The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF) recently hosted its first-ever Community Changemaker Night, recognizing five individuals whose outstanding efforts have made a meaningful impact across North Jersey.
The 2025 honorees included New Jersey Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese of Cliffside Park; Dr. Marion McClary, Professor and Chair of the Biology Department at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Teaneck campus; Fund Advisors Gina Wilson and Lisa De Dominicis of the Andrea Tilbian Halejian Memorial Fund; and South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum.
The celebration was held on Thursday, June 5, 2025, during a cocktail reception at Forte Ristorante in Hackensack.
Headquartered in Hackensack, the NNJCF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the communities of North Jersey.
The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF) recently hosted its first-ever Community Changemaker Night, recognizing five individuals whose outstanding efforts have made a meaningful impact across North Jersey.
The 2025 honorees included New Jersey Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese of Cliffside Park; Dr. Marion McClary, Professor and Chair of the Biology Department at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Teaneck campus; Fund Advisors Gina Wilson and Lisa De Dominicis of the Andrea Tilbian Halejian Memorial Fund; and South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum.
The celebration was held on Thursday, June 5, 2025, during a cocktail reception at Forte Ristorante in Hackensack.
Headquartered in Hackensack, the NNJCF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the communities of North Jersey.
The 2025 award recipients broke ground excelling in the Foundation’s focus areas – green and healthy places, creative communities, and belonging and opportunity – as well as overall community leadership.
The NNJCF recognized these local changemakers for their efforts to make their communities better places to live, work, and thrive:
- New Jersey Assemblyman (District 36) Clinton Calabrese – Creative Communities Award for helping communities through the arts, supporting artists, or enhancing cultural ecosystems. As a dedicated advocate for the arts, Assemblyman Calabrese played a pivotal role in fostering cultural initiatives in his hometown of Cliffside Park. He co-founded the Cliffside Park Arts Association, which brought together artists and community members to create ‘The Hub’, a space that hosts poetry nights, art exhibits and live music in the borough. As an advocate of the arts as a vital contributor to New Jersey’s economy, he co-sponsored legislation allocating $70 million in federal funds to the Economic Development Authority to support arts and culture organizations adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Fairleigh Dickinson University Professor and Biology Department Chair Dr. Marion McClary – Green and Healthy Places Leadership Award for protecting the environment or advancing public health. Dr. Marion McClary, a professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, has received grant money to study the effects of pollutants on detritus on which animals in the Hackensack Meadowlands feed and to study the effectiveness of sediment caps in isolating pollutants from the water of Kearny Marsh. He serves on several committees and boards of directors working to enhance the environment, including the Hackensack River Nation Council and Steering Committee, the NNJCF’s Hackensack Environmental Justice Alliance, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Endangered and Nongame Species Advisory Committee, and the NY/NJ Harbor & Estuary Program Science and Technical Advisory Committee.
- Fund Advisors for the Andrea Tilbian Halejian Memorial Fund, Gina Wilson and Lisa De Dominicis – Belonging and Opportunity Award for supporting inclusive communities or economic opportunity. Wilson and De Dominicis, cousins of the Fund’s namesake, received the award for their work supporting inclusive communities through The Andrea Tilbian Halejian Memorial Fund. The fund memorializes late Wyckoff resident Andrea Tilbian Halejian and contributes to qualified charitable organizations she supported. Since the Fund’s founding, several organizations have received grants to support various causes, including the Fund for Armenian Relief and the Center for Peace, and Justice & Reconciliation (PJR) at Bergen Community College, the Center for Food Action, Vitalant, Eva’s Village, Armenian Relief Society of Eastern USA, Careers Through Culinary Arts Program, LA Family Housing, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, Healing the Children Northeast, and United Way of Bergen County.
- South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum – Visionary Leadership Award for significant contributions to the betterment of a North Jersey community. As the first woman to hold office as mayor in South Orange, Collum demonstrated a commitment to civic engagement, volunteerism, and the modernization of municipal operations in the village. Under her stewardship, South Orange secured over $500 million in commercial and mixed-use investments, with a strong emphasis on inclusionary affordable housing and groundbreaking community benefits agreements. A bold advocate for equitable growth, she spearheaded the creation of a downtown business incubator and artist hub, fostering economic opportunity while enhancing the cultural fabric of the community. She also led a sweeping overhaul of the town’s outdated master plan, engaging a diverse coalition of volunteers and thousands of residents to reimagine the future of South Orange.
The festivities were emceed by Bergen Record columnist and humorist Bill Ervolino performing in conjunction with a fun, interactive game-show awards ceremony presented by Ryan Huban of Howdy Stranger. Guests networked with other leaders and advocates.
The evening was made possible through the support of several sponsors. The Champion Sponsor was Anonymous, while Catalyst Sponsors included Fairleigh Dickinson University, Nishuane Group, Seton Hall University, and another Anonymous supporter.
A wide range of local businesses and organizations contributed to the night’s silent auction. Donated items came from Dublin Pub, Hackensack Performing Arts Center, Iconic Coffee, Jersey City Theater, Just Jersey Goods, Kate & Abby’s Bakery, Madame Restaurant, Mayo Performing Arts Center, Medusa the Greek Street Food, and Miti Miti Latin Street Food. Additional contributions were provided by Nimbus Dance Works, South Orange Performing Arts Center, Sprout Farms & Garden, The Barrymore Film Center, and Two River Gourmet Mushrooms.
Proceeds from the event’s sponsorships and silent auction will help fund programs that protect the environment, create public art, and build community alliances.
Those who were unable to attend Community Changemaker Night can still support the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation. Donations are welcome online at www.nnjcf.org/donation or by mailing a check made payable to The Northern NJ Community Foundation (NNJCF) at 1 University Plaza Drive, Suite 102, Hackensack, NJ 07601.
Visit Northern New Jersey Community Foundation online to find more information.
35 Places to Visit in Bergen County! Read more…
