MORRIS COUNTY — Two vice presidents at County College of Morris (CCM) have been selected for the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Award in recognition of their leadership skills and commitment to the mission of community colleges.

Recognized for their excellence are Dr. Bette Simmons, of Morristown, vice president of Student Development and Enrollment Management; and Karen VanDerhoof, of Hackettstown, vice president of Business and Finance.

“Bette and Karen are outstanding leaders who have been instrumental in the ongoing success of CCM and its students, and in shaping how community colleges can best meet their mission,” said Dr. Anthony J. Iacono, president of CCM. “CCM has benefited greatly from the talent and contributions of these two vice presidents and it gives us great pride to have them recognized in this manner.”

Simmons joined CCM in 1980 when she became the assistant to the dean of students. From there, she steadily advanced professionally holding such positions as assistant to the president and dean of student development. Simmons was appointed vice president of Student Development and Enrollment Management in 2006. Currently, she also is serving as interim vice president of Academic Affairs.

Active in the Morris County community, Simmons is involved with Preschool Advantage, the Morris County Human Relations Commission, the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey, the Alliance for Morris County Parks, Leadership Morris and the Morris County Sexual Assault Advisory Board.

She has sat on the board – nationally and regionally – of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) for more than 20 years and currently serves as chair of the NASPA Foundation Board. Simmons also is a member of the National Council for Student Development, the National Council of Black American Affairs and the New Jersey Student Affairs Affinity Group. She also serves as a college evaluator for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Simmons is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including the 2018 Woman of the Year from the Zonta Club of Morristown Area, Morristown Neighborhood House Distinguished Volunteer Award, Morris County Phenomenal Woman of the Year Award, the Patricia C. Donohue Leadership Award from the Mercer County Community College Chapter of the American Association for Women in Community Colleges, the Thiel College Distinguished Alumni Award and is a NASPA Pillar of the Profession.

Simmons earned her Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Seton Hall University, her Master’s in Counseling from Montclair State University and her Bachelor’s in Spanish and French from Thiel College.

VanDerhoof was appointed vice president of Business and Finance at CCM in 2005. She first joined the college in 1992 as director of Budget and Business Services and then served as controller.

Under her leadership, the Accounting department at CCM for the past 16 years has been awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada for its comprehensive annual financial report. The certificate is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting and represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

VanDerhoof actively serves on the board of TransOptions. She is a past board member and treasurer for the Eastern Association of College and University Business Officers. Currently, she is a member of the National Association of College and University Business Officers, Eastern Association of College and University Business Officers and the New Jersey Community College Business Officers Association. She also serves as a college evaluator for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Included among her recognitions, VanDerhoof is the recipient of the Patricia C. Donohue Leadership Award from the Mercer County Community College Chapter of the American Association for Women in Community Colleges and the Distinguished Business Officer Award from the National Association of College and University Business Officers.
A CPA, she holds a Master of Taxation degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Centenary College.

Simmons and VanDerhoof will be recognized during NISOD’s annual International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence, May 25-28, in Austin, Texas.
NISOD is dedicated to the professional development of faculty, administrators and staff and to the continued improvement of teaching and learning. More than 700 community colleges around the world are NISOD members.

Dear Editor:

I am a recent college graduate. I majored in sustainable development. Based on the information I have learned, I am terrified. Climate change is happening now, and every day we let slip by without action increases the degree of widespread human suffering.

Though I am afraid, I have hope. My ecology professor explained, “The earth is self-regulating and will always be more powerful than we are. Ecological studies have shown that the earth will fix itself if we let it, at a rate much faster than predicted. But we must reduce the pressure.” I focus on this truth and put my hope in the resilience of nature that can never be dismantled.

A Green New Deal will help Americans support nature’s resiliency. We must transform our economy now to preserve the resources we depended on. We need a massive mobilization of every sector of society to socially reconstruct our norms. Any presidential candidate who wants to be taken seriously on climate and earn the support of young people need to support Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Markey’s resolution.

Take care of your planet. It’s the only place you have to live.

Sincerely,
Julia
Madison

PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Fire Departments were called to a possible gas leak with a smoke condition at approximately 4:40 p.m. at ShopRite, 808 Route 46, Arlington Shopping Center. It was reported a small fire began in compressor room which eventually turned into a refrigerator leaking.

Parsippany-Troy Hills Volunteer Fire Department District 5, Lake Hiawatha Volunteer Fire Department District 4, Parsippany-Troy Hills Volunteer Fire Department District 6, Whippany Fire Department, Boonton Fire Department and Pine Brook Fire Department were all on the scene. Rockaway Neck Volunteer Ambulance Squad was also on the scene as well as Parsippany Rescue and Recovery.

Jersey Central Power and Light and New Jersey Natural Gas was also called to the scene.

The store has reopened on Monday, February 18.

MORRIS COUNTY — Literacy Volunteers of Morris County (LVMC) is pleased to announce a generous grant of $25,000 from Craig Newmark Philanthropies, the organization of craigslist founder Craig Newmark, to support the organization’s adult literacy program.

Currently, more than 300 LVMC tutors provide instruction to more than 500 students throughout Morris County. This grant will help to ensure that these students become fluent in English, learn their legal rights, and become more engaged and active citizens and members of the community.

”I am delighted that Craig Newmark, a graduate of Morristown High School, has not forgotten his roots, and is focused on helping others and making the world a better place,” said Debbie Leon, Executive Director of Literacy Volunteers of Morris County. “His support will enable us to help hundreds of people in Morris County to improve their lives.”

Asking for help can be difficult for an adult. Through Literacy Volunteers, students from all walks of life may attend free, one-one-one or group classes to improve their skills in a welcoming and supportive environment.

Literacy Volunteers of Morris County is a non-profit organization of trained volunteers who are dedicated to providing adults with one-to-one and small group tutoring across over 40 communities in Morris County. We believe that the ability to read, write, comprehend and speak English is essential to personal freedom and the sustainability of a democratic society. To learn more click here.

Craig Newmark Philanthropies was created by craigslist founder Craig Newmark to support and connect people and drive broad civic engagement. The organization works to advance people and grassroots organizations that are getting stuff done in areas that include trustworthy journalism, voter protection, gender diversity in technology, and veterans and military families. For more information click here.

PARSIPPANY — Payless shoe stores plans to close 2,100 locations becoming the latest retailer to succumb to increasing competition from online rivals like Amazon It has over 4,400 stores in more than 30 countries and was founded in 1956.

As part of the bankruptcy process, Payless is looking for buyers for its real estate, which could include selling large blocks of stores in certain areas of the country. If it cannot find buyers, it may need to shutter the majority, if not all, of its North American stores.

The discount shoe store will close all 2,100 of its locations in the United States and Puerto Rico in the coming months, including the store located in the Morris Hills Shopping Center. There are also stores in Livingston, Rockaway and Willowbrook Malls.

The debt-burdened chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April 2017, closing hundreds of stores as part of its reorganization.

Payless was founded in 1956 by two cousins, Louis and Shaol Lee Pozez, to offer self-service stores selling affordable footwear.