portion of investor funds to Integrated Data Solutions, LLC, another entity he owned and controlled.

“The Oasis securities were fictional investments created out of whole cloth to generate money to enrich the defendant and support his lavish lifestyle,” said Attorney General Platkin. “New Jersey has zero tolerance for this kind of egregious deceit and exploitation of investors. The action filed today seeks to hold the defendant accountable for his unlawful conduct and send a strong message of deterrence.”

While previously employed by the Secaucus-based NRIA, Turner allegedly aided in fraudulent conduct that resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in investor losses and led the Bureau to file a Summary Cease and Desist Order against the firm and several of its principals on June 21, 2022. Turner was not among those named in the Summary Order. NRIA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June 2022 and is no longer in operation.

According to the allegations contained in the complaint, while employed by NRIA, Turner began laying the groundwork for his fraudulent securities scheme, convincing at least two individuals interested in investing in NRIA securities to invest in Oasis securities instead.

Turner offered and sold the unregistered securities in the form of units of Oasis through an Oasis Private Placement Memorandum, and a series of Oasis websites.  At least one of these websites remains active.

According to the allegations contained in the complaint, the Oasis PPM and websites were replete with fraudulent misrepresentations and omissions regarding Oasis’ ownership, management, size, history, operations, Turner’s background, and how investor funds would be used.  The vast majority of the Oasis PPM’s text was taken word-for-word from the NRIA securities PPM, including specific information such as the date of corporate formation, the amount of funds raised, a history of regulatory and compliance issues, and the profiles and biographical information of “management.”  In most places, “Oasis” simply replaced “NRIA.”

“As alleged in the complaint, the defendant was on his way to recreating the kind of scheme that NRIA used to defraud millions of dollars from thousands of investors,” said Cari Fais, Acting Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs. “But Turner will no longer pose a threat to hard-working investors seeking to build their assets as a result of the Bureau’s action.”

The Complaint alleges that Turner and Oasis violated multiple provisions of the New Jersey Uniform Securities Law, including operating without the required registration, employing a scheme to defraud, making untrue statements of material fact, and omitting material facts in connection with the sale of Oasis securities.

“The conduct outlined in today’s filing serves as a sobering reminder to investors that not every investment offering is what it appears to be,” said Acting Bureau of Securities Chief Amy G. Kopleton. “Thoroughly vetting the offerings and confirming the veracity of the individuals marketing and selling them is paramount to avoiding the very expensive consequences of falling for a fraudulent investment.”

The Bureau is seeking court-ordered monetary penalties, investor restitution, disgorgement, and permanent injunctive relief barring the Defendants from violating the Securities Law or participating in the sale or issuance of securities in the future.

The Bureau’s investigation was handled by Supervising Investigator Irwin Slotnick and Investigator Boris Maltsev. Deputy Attorneys General Michael Eleneski and Claudia Lorenzo of the Securities Fraud Prosecution Section in the Division of Law’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Practice Group are representing the Bureau in this matter, under the supervision of Assistant Attorney General Brian F. McDonough and Deputy Director Jason W. Rockwell.

The Bureau is charged with protecting investors from investment fraud and regulating the securities industry in New Jersey.

It is critical that investors “Check Before You Invest.” Investors can obtain information, including the registration status and disciplinary history, of any financial professional doing business to or from New Jersey, by contacting the Bureau toll-free within New Jersey at 1-866-I-Invest (1-866-446-8378) or from outside New Jersey at (973) 504-3600, or by visiting the Bureau’s website at www.NJSecurities.gov. Investors can also contact the Bureau for assistance, or to raise issues or complaints about New Jersey-based financial professionals or investments.

Rep. Sherrill Announces 2023 Heroes of NJ-11

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Governor-Elect Mikie Sherrill

PARSIPPANY — Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) announced today the 25 members of the NJ-11 community chosen to be honored as 2023 Heroes. 

Residents were encouraged to nominate everyday heroes in their lives to show that our community is incredibly grateful for all of their work. There was an outpouring of submissions from the community and Heroes were selected based on the information provided by the individual who nominated them. All 2023 Heroes live or work in NJ-11, and they will receive a congressional certificate recognizing their contributions to the community. 

“Each year, my office and I receive so many incredible submissions for our yearly Heroes program. This year is no different. I am so moved by the amazing people throughout our district making a difference in the lives of others. This year’s list of 25 amazing heroes includes teachers, community leaders, volunteers, healthcare providers, caregivers, and more. All are inspiring citizens whose stories should warm everyone’s hearts this holiday season. It is programs like this one that exemplify why I am proud to represent New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District,” said Rep. Sherrill.

NJ-11’s 2023 Heroes are:

  • Allison Gogarty, Morristown
  • Anthony Del Tufo, Nutley
  • Bridget Powers, Mountain Lakes
  • Christina Ferrante, Morristown / Wayne
  • Donna Lee Dragone, Totowa
  • Donna Tissot, Denville
  • Farah Rahman, Totowa
  • Grace Clemente, Denville
  • Ira Drucks, Livingston
  • James Spango, Essex County
  • Jessica Tomalo, Boonton
  • John Leshchuk, East Hanover
  • Julie Maykish, West Caldwell
  • Kai McNiel, Millburn
  • Lois Sackett, Rockaway Township
  • Madeline Gale and Reubena Spence, Montclair
  • Marty Kane, Jefferson and Gay Ann Bucci, Rockaway 
  • Nicole DiMaggio, Chatham
  • Richard Loveless, Roseland
  • Robert Rogers, Morristown
  • Sandy Goodman, Livingston
  • Sergeant Faegist Adlam, Picatinny Arsenal
  • Simeon Cohen, Livingston
  • Susette Bato, Belleville
  • Taek Sung Cho, Cedar Grove

Morris County Woman Arrested on Multiple Charges, Including DWI, After Complaint Leads to Denville Township Incident

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File Photo

MORRIS COUNTY — A Morris County woman found herself facing a slew of serious charges, including driving while intoxicated (DWI), following a complaint that prompted her arrest in Denville Township, as reported by the local police.

According to authorities, at approximately 12:35 a.m. the Denville Township Police Department received an urgent 9-1-1 call regarding a suspected intoxicated driver on the road. Responding swiftly to the complaint, an officer initiated a traffic stop on Savage Road after observing the vehicle in question committing multiple moving violations, notably careless driving.

During the course of the traffic stop, the officer determined that the driver of the vehicle, identified as Urja S. Shah, a resident of Rockaway, was indeed operating her vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Subsequently, Shah was taken into custody and processed on various charges related to the incident.

The charges against Urja S. Shah include:

  1. Driving While Under the Influence of Alcohol (DWI): Operating a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol, is a serious offense under New Jersey law.
  2. Traffic Violations: These encompass multiple infractions, including failing to maintain control of the vehicle within marked lanes, careless driving, and reckless driving, all of which are grave violations of road safety regulations.
  3. Failure to Give Proper Signal: This charge indicates Shah’s alleged failure to provide proper turn signals or indications while operating her vehicle.

Following her arrest, Urja S. Shah was released from custody with the expectation that she would appear in court to address these charges. The legal proceedings will ultimately determine the consequences she may face if found guilty.

Editors Note: A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite this accusation, the individual(s) are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Boonton Township Board of Education Faces Legal Battle Over Proposed 7.25% Tuition Rate Increase

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Mountain Lakes High School

BOONTON TOWNSHIP — On November 28, 2023, the Mountain Lakes Board of Education commenced litigation against the Boonton Township Board of Education seeking to increase the current high school tuition rate by more than $1,300; a 7.25% increase over the current $17,987 per student tuition rate (2022-2023). Mountain Lakes BOE’s unilateral attempt to precipitously increase the tuition rate is alarming given the fact that Boonton Twp. BOE sends 192 high school students per year and presently pays Mountain Lakes BOE a total of $3,453,504 per school year. In fact, Mountain Lakes BOE’s proposed tuition hike will result in an additional $250,000 for the 2023-2024 school year’ which far exceeds the amount of money that the Boonton Twp. BOE can legally raise from its taxpayers.

Boonton Twp. BOE and Mountain Lakes BOE have previously entered into a series of long-term tuition agreements over the last two decades and have historically agreed to increase the annual tuition by 2%; an increase that directly correlates to the 2% annual tax increase limitation. In an attempt at good-faith negotiations, Boonton Twp. BOE presented a counter-proposal of increasing the 2023-2024 tuition from $17,987 to $18,521 per student. This represents a 3% increase and will result in Boonton Twp. BOE paying an additional $102,528, resulting in a total payment of $3,556,032 for the 2023-2024 school year. Mountain Lakes BOE summarily rejected this counter-proposal and remains steadfast in its unrealistic quest for a 7.25% tuition rate increase for the 2023-2024 school year and a 2.5% increase or the Consumer Price Index (“CPI”) rate (whichever is greater) for each subsequent school year. Mountain Lakes BOE’s proposed tuition increases are unsustainable for the 2023-2024 school year and every year thereafter as they all exceed the statutory annual 2% property tax restriction. In a word, Boonton Twp. BOE and its taxpayers will never be able to afford these proposed tuition increases and have no statutory mechanism to do so.

Mountain Lakes BOE has yet to articulate the real reason for its need to seek such an unrealistic increase. Boonton Township and Mountain Lakes taxpayers should demand that the Mountain Lakes BOE engage in real, good-faith negotiations instead of pursuing this misguided litigation that threatens to jeopardize the parties’ long-standing contractual relationship which could adversely impact both the taxpayers of Boonton Township and Mountain Lakes. Boonton Twp. BOE will be forced to explore all options and alternatives in the best interest of both our students and taxpayers.

The next Mountain Lakes BOE meeting is scheduled for January 4, 2024. Both Boonton Township and Mountain Lakes residents are encouraged to attend to let the Mountain Lakes BOE know how they feel regarding this critical issue.

Local Retailers Cited for Restricting Cash Payments in Violation of Consumer Fraud Act

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MORRIS COUNTY — The New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act (CFA) allows establishments to impose a surcharge on customers who choose to pay for goods or services using a credit card but requires them to disclose that they are adding the fee, and the amount, to consumers before the customer is charged.

The following local businesses were cited for failing to clearly and conspicuously provide notice to customers regarding surcharges:

Hot Bagels and DeliBoontonMorris
Uzbekistana RestaurantBoontonMorris
Café CrevierDenvilleMorris
King’s Kid DelicatessenPequannockMorris

The civil penalties assessed against each business ranged from $500 to $4,000, depending on the nature and number of violations found.

Raising Public Awareness of Credit Card Surcharge Laws

Legislation signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy in August 2023 enhances the protections under the CFA by limiting the amount merchants may charge in credit card surcharges and adding specific requirements for how and where disclosure of these so-called “swipe fees” must be displayed.

To facilitate compliance with the law, the Division today published a comprehensive guidance document to help merchants and consumers understand their obligations and rights under the law. The guidance document, titled “Credit Card Surcharges: Frequently Asked Questions,” provides a detailed explanation of P.L. 2023, c. 146, which prohibits merchants from charging credit card surcharges that exceed their actual cost to process credit card payments.

The law also requires businesses to disclose the amount of any credit card surcharge before the consumer incurs any charges by posting a notice in at least two places. Restaurants must display notices in the customer service area and on the menu. All other businesses must display notices on a sign at the point of entry and at the point of sale. The law provides an exception and alternative disclosure requirements for transactions made online, through mobile apps, electronic kiosks (like self-serve checkout), and over the phone. Additionally, the law permits the Division to inspect businesses’ account books or other records to ensure compliance with surcharge caps.

Inspections of baggage scales at both Newark Liberty International Airport and Atlantic City International Airport were conducted by OWM inspectors, under the supervision of Inspector Bryan Thomson. Personnel from the Office of Weights and Measures in Elizabeth assisted in the testing of scales in EWR’s Terminal A. Personnel from the Office of Weights and Measures in Atlantic City assisted in the testing of scales at ACY.

Parsippany No Longer Home to Sherrill’s District Office

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Sherrill announced the move at a ribbon cutting for the new office with Livingston Mayor Michael Vieira, members of the Township Council, and Essex County Commissioner Pat Sebold

MORRIS COUNTY — Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) announced her District Office will move to the Livingston Township Hall in the new year. Sherrill announced the move at a ribbon cutting for the new office with Livingston Mayor Michael Vieira, members of the Township Council, and Essex County Commissioner Pat Sebold. 

“In the new year, my district office will be heading to a new space in Livingston. I want to thank Parsippany and Morris County for being our home base for the past five years and am especially grateful to the Parsippany-Troy Hills Mayor and Police Department for the support they have provided our team,” said Rep. Sherrill. “Thank you to Mayor Vieira for welcoming us to Livingston. No matter where our office is located, we will continue to serve constituents from every town in NJ-11 and look forward to another great year of casework successes.”

The Livingston office will not open officially until mid-January. Until that time constituents needing casework services should call the District Office in Parsippany at (973) 526-5668. In 2024, Sherrill’s casework team will continue to hold mobile casework hours in locations throughout the district to ensure accessibility for all residents.  

The new office location will be 357 S Livingston Avenue, Suite 201, Livingston.

The exact opening date will be announced.

Parsippany’s PILOT Protesters Shut Down Council Meeting

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More than 200 Parsippany residents shut down Tuesday night’s council meeting which was slated to take up the final vote on three PILOT agreements, also known as municipal tax abatements.

PARSIPPANY — More than 200 Parsippany residents shut down Tuesday night’s council meeting which was slated to take up the final vote on three PILOT agreements, also known as municipal tax abatements.

Before the meeting even started, the crowd of attendees standing shoulder-to-shoulder in the council chambers surpassed the room’s capacity limits. 

As a result, Township Clerk Khaled Madin announced the postponement of the meeting until Thursday, December 28 at the PAL building, 33 Baldwin Road, Parsippany.  

Council President Loretta Gragnani angered residents, school officials, and parents for initially setting the time of the rescheduled meeting for 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 28 —  drawing accusations that council officials tried to suppress public attendance with a mid-afternoon meeting on a weekday.

After the loud criticism and “Shame on You” chants, the time of the December 28 meeting was finally adjusted to 7:00 p.m.  

The public also expressed outrage with a procedural change made by Council President Gragnani to move the general public comment period for the Tuesday night meeting to later in the agenda after the council votes on the second reading of the proposed PILOT ordinances.

The public comment period has traditionally come before the individual resolution section of the meeting. 

Many suspect the move to delay public comments is a reaction to the unanimous pushback from residents and school board officials who vigorously protested the proposed PILOT programs at the December 5 council meeting. 

PILOT agreements are deals that enable a developer to switch their standard tax payments for a property to a fixed, yearly payment to the municipality.

Township residents and school officials warn that PILOTs will allow large developers to avoid paying their full share of property taxes while straining municipal and school district resources. 

Despite the unanimous opposition to PILOTs Council members Gragnani, Michael dePierro, Paul Carifi, Jr., and Frank Neglia have voted in favor of the PILOTs being represented by former Parsippany Township Attorney John Inglesino, who served during Mayor James Barberio’s first mayoral term from 2010 to 2017.

Dissenting Council member Justin Musella and the Township’s entire school board have repeatedly stated that the proposed PILOTs will underfund the school system as new developments undoubtedly add additional students and costs.

Municipal officials and Mayor James Barberio have stated that prolonged blight of unoccupied or demolished office buildings will greatly increase the tax burden for residents if PILOTs are not used.

Burglar Breaks into Home for Car Keys; Investigation Underway

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File Photo

MORRIS COUNTY — A Chatham Borough home was burglarized around 2:25 a.m. on Tuesday, December 19, as reported by Police Capt. R. Colatrella. The burglar(s) gained access by forcibly entering through a first-floor window and took the keys to an Audi S5 parked in the driveway. Fortunately, there was no confrontation during the incident.

The investigation is a collaborative effort involving the Chatham Borough Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office. Capt. Colatrella advised residents to remain vigilant by securing their homes and vehicles, activating alarms, and reporting any suspicious activity or evidence captured on home surveillance cameras to the Chatham Borough Police Department at (973) 635-8000.

NewBridge Services Inaugurates New HQ at Pompton Plains Campus

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Pequannock Deputy Mayor Ryan Herd and Mayor David Kohle joined NewBridge Board of Trustees President Debbie King and CEO Michelle Borden in cutting the ribbon on NewBridge Services new headquarters in the heart of Pompton Plains. NewBridge has established a campus off Newark Pompton Turnpike that includes its headquarters, adult psychiatric day treatment program, and affordable apartments for people with mental illness and other special needs.

MORRIS COUNTY — NewBridge Services unveiled its new headquarters in Pompton Plains, where the nonprofit provider of counseling, housing, and education got its start 60 years ago.

Fifty guests cheered as NewBridge CEO Michelle Borden welcomed them to NewBridge’s new home on December 5. “I’m proud that we have established a NewBridge campus in the community where we were founded,” Borden said.

NewBridge purchased two buildings on Newark Pompton Turnpike, adjacent to NewBridge’s adult psychiatric day treatment program and its affordable apartments for adults with special needs. The NewBridge campus has six buildings in all.

NewBridge Board of Trustees President Debbie King, whose father was one of the organization’s founders, said, “I think they would be very pleased to see the creation of our headquarters and campus keeping NewBridge’s roots in Pequannock Township where it all began.”

NewBridge opened its doors in December 1963 as the Pequannock Valley Mental Health Center in the former Pompton Plains library. Initially serving Pequannock and surrounding communities, the agency grew and evolved over the decades to meet emerging needs.

Today, NewBridge tackles some of society’s toughest issues, including mental illness, substance use, isolation, and homelessness. Each year, it helps thousands of children, adults, and seniors in Morris, Passaic, and Sussex counties, and beyond. NewBridge has service centers in Haskell, Parsippany, Pequannock, and Sparta, operates five group homes, created 84 units of affordable housing, and provides support services that allow people with mental illness and older adults to live as independently as possible.

Borden read a proclamation from U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill hand-delivered by her staff member, Georgia Turvey, and a commendation letter from New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. “NewBridge has served as a pillar of hope in the community and has changed countless lives,” Governor Murphy wrote.

Guest speaker W. Jay Wancyzk of the Pequannock Township Historical Society discussed the nascent shift in attitudes toward mental illness in 1963 on the national stage and locally. Wancyzk noted that President John F. Kennedy that year signed legislation for providing mental health care in the community and drastically reducing institutionalization of people with mental illness.

In Pequannock, Pastor Donner B. Atwood of the First Reformed Church of Pompton Plains, Municipal Court Judge Herbert Irwin, Mary Jane Kelly, Dr. Kurt Manrodt and Jim Ryan “had the vision to make treatment accessible within our six local communities,” Wancyzk said. The township allowed the nonprofit to use the former library next to the municipal building. Later, NewBridge had its headquarters on Evans Place but relocated to rental space so affordable housing could be built on the property.

NewBridge’s new headquarters once housed Irwin’s law office, Wancyzk noted. “I think he would be mighty pleased with this new connection.” Irwin’s daughter, Debbie Burklow, and her husband attended the event.

Pequannock Mayor David Kohle congratulated NewBridge on its 60th anniversary and new headquarters. “It’s a pleasure to have you back in the center of town,” Kohle said. “We look forward to many, many more years of dedicated services to the residents of Pequannock and the surrounding areas from NewBridge.”

Kohle and Deputy Mayor Ryan Herd joined Borden and King in cutting the green ribbon in front of the new headquarters. Guests then toured the building that will house administrative offices. The second building will be home to two programs, NewBridge SAIL (Senior Assistance for Independent Living) and Community Support Services, as well as the information technology department.

“This is huge! NewBridge, during its 60th anniversary, is making another clear statement for clients, for donors, for everyone to see that we are committed to this community,” NewBridge Trustee Patricia Lee said.

Robert Parker, who retired as NewBridge CEO in 2020, said the milestone bodes well for the longevity of the organization as it enters its seventh decade. “The most important thing is that NewBridge continues to provide services for people who are hurting,” he said.

NewBridge is selling commemorative bricks that will form a walkway at the new campus. Click here to order.

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