Past Sustainability Heroes
Read about the accomplishments of all of the Sustainable Jersey Heroes since 2014.
2023 Heroes
January: Michele Lee, Mayor, Borough of High Bridge, Hunterdon County
February: Mark and Leslie Olson, Sustainable Ridgefield Park, Village of Ridgefield Park, Bergen County
March: Lois Kraus, Co-Chair, Westfield Green Team, Union County
April: Barbara F. Rogers, PhD., Committee Member, Township of Cranbury, Middlesex County
May: Kenneth A. Jones, Bergen County Hub and Glen Rock Environmental Commission, Bergen County
June: Mary Crawford, Go Green Galloway, Atlantic County
August: Sangeeta Doshi, Cherry Hill Township Councilwoman and Green Team Co-Chair, Camden County
October: Nanette LoBiondo Galloway, Chair, SustainableEHC, Egg Harbor City's Green Team, Atlantic County
December: Michael Kolber, Senior Planner, City of Trenton, Mercer County
2022 Heroes
January: Anne-Marie Peracchio, Past Chair, Sustainable Jersey Board of Trustees
February: André Sayegh, Mayor, City of Paterson, Passaic County
March: Donna J. Helmes, Sustainable Collingswood
April: Vicki Palaganas, Penns Grove High School, Salem County
May: Elizabeth Magill Peer, Chair, City of Lambertville Environmental Commission, Hunterdon County
June: Dr. Lawrence S. Feinsod, Executive Director, New Jersey School Boards Association
August: Ila Vassallo, Chair, Evesham Township Environmental Commission/Green Team
September: Kelly Stone, K-5 STEM Teacher, George L. Catrambone Elementary School, Monmouth County
October: Vicky Binetti, Chair, Washington Township Green Team and Environmental Commission, Gloucester County
November: Laura Bagwell, Chair, Eatontown Borough Green Team, Monmouth County
December: Jenna Kostovski, Music Teacher and Sustainability Lead, First Avenue Elementary School, Essex County
2021 Heroes
January: Sean Mohen, Executive Director, Tri-County Sustainability
February: Chris Mazauskas, Co-Founder, Edison Green Team
March: Michael Miller, Supervisor of Science, Raritan High School
April: Susan Lazarchick, Chair, Township of Hamilton Green Team
May: Carol Peterson, Sustainable Oakland Green Team, Bergen County
June: Jennifer Feltis Cortese, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
July: Stella Nwanguma, Principal, Winslow Township Middle School, Camden County
August: Candice Davenport, Health Officer, Maplewood Health Department, Essex County
September: Jennifer Carcich, Supervisor of Curriculum and Sustainability Coordinator, Unity Charter School
October: Stephen Fiedler, Chair, Galloway Township Environmental Commission, Atlantic County
November: Kathleen Johnson Caccavale, Chair, Sustainable Madison Advisory Committee
December: Joseph Isola, Superintendent of Schools, Howell Township Public Schools
2020 Heroes
January: Cathy Elliott-Shaw & Sruti Desai, Bordentown City
February: Deborah Goodman, Camden High School
March: David Kois, Hillsborough Township
April: Michael Winka, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities
May: Patricia C. Heindel, Ph.D. & Elizabeth Warner, Co-Founders, School Culture and Climate Initiative
June: Nancy Blackwood, Red Bank Environmental Commission
August: Julie Crawford, STEM Coordinator/Enrichment Programs/Math, Mount Arlington School
September: Robert Becker, Readington Township Environmental Commission
October: Kim Diamond, Founder and President, Sustainable Berkeley Heights
November: Rodney L. Williams, Director of Energy and Sustainability, Newark Public Schools
December: Tanara Hall, Island Heights Borough Green Team
2019 Heroes
As part of Sustainable Jersey's 10th Anniversary celebration, 2019 Sustainability Heroes featured organizations and people that have been instrumental to the organization over the last ten years.
January: Fred Profeta, Jr. & Meryl Frank, New Jersey Mayors Committee for a Green Future
February: Pam Mount & Richard S. Dovey, Sustainable Jersey Board of Trustees
March: 10-Year Certified Municipalities
April: The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation
May: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
July: New Jersey League of Municipalities
August: New Jersey School Boards Association
September: Metropolitan Planning Organizations and Transportation Management Associations
October: New Jersey Education Association
November: Sustainable Jersey Regional Hubs
December: The College of New Jersey
2018 Heroes
January: Kristin Wenger, Co-Director, Arts Ed NJ
February: Mike Hornsby, Former Chair, West Windsor Environmental Commission
March: Tanya Oznowich, Environmental Education Supervisor, NJ Department of Environmental Protection
April: Edward Cohen, Founding Member, Mount Laurel Green Team
May: Ann Marchioni, Co-Chair, Caldwell Environmental Commission
June: Michael Salvatore, Ph.D., Superintendent of Schools, Long Branch Public Schools
July: Christine Symington, Program Director, Sustainable Princeton
August: John Henry, STEAM & Sustainability Schools Specialist, New Jersey School Boards Association
September: Dr. Diane C. Bates, Professor of Sociology, The College of New Jersey
October: Jodi Bettermann, Energy Efficiency Coordinator, Readington Township Public School District
November: Tara & Tim Kenyon, Co-Chairs, Sustainable Manville
December: Elise Bremer-Nei, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, NJ Department of Transportation
2017 Heroes
January: Donna Drewes, Co-Director, Sustainable Jersey
February: Matt von der Hayden, Green Team Leader and Manager, Capital Planning, Ocean City
March: Wilma J. Morrissey, Chair, Wall Township Environmental Advisory Committee
April: Erica DeMichele, Supervisor of Curriculum, Delran Township School District
May: Ralph Cooper, Chair, Upper Township Green Team
June: Tracey Woods, Chair, Maplewood Township Green Team
July: Chris Waldron, LEED AP, Director of Sustainability, Camden County
August: Adrianne Spota, Chair, Marlboro Township Green Team
September: Sandy Sandmeyer-Bryan, Educator & Green Team Coordinator, Cape May City Elementary School
October: Jennifer Gonzalez, Chief Sustainability Officer, City of Hoboken
November: Bonnie Stewart, Chair, Borough of River Edge Green Team
December: Bonnie Akey, Chair, Little Silver Environmental Commission
2016 Heroes
January: Nathan Charron, HART Commuter Information Services
February: Mary Reece, Ed.D., Chair, Sustainable Montgomery
March: Diane M. Landis, Executive Director, Sustainable Princeton
April: Scott McCartney, Ed.D., Superintendent, Egg Harbor Twp. School District
May: John Riggs, Director of Planning and Environmental Protection, Monroe Township (Middlesex County)
June: Teri Jover, Deputy Executive Director, New Jersey Future and Chair, Sustainable Highland Park
July: Meishka L. Mitchell, AICP, PP, V.P. of Neighborhood Initiatives, Cooper's Ferry Partnership
August: Joanne Mullowney, Co-Chair, Ewing Green Team
September: Nancy Yard, Ed.D., Principal and Green Team Coordinator, Holland Township School (Hunterdon County)
October: David Hess, Vice-Chair, Sustainable Moorestown
November: Dr. Theodore Chase, Jr., Franklin Twp. (Somerset County), Deputy Mayor & Green Team Chair
December: Patrick McDevitt, Founder and Chair, Sustainable Monroe Township (Gloucester County)
2015 Heroes
January: Athena Sarafides, Co-Chair, Sustainable Jersey Green Design and Local Economies Task Forces
February: Angela Andersen, Long Beach Township Clean Communities Coordinator and Green Team Chair
March: Laura Mandell, Founder/Chair, Warren Green Team and Chair, Environmental Commission
April: John Hughes, Founder and Chair, Rutherford Borough Green Team
June: Gray Russell, Montclair Sustainability Officer
July: Donna Kirkland, Co-Chair, Environmental Commission, City of Newark
August: Barbara Fiedler, Chief Sustainability Officer, Galloway Township; Chair & Founder, Go Green Galloway
September: Dorothy Rasmussen, Borough of Metuchen Councilwoman and Green Team Liaison
October: Arthur Ondish, Mayor, Mount Arlington Borough
November: Lori Braunstein
December: Steven Neale, Chair, Sustainable Verona
2014 Heroes
January: Julie Beddingfield, Chair, Sustainable Haddonfield
February: Leondard Berkowitz, Leader, Berkeley Heights Green Team
March: Rayna Laiosa, Chair, Hawthorne Green Team
April: Gary Sondermeyer, Chair, Sustainable Jersey Waste Management Task Force
May: Christopher A. Brown, Principal Planner, City of Hoboken
June: Robert Bzik, Director of Planning, Somerset County
July: Dominikija Prostak, Chair, Frenchtown Green Team
August: Matthew Polsky, Sustainability Change-Agent
September: Monica Coffey, Chair, Sustainable Margate
October: Harriet Shugarman, Chair, Wyckoff Green Team
November: Amanda Nesheiwat, Environmental Coordinator, Town of Secaucus
December: Charnette Frederic, Irvington Council President and Green Team Chair