Awards program honors Greater Women of Central N.J. Donna Cardillo Greater Media Newspapers, CentraState team to honor women of achievement BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer Women have traditionally been honored for their roles as wives and mothers. On Sept. 12, however, a group of women were recognized for their outstanding achievements, their contribution to their communities, and their influence on the lives of others. An awards luncheon honoring nominees in the second annual Greater Women of New Jersey program, sponsored by Greater Media Newspapers and CentraState Medical Center, singled out 16 finalists in three categories: five women who worked in the business world, six who worked in the health care field, and five who have found their niche in helping others through nonprofit organizations. The luncheon, held at Battleground Country Club, Manalapan, was attended by 200 guests. The project began in November 2005, when nomination forms were printed in Greater Media's 12 weekly newspapers. The newspapers promotions coordinator, Susan Greitz, said that Greater Media paid tribute to the exceptional women in Monmouth, Middlesex and northern Ocean counties who have made a demonstrated difference in business, health care and nonprofit organizations. Barbara Ruane Nominees could be paid professionals or volunteers but must have overcome specific challenges and demonstrated excellence, creativity, initiative and succeeded in making a true difference through their efforts. Three women, out of 108 nominees, took home the engraved crystal vase trophies this year. The awards were presented by Gregory Bean, executive editor of Greater Media Newspapers. Master of ceremonies was Chris Van Zant, a radio personality from Greater Media radio station WJRZ Oldies 100. Bean told the room full of people that the program highlighted a wide spectrum of achievement. He said he knew about the power of women in the workplace, and had learned some of those lessons from his mother and his wife. Linda Surks His mother, Phyllis, began her career as a secretary for True Oil Co., one of the largest oil companies in the Rocky Mountains. She worked her way up to vice president of that company. His wife, Linda, is an executive for the National Advertising Review Council in New York City. Bean added that the women who worked on his staff at Greater Media Newspapers were talented and powerful women as well. The executive editor praised all nominees and said that they were all "winners." Judges for the awards program were Milltown Mayor Gloria Bradford; Beverly George, supervisor, Marketing Communications, CentraState Healthcare System; Loretta Kuhnert, vice president, Western Monmouth Chamber of Commerce; Suzanne Pease, owner, Ampersand Graphics; and Nina Jane Persing, broker/co-owner, ERA Designs for Living. Keynote speaker Elizabeth Christopherson, executive director, New Jersey Network and NJN Foundation, thanked Greater Media for its recognition of creativity and community. She also thanked the company for its contribution of one-half of the proceeds of the luncheon, $4,500, to the American Cancer Society to advance the war on cancer. Being in the field of broadcasting, Christopherson said that the best way to describe the winners was to call them "high-definition" women. "You stand out from all the rest with your clarity, vision and vibrance," she said. Christopherson added that even today, women still have difficulty struggling with their roles. "The playing field is still not level. There are still closed doors and glass ceilings," she said. "Talk to others," she encouraged. "Create your own board of directors to provide you with advice, to lift you up when you're down, and then return the favor and help serve others. Help other women to realize their dreams as well as their potential." She told the audience that she had once taken an elevator with Rosa Parks. "I tried not to stare, yet I wanted to tell her how much I admired her and that she was my hero. She seemed fragile but with a gracious smile that could melt hearts," Christopherson said. "But in 1955, when she refused to give up her seat on a bus, that smile was steel resolve. Her action sparked a movement that changed history. This is the power of one individual to make a difference," Christopherson said. Barbara Ruane took home the trophy for her achievements in the business category. Ruane, founder and president of the James Thomas Group, went through half her life with an undiagnosed learning disability and was encouraged by her school counselors to seek clerical work because of her unremarkable grades. A job at Fort Monmouth helped her realize her true potential when she was promoted six times in nine years, achieving a level-nine manager analyst position. After her first child was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Ruane realized she suffered from the same symptoms. Her research into the disorder prompted her to become a counselor for families of children with ADHD and attention deficit disorder. In 2000, she and her husband started the James Thomas Group, an emergency management and counter-terrorism consulting firm, which grew after Sept. 11, 2001. She is an emergency management technician, is trained as an instructor in weapons of mass destruction, and has completed hands-on training with explosives and biohazards. She also conducts exercises for government agencies, trains emergency responders and conducts risk assessments. Ruane was elected in 2005 to serve as a councilwoman in West Long Branch. Donna M. Cardillo took the trophy in the health care field. She worked in several nontraditional nursing roles. When hospitals started downsizing and merging, nurses were laid off for the first time in the profession and new graduates could not find work. Cardillo utilized her nursing career experience and developed a copyrighted program titled Career Alternatives for Nurses. The program focuses on job search skills, professional image and networking. She launched her business in 1995 with six seminars. She returned to school and earned her master's degree, graduating with the highest grade-point average in her major. The response to her sem- inars was overwhelming and the business has grown into an international consulting and education firm, providing seminars, workshops and educational products on career and professional development. She writes a monthly column for Nursing Spectrum magazine and has served as a director on the board of the New Jersey League for Nursing. Cardillo has helped thousands of nurses to find rewarding nursing opportunities in a constantly changing health care industry. Linda Surks, coalition coordinator, National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) of Middlesex County, won the award in the nonprofit category. The goal of NCADD is to promote health and well-being through the reduction or elimination of alcohol, tobacco and other drug-use problems. Surks, mother to two teenage sons, held several positions including public information coordinator. Tragically, three years ago, her son died of an overdose of drugs he obtained without a prescription over the Internet. According to her nominators, "she has undertaken a mission to share the message: This tragedy can happen to anyone." Her efforts address prescription drug abuse among young people, particularly the ease with which they are obtained over the Internet. The DEA identified her as a spokesperson for a new national parents group being developed to raise awareness on the effects of drug abuse on families in this country. Surks has also developed a peer intervention strategy for teens and raised money and put that message on mouse pads in every middle school and high school in the county. She has taken her personal tragedy, and instead of letting it make her bitter, it has made her more determined to prevent this tragedy in other families. The 16 winners were also honored by a special proclamation from state Sen. Ellen Karcher and Assemblyman Michael Panter (both D-12th District). The legislative proclamation honors and congratulates the 2006 Greater Women of Central New Jersey and pays tribute to their "meritorious record of service, leadership and commitment." Van Zant concluded the program with a poem. Dropping his lighthearted guard for just a bit, he read "A Woman's Poem" to the audience. He said he did not write it but wished he had. He said he did not know the author's name. The poem cited the virtues of a woman and included a complementing characteristic of a man for each virtue. The moving message delivered was one most people have heard before. "Behind every man is a greater, bigger and stronger woman," Van Zant read. Winners were not the only women to walk out of that banquet hall a little taller that afternoon.