WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION RAISES $140,000 FOR SCHOLARSHIP FUND AT ANNUAL LEGACY AWARD DINNER

The William Paterson University Foundation raised more than $140,000 for its scholarship fund during the Foundation’s 13th annual Legacy Award Dinner and Silent Auction, held Saturday, May 10 at The Hilton at Short Hills. “Funds raised by the Legacy Awards dinner directly impact the lives of the University's students,” says Joanne Nigrelli, executive director of development at William Paterson University. “Through the Foundation, the University is able to provide scholarship support for its most talented students, who will be the business and community leaders of the future.”

The Legacy Award honors individuals and corporations who, through their acts and deeds, epitomize the spirit of William Paterson, the University’s namesake and the New Jersey patriot and statesman whose visionary leadership was critical in the development of the state and the nation. Recipients of this year’s Legacy Award were Castrol Consumer Americas, an internationally recognized brand name in the consumer, commercial, marine, and industrial markets located in Wayne; Fletcher T. Fish, past chairperson of the William Paterson University Foundation board of directors; and L. Robert Lieb, chairman and chief executive officer of Mountain Development Corporation in Clifton.

The event also included the presentation of the University’s Distinguished Alumni Awards and Faculty Service Award. The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented by the William Paterson Alumni Association to outstanding University alumni in recognition of significant achievement. Recipients were: Maureen Conway, vice president of emerging market solutions for Hewlett-Packard Company; Ralph da Costa Nunez, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Homes for the Homeless; Toni Fiore, executive vice president of patient care and chief nursing officer for Hackensack University Medical Center; John P. Lonsdorf, president of The R & J Group; and Anthony Pessolano, general manger of Pepsi-Cola Bottling Group of New Jersey.

The Faculty Service Award is given by the University’s Alumni Association to faculty members nominated by William Paterson alumni in recognition of demonstrated career achievement and commitment to the University. This year's recipient was Maya Chadda, a professor of political science.

William Paterson University, one of the nine state colleges and universities in New Jersey, offers 30 undergraduate and 19 graduate programs through five colleges: Arts and Communication, the Christos M. Cotsakos Business, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Science and Health. Located on 370 hilltop acres in Wayne, the University enrolls approximately 11,000 students and provides housing for nearly 2,300 students. The institution’s 366 full-time faculty are highly distinguished and diverse scholars and teachers, many of whom are recipients of prestigious awards and grants from the Fulbright Program (26 scholars), the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the American Philosophical Society.
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See below for additional background information on each award recipient.

WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY 13TH ANNUAL LEGACY AWARD DINNER AND SILENT AUCTION
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ON HONOREES

LEGACY AWARD RECIPIENTS:

CASTROL CONSUMER AMERICAS
Headquartered in Wayne

With a reputation for innovation and high-performance engine oils, Castrol Consumer Americas, headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, is an internationally recognized brand name in the consumer, commercial, marine, and industrial markets. The company’s resources include leading-edge technology, manufacturing excellence, an extensive sales network, around-the- clock service, and dedicated employees. Castrol is a global leader in marketing premium automotive product brands such as Castrol GTX, Syntec, Syntec Blend, GTX High Mileage, and Castrol Super Clean. Over the years, Castrol has been involved in a variety of joint efforts with William Paterson, including serving as a member of the University’s Workforce Development Network, participating in the University’s scholarship programs, and active involvement with the William Paterson University Foundation. The company participates in the Christos M. Cotsakos College of Business’s job shadowing and internship programs, as well as its annual Distinguished Business Leaders Symposium. Castrol is also a patron of the University’s Distinguished Lecturer Series.

FLETCHER T. FISH
Past Chairperson, William Paterson University Foundation Board of Directors
Resident of Hawthorne

The founder and former president of Fish Insurance in Wayne, Fletcher T. Fish is past chairperson of the William Paterson University Foundation board of directors, and has served on the board since its inception. He began his career as an insurance salesperson with Metropolitan Life in New York. After 16 years with the company, he and his wife, Mae, purchased the Munz Agency in Wayne in 1976, and changed the name to Fish Insurance. They worked together over the years to build their business into a successful provider of property, casualty, automobile, and homeowner’s insurance. In 1989, the Fishes also established North Jersey Brokerage, a separate agency that handled health insurance. By the time they retired, their businesses employed more than 100 brokers. Fish was involved with the Life Underwriters Training Council and Chartered Life Underwriter organizations, and was named Life Underwriter of the Year in 1979. As a past president of the Tri-County Chamber of Commerce, he became involved with the University and soon after joined its Foundation board. Instrumental in founding the Wayne Chamber Orchestra, now known as The Orchestra at William Paterson University, Fish and his wife established the annual Mae and Fletcher Fish Young Artist Competition, now in its fifth year. Involved with the YMCA since the 1950s, he is past president of the YMCA-Paterson board and current secretary to its foundation. He is also past president of the Rotary Club, which honored him as a Paul Harris Fellow in 1995. Additionally, he is chairman of the board of Glen Rock Savings Bank.

L. ROBERT LIEB
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Mountain Development Corporation, Clifton
Resident of Livingston

L. Robert Lieb is chairman and chief executive officer of Mountain Development Corporation. Prior to founding Mountain Development Corporation in 1979, Lieb practiced law in New York and New Jersey. In 1971, he co-founded the law firm of Lieb, Wolff and Samson (now Wolff and Samson), one of New Jersey’s top law firms. For the past 25 years, he has devoted his primary activities to the development, construction, rehabilitation, and management of office, retail, and industrial real estate projects, primarily in the Northeast, comprising a portfolio of office and enclosed mall retail projects aggregating approximately four million square feet. Lieb was the founder and chairman of the board of NorCrown Bank, a full service commercial bank located in Roseland, New Jersey. He is a past president and trustee of the Passaic County 200 Club, co-chairman of the Bryant Park Management Corporation, and a member of the executive committee and board of the Public Health Research Institute in Newark. He is also a former president of the Children’s Institute, Livingston, New Jersey, and is a trustee of its foundation; a trustee of the Livingston Education Foundation; a director of the New Jersey Council of the Multi-Housing Institute and the YMCA of the Oranges, Maplewood, West Essex, and Sussex counties; and a trustee of the Fund for Advancement of the Archdiocese of Newark. Lieb is a graduate of the University of Buffalo and earned a law degree from New York University Law School.

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS:

MAUREEN A. CONWAY
Vice President, Emerging Market Solutions, Hewlett-Packard Company
Resident of Los Altos, California

Maureen A. Conway is vice president of emerging market solutions for Hewlett-Packard Company (HP) in Palo Alto, California. In this capacity, she is responsible for leading the company’s efforts to bring technology to underserved and transitional economies through solution innovation and community engagement. She is the former chief information officer for the company, wherein she was responsible for the strategic and functional direction of all of HP’s information system activities and was a member of the company’s strategy council. Conway has also served HP in several other key roles including chief information officer for the business customer organization and vice president of strategic operations. Last year, she was the featured speaker at a Washington, D.C. event that brought together several government agencies to look at how to integrate the information systems of the agencies into one. Conway began her career as a high school mathematics teacher at Palisades Park Junior/Senior High School. After two years, she moved into the field of software engineering, joining the technical staff of Bell Labs in 1968. From 1983 to 1988, she was employed at the Computer Corporation of America in Framingham, Massachusetts, and later moved to workstation pioneer Apollo Computer Corporation. She joined HP in 1989 when HP acquired Apollo. A native of North Bergen, New Jersey, she earned her degree in mathematics from William Paterson University in 1966. She went on to obtain her master’s degree in mathematics from Montclair State University and a master’s in business administration with an emphasis in management and organizational behavior from Temple University.

RALPH DA COSTA NUNEZ
President and Chief Executive Officer
Homes for the Homeless, New York City
Resident of Staten Island

Ralph da Costa Nunez, Ph.D., is president and chief executive officer of Homes for the Homeless, a transitional welfare program serving approximately 1,000 homeless families and 2,500 children in New York City each year. In this role, which he has held since 1987, he manages Homes for the Homeless’ American Family Inns, the nation’s largest network of residential education and employment training centers. Nunez is also president of the Institute for Children and Poverty, an independent research and policy think tank that conducts research on issues surrounding poverty and homelessness, and the ensuing impact on children and families. Prior to Homes for the Homeless, he spent his career working in New York City and state government. Most recently he was the deputy director for the Office of Homeless and SRO Housing Services under Mayor Ed Koch, overseeing policies and services administered by all the city agencies serving the homeless population. He also served as a First Deputy Commissioner of the Human Resources Administration, and held executive positions with the Mayor’s Youth Bureau, the New York State Office of Mental Health, and the Legislative Office of Budget Review. A 1972 graduate of William Paterson University with a degree in public administration, he also holds a master’s degree in comparative government from New York University and a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University, where he has served as an adjunct professor since 1980. Nunez is the editor of the international Journal of Children and Poverty, and is the author of four books, as well as numerous articles and reports. With his wife, Dr. Jadviga da Costa Nunez ’73, he also owns and operates Island Shores Senior Residences, an assisted living facility in Staten Island.

TONI FIORE
Executive Vice President of Patient Care and Chief Nursing Officer
Hackensack University Medical Center
Resident of Pompton Lakes

Toni Fiore is executive vice president of patient care and chief nursing officer for Hackensack University Medical Center. As part of the center’s top executive team, she is responsible for more than 1,800 nurses on staff at the 629-bed facility. In her role at the medical center, Fiore has participated in the development and implementation of several successful new programs, including a dialysis expansion, as well as the establishment of its Center for Reproductive Medicine, Bone Marrow Transplant Program, and Osteoporosis Center. She also directed the efforts of the center through the application process and site survey that resulted in the medical center receiving the four-year Magnet Hospital Recognition Award for Excellence in Nursing Services in 1995 and 1999. Fiore joined Hackensack University Medical Center in 1966 as a staff nurse. She later left to join a pediatric practice, and returned in 1970. She is a member of the American Association of Nurse Executives, the New Jersey Organization of Nurse Executives, the Society of Nursing Service Administrators of New Jersey, the American Nurses Association, the New Jersey State Nurses Association, and the Lupus Erythematosus Foundation of New Jersey. Over the years she has received a number of awards including the Association of Healthcare Executives of New Jersey Distinguished Service Award in 2001; the New Jersey State Nurses Association “Diva Award” in 2000; and the Governor’s Nursing Merit Award for Nurse Administrator in 2000. Fiore received her R.N. from Jersey City Hospital School of Nursing, her bachelor of science in nursing from William Paterson University in 1976, and her master’s degree in nursing administration from New York University in 1982.

JOHN P. LONSDORF
President, The R & J Group, Parsippany
Resident of Bridgewater

John Lonsdorf is president of The R&J Group of Parsippany, New Jersey, a full-service marketing communications, advertising, and public relations firm that he co-founded in 1986. Before establishing R&J, Lonsdorf was director of account services and business development for Landmark Advertising, where he directed the marketing, public relations, media, and new business efforts of the agency. Prior to that, he taught middle school English in Hope and Summit, New Jersey. Recognized as a leader within New Jersey’s advertising and public relations circles, Lonsdorf was a founding director of the New Jersey Association of Advertising Agencies. He is also an active member of the Advertising Club of New Jersey, the Public Relations Society of America, and the New Jersey Communications, Advertising and Marketing Association. Active in his community, Lonsdorf is on the board of trustees of Integrity, Inc., a residential substance abuse treatment community, and is treasurer of the Integrity House Foundation. He is a member of the board of directors of the William Paterson University Foundation, and previously served on the fund-raising committee for the American Diabetes Association/New Jersey Chapter. A 1979 graduate of William Paterson University, John earned a bachelor’s degree in communications, cum laude, as well as teaching certificates in English, elementary education, and speech arts and dramatics.

ANTHONY PESSOLANO
General Manager, Pepsi-Cola Bottling Group of New Jersey, Moonachie
Resident of Allendale

Anthony Pessolano is general manager of the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Group of New Jersey. Since assuming this position in 1998, he has played a key role in transforming Pepsi’s business in New Jersey. Pessolano joined Pepsi 21 years ago as a route driver and mechanic. After learning the business, he was promoted to vice president of sales for Pepsi International. In that role, his work took him to 40 countries, where he was responsible for such efforts as the major relaunch of the Pepsi business in Brazil and start-up businesses in mainland China. Over the years, Pessolano has been the key driver in a number of high profile deals for Pepsi, from the acquisition of operations in Australia to a multimillion-dollar deal to bring Pepsi to the Meadowlands. He is also a recognized leader in developing a more diverse, respect-centric culture at Pepsi and authored his own video, “Creating the Right Work Environment.” His community commitment to such organizations as Tomorrow’s Children, the Leukemia Foundation, and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation has earned him many awards, including three PepsiCo Community Service Awards, “Honor Al Merito” from Desfile Hispano-Americano de New Jersey, and the Rosa Parks Community Service Award. He was also recently elected to the board of education for Northern Highlands Regional High School. A 1980 graduate of William Paterson with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Pessolano earned an M.B.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson University. A member of the William Paterson University Foundation board of directors, he provides a scholarship in the name of his mother, Ann Pessolano.

FACULTY SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT:
MAYA CHADDA, PH.D.
Professor of Political Science
Resident of Weehawken

Dr. Maya Chadda joined the faculty of William Paterson University’s Department of Political Science in 1977. Highly regarded by her students as and inspiring and dynamic professor, her areas of expertise include United States foreign policy, international relations, and human rights and democracy. In March 2000, Chadda was invited to join the prestigious Council on Foreign Relations, the world’s most prominent foreign relations think tank. A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization founded in 1921, the Council is dedicated to fostering America’s understanding of other nations through study and debate. In her role with the Council, she has regular interaction with world leaders and participates in meetings, study groups, and discussions on matters of politics and policy. She was recently named to the Task Force on India and South Asia, and participates in the Council’s European, Middle Eastern, Southeast Asian, and Eurasian roundtables. Chadda is the author of numerous journal articles and presentations, as well as several books, including Indo-Soviet Political Relations Since the Bandung Conference (Vora & Co., 1968); The Paradox of Power: The U.S. in Southwest Asia (Columbia University Press, 1997, and Oxford University Press, 1998); and Building Democracy in South Asia: India, Nepal, Pakistan (Lynne Rienner Publications, 2000). Chadda holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Bombay University, a master’s degree in government from New York University, and a Ph.D. in political science and economics from the New School for Social Research.
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For Further Information, contact:

Mary Beth Zeman, Director, Public Relations 973-720-2966

7/16/03