Women of Distinction and Community Partners Gala 2024

Congratulations to the honorees of the Women of Distinction & Community Partners Gala.

About Piper Sandler

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A message from the CEO

Dear Girl Scout Family,

Welcome to our 2024 Women of Distinction and Community Partners Gala, as we celebrate and recognize extraordinary honorees who inspire our Girl Scouts to become the leaders of tomorrow.

We are grateful for the generous contributions of our donors and supporters, ensuring that thousands of girls have access to life-changing experiences and leadership programming, especially those in underserved communities.

Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore serves over 7,700 girls ages 5-18 throughout Monmouth and Ocean counties. Our council provides exceptional girls’ leadership development initiatives to all girls that want to join our sisterhood, regardless of their ability to pay. Your support fuels our mission to build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place; our strong commitment to diversity and inclusion; and our promise to give Girl Scouts access to life-changing experiences that inspire them to do big things!

We are excited to share our Gold Award Girl Scout stories throughout tonight’s Gala. Since 1916, Gold Award Girl Scouts have been making the world a better place through the design and completion of 80+ hour Take Action projects that leave sustainable legacies in neighborhoods throughout Monmouth and Ocean counties and across New Jersey. These young women are courageous leaders and visionary change makers.

Thank you again for being a champion for Girl Scouts. Your investment in Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore enables our girls to become the changemakers our world needs. When one girl succeeds, we all succeed.

Yours in Girl Scouting,

Heather Coburn Chief Executive Officer

And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

*Members may substitute for the word God in accordance with their own spiritual beliefs.

Girl Scout Law

I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout.

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Bronze Sponsor

New Jersey Natural Gas

Trefoil Sponsor

Aspire Technology Partners • Horizon Blue Cross

Blue Shield • OceanFirst Bank • RWJBarnabas Health –Community Medical Center, Monmouth Medical Center, Monmouth Medical Center – Southern Campus

Badge Sponsor

Hackensack Meridian Health • IBM

Ocean County Business Development & Tourism

Ocean County College • PwC • Stillwell-Hansen Inc.

Girl Scout Sponsor

Attentive Energy Two • Bil-Jim Construction Co., Inc.

Bright Harbor Health Care • Causeway Family of Dealerships

Charlie’s of Bay Head & Lincroft • Corporate Synergies • ENCON

HFA • Hiering, Dupignac, Stanzione & Dunn P.C.

Jersey Shore BlueClaws • OCVTS • PNC Institutional Asset Management • Red Arrow Technologies • SAP

Ad Journal Underwriter

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield • OceanFirst Foundation

Audio Visual / Program Underwriter

Stifel & KBW

Dessert Underwriter

NorthStar Strategies • Palmer & Cay • Raisin

Entertainment Underwriter UTCA

Flowers Provided By Narcissus Florals

Please accept our sincere apologies for any misspellings or omissions from this evening’s program.

Girl Scouts of the Jersey

Board of Directors

Shore

Teri O’Connor

Board Chair

Jaimie Diaz

Second Vice Chair

Lauren Holman Treasurer

Jacqueline K. Shea

First Vice Chair

Barbara Birdsall, Esq.

Third Vice Chair

Bob McLane Secretary

Members-At-Large

Alexis Bailey • Dr. Charles Ford • Jody Herkloz • Jaclyn Kosco

Dr. Michael Maschi • Brian Murphy • Ann Petronaci

Heather Stout • Carla Vanzant • Ben Waldron • Jay Whalen

Heather Coburn, Chief Executive Officer

Gala Committee

Committee Chairs

Paige Baran, Esq. • Thomas Hayes

Members

Bahiyyah Abdullah

Comm’r Dir. Tom Arnone

Nancy Barone

Shawanda Beale

Sherri Bray

Tasha Youngblood Brown

Anne Davis, Esq.

Serena DiMaso, Esq.

Gabrielle Liguori

Dr. Michael Maschi

Michael McCully

Frank McIntyre

Teri O’Connor

Nancy Peterson

Rosalind Seawright

Tara Scott

Denice Gaffney

Robin Griggs

Comm’r Virginia Haines

Christine Hanlon, Esq.

Grace Hickey

Lauren Holman

David Indursky

Dr. Manpreet Kohli

Jacqueline Shea

Carol Stillwell

Evelyn Strain

Stephanie Toal

Ben Waldron

Denise Wegeman

Jay Whalen

Diane Lee Brock Woman of Distinction

Diane Lee Brock, a dedicated professional and community leader, brings over three decades of invaluable experience in financial management and leadership. As the only child of Shirley R. Lee, she was raised with a strong foundation of values and a passion for service. After graduating from Monmouth Regional High School in 1978, she pursued higher education at Hampton University, earning her degree in 1982.

Entering the workforce with a commitment to excellence, Diane embarked on a distinguished 33-year career with the Department of Defense. Her journey led her through various critical financial roles across key defense locations, including Fort Monmouth, Pentagon in Virginia, and Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. Her remarkable tenure culminated as the Chief of Policies, Programs, & Budget Analysis, a testament to her expertise and leadership in financial management.

Dedicated to nurturing the next generation, Diane actively contributes to the growth and development of young minds as a devoted volunteer with the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore, serving on the Board Development Committee, Silver/ Gold Award Committee and participating in outreach troop activities.

Her heart for community service extends to various organizations, such as The Center in Asbury Park, where she serves as a dedicated board member and volunteer, contributing to their noble mission. Additionally, Diane is a valued member of Pilgrim Baptist Church, actively engaged since 1990, and assuming vital roles as a Trustee and Treasurer since 2004.

Diane Lee Brock married the love of her life, Anthony J. Brock, Sr., in 2017. The two reside in Neptune Township.

Carolyn E. Cannon Woman of Distinction

Carolyn Cannon is the Manager of Educational Programming at New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG), where she has worked for more than two decades.

Hailing from the great state of Indiana, Carolyn left the Midwest to attend Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU), receiving her B.A. in Broadcast Communications with a concentration in political science. While at FDU, Carolyn was a host and reporter for the campus television studio.

Carolyn coordinates NJNG’s Project Venture mentoring program. This long-standing initiative – in its 34th year having served nearly 450 students – is a collaboration with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Coastal and Northern New Jersey (BBBS). Carolyn has been a regional board member for BBBS for the past five years.

Currently, Carolyn oversees NJNG’s Speakers’ Bureau and gives an average of 40 presentations per year.

As a lifelong learner, Carolyn holds a certificate in Leadership Development for Early Career Women from Rutgers University’s Center for Women and Work, is a graduate of the Stand & Deliver executive coaching program from New Jersey Public Television’s Steve Adubato, and received the Psychology of Leadership Certificate through eCornell in April 2022.

Carolyn is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, an active member of Impact 100 Jersey Coast chapter, and serves on the board of the Monmouth Ocean Development Council as co-chair of their educational foundation. She is currently the co-chair of NJNG’s African American employee business resource group.

Carolyn is married and the proud mother of a teenage daughter who also loves to power walk and explore new restaurants. She is a chocoholic and her favorite city is Chicago.

Jody L. Herkloz Woman of Distinction

Jody is an accomplished lobbyist, fundraiser, association executive, and entrepreneur with broad, bi-partisan reach. Jody leverages a diversified strategic and tactical expertise in support of client priorities. She is also responsible for day-to-day operations of NorthStar Strategies.

Prior to launching NorthStar Strategies with Joe Fiordaliso in 2016, Jody owned and operated her own consultancy that served clients in New Jersey and throughout the region. She also served as a senior staff member with one of New Jersey’s oldest and most established government affairs firms. Jody began her career serving in several government positions including as a top aide to the Executive Director of the Majority Office of the New Jersey General Assembly. She has served as the New Jersey campaign finance director for the national Republican Party, as finance director for the New Jersey Republican Party and finance director for various county level Republican Committees. Jody has also served as finance director for Republican candidates for United States Senate and Congress.

Jody presently sits on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore; serves as a Board Member and Development Officer for the WeDance Foundation, Chair of the Ocean County Employers Legislative Committee (ELC); and is Vice Chair of NEW JOBS PAC, New Jersey’s largest and most influential ideological business political action committee.

Jody is a true Jersey Girl, born and raised along the Jersey Shore. She is a proud University of Delaware Blue Hen who learned the importance of public service from her father, a retired Lieutenant with the New Jersey State Police. When she is not spoiling her niece and nephew at Disney World, she is a competitive ballroom dancer.

Jan Kirsten Woman of Distinction

As the Executive Director of College Relations at Ocean County College, Jan Kirsten is responsible for marketing programs, brand management, special events, and alumni. Prior to joining OCC in 2002, she worked in strategic marketing and promotional initiatives at Benetton Sportsystems Inc., Prince Division. In addition to management and marketing in both higher education and the corporate realm, Jan’s areas of expertise traverse the spheres of conference and event planning, public and media relations,and publicity.

Jan thrives on challenges – particularly those that expand the College’s strategic initiatives – and responds to all responsibilities and undertakings with her strengths: creativity, drive, leadership.

She currently serves on multiple boards, including the United Way of Monmouth & Ocean Counties, the Greater Toms River Chamber, and 21 Plus. She is also the Chair of the Institutional and Advancement Affinity Group for the New Jersey of County Colleges and a member of the committee for the District 1–NCMPR Executive Council. Also, of note are her two years as president, and then as an executive board member, of the Howell Women’s Club, as well as her volunteer work for Bright & Beautiful Canine Hospice.

Jan holds a bachelor’s degree from Georgian Court University and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and her spoiled golden retrievers, Buoy and Teak.

Christina M. Lassik Woman of Distinction

Born and raised in Toms River, NJ, Christina is a native of the Jersey Shore. At home, she is supported by the most incredible family. She has been married to her husband Greg for 13 years and they have two amazing sons, Mason (12) and Gavin (9). She is proud to be involved in her boys’ academic careers and extracurricular activities by being an ice hockey mom/manager and PTA President of their school district. She finds so much joy in supporting her family in all of their endeavors and helping them to pursue their goals and dreams.

She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts from McDaniel College in Westminster, MD, then earned both a Master’s Degree and Post Master’s Certificate in Psychological Counseling from Monmouth University, West Long Branch. Most of her career was spent working in Psychiatric Emergency Screening Services (PESS) out of Kimball Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson Behavioral Health.

In January 2022, Christina’s career shifted from emergency crisis to community mental health, through Bright Harbor Healthcare in a program called Keeping Families Together (KFT). KFT is a long-term program aimed to assist families challenged with homelessness/housing instability putting children at risk for out of home placement or delaying reunification. The goal of this program is to assist families in achieving housing stability, greater family functioning, child wellbeing, community integration, work readiness, peer support, mental health and substance abuse services, socialization, access to resources, and other skills and opportunities and foster increased self-sufficiency.

It is through KFT that Christina was afforded the opportunity to provide the gift of Girl Scouts to a troop of 15 girls, whose ages range from 6-15 years old, and whom otherwise would not have the ability to experience all of the amazing opportunities Girl Scouts has to offer.

Bob McLane Man Enough to Be a Girl Scout

Bob McLane, General Manager with the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, comes to the shore by way of northeast PA, where he was born and raised. As a graduate of Scranton Preparatory School and the University of Pittsburgh, he credits these institutions, along with a loving and supportive family, with helping to shape him into the person he is today.

He joined the BlueClaws Front Office as the Senior Vice President – Ticket Sales & Service in September of 2018 after a long stint with the Yankees AAA-Affiliate in northeast PA. Although athletics and a competitive nature having always been in his blood, it was his relationship with Shore Town Baseball that drew him to this new opportunity. The possibility to bring his family to the Jersey Shore and the amazing local communities that make up the region were perfect for his family. This same passion for community and family is what drew him to pursue relationships with JB MDL, the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore, the Greater Toms River Chamber of Commerce, and others. These relationships, particularly with the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore, mean a great deal to him and his family.

Bob, his wife, Amy, and his daughters, Charlotte (7 and a proud member of Troop 60276), Lucy (5), and Stella (3) reside in Brick, NJ where they enjoy going to the beach, having fun at the boardwalk, and visiting as many local parks as they can. Bob and his family are proud to be in the BlueClaws and GSJS families!

OceanFirst Community Partner

Since 1902, OceanFirst Bank N.A. has helped families and businesses realize their financial dreams. OceanFirst was formed as the Point Pleasant Building and Loan by a small group of business leaders interested in providing financing to their neighbors so they could build homes. The Bank initially offered traditional savings deposit and mortgage loan products to neighbors in our local communities; however, this has grown over the years to include personal checking and savings accounts, commercial banking and treasury management services, along with digital banking services and loans for various stages of life.

The Bank also encourages employee volunteerism and, when our staff is out supporting non-profit organizations and helping our neighbors, we call our employees the WaveMakers. The OceanFirst WaveMakers volunteer thousands of hours every year to help in our communities.

In 1996, in conjunction with our initial public offering (IPO) OceanFirst became the first bank in the country to establish a Foundation at the time of conversion from mutual to stock ownership. OceanFirst Foundation is an independent nonprofit organization, and since established 27 years ago, has provided over 9,000 grants totaling more than $45 million to local charities and has become the template for over 90 banks throughout the country who have followed this IPO model: thereby resulting in millions of people in need benefitting from this OceanFirst initiative.

Today, OceanFirst has more than 900 employees and is a $13.5 billion regional bank providing financial services throughout New Jersey and the major metropolitan markets of Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, and Boston. OceanFirst is one of the largest and oldest community-based financial institutions headquartered in New Jersey. For more information, please visit www.oceanfirst.com.

Diane Lee Brock

Jody L. Herkloz

Jan Kirsten

M. Lassik

Bob McLane

Carolyn E. Cannon Manager, Educational Programs

Community Medical Center, Monmouth Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus proudly support the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore and congratulate all of the Women of Distinction honorees.

Jody

Congratulations to all of the Women of Distinction & Community Partners honorees...

...especially Jody Herkloz and Bob McLane. Very well deserved!

Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore Board of Directors

Alexis Bailey

Barbara Birdsall, Esq.

Heather Coburn

Jaimie Diaz

Dr. Charles Ford

Lauren Holman

Jaclyn Kosco

Dr. Michael Maschi

Brian Murphy

Teri O’Connor

Ann Petronaci

Jacqueline K. Shea

Heather Stout

Carla Vanzant

Ben Waldron

Jay Whalen

The Girl Scout Gold Award

The mark of the truly remarkable – proof that a girl can not only make a difference, but she already has.

Girl Scouts tackle issues dear to them and drive lasting change in their communities and beyond. These girls are leaders in their communities, schools, and will bring those skills with them into the future.

Cathrine, a senior at St. John Vianney, is passionate about educating girls about activism and global issues. Her Gold Award project serves to educate girls in an age-appropriate way and inspire them to get involved in topics they care about. Cat conducted inperson and on-line programs that give participants the opportunity to learn about global issues and to become involved in their global community. The online version of her presentation is available to girls across the country and the world!

Invest in Girls. Change the World.

Your financial commitment to our mission is more important than ever before. You have the opportunity to invest in our work as a Girl Scout champion and help us expand the impact and reach of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

WISHES

Nancy Barone

Paige E. Baran, Esquire Shawanda W. Beale

Diane Lee Brock

Jan Kirsten

Lauren Holman, CPA Manpreet K. Kohli M.D., FACS

Carolyn E. Cannon

Christina M. Lassik

Jody L. Herkloz

Denise Wegeman MSW, LCSW

Bob McLane

Thomas A. Arnone Red

You are truly deserving to be celebrated as a leader who inspires young women to become the leaders of tomorrow!

You walk-the-talk teaching our daughter to be strong.

Love, Maria

Chris & our daughter, Elizabeth crossing the Spartan Race finish line after 10 miles and 28 obstacles knee deep in mud.

2024 Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore’s Women of Distinction

We are so very proud of your amazing honor. Congratulations to you and the distinguished group of honorees who continue to promote the core mission of Girl Empowerment for the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore.

Craig, Madison, Brenda, Tracey, and Jen.

The Girl Scout Gold Award

The mark of the truly remarkable – proof that a girl can not only make a difference, but she already has.

Girl Scouts tackle issues dear to them and drive lasting change in their communities and beyond. These girls are leaders in their communities, schools, and will bring those skills with them into the future.

Blake, a senior at High Technology High School, is passionate about STEM. Her Gold Award project helped girls learn about the opportunities and fun that can be found in engineering as well career opportunities available in STEM. Blake designed FLIPS – Future Leaders, Innovators, and ProblemSolvers. FLIPS, embodying the skills that participants gain, consists of hands-on engineering workshops for middle school girls, a Women in Engineering conference increasing exposure to the field and the opportunity to learn from professionals, and an Intro to Engineering Boot Camp for girls in elementary school. Blake created promotional materials, videos, a website, and engineering activity kits that will continue to have an impact on the community after the completion of her project.

Invest in Girls. Change the World.

Your financial commitment to our mission is more important than ever before. You have the opportunity to invest in our work as a Girl Scout champion and help us expand the impact and reach of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

Navigate with Confidence

NorthStar’s vision is to be the most trusted consultancy in New Jersey and the region. NorthStar works each day to realize this vision by offering strong and distinct practice areas and embracing a team approach.

• Government Affairs

• Association Management

• Corporate Meeting Planning and Management

• Charitable & Political Fundraising Management

• Public and Community Outreach

Joe Fiordaliso Chief Executive Officer

Jody Herkloz Chief

James

Denise Peck

Gabrielle Liguori

Avery Pontell-Schaefer Chief

TJ Mann Director, Government Affairs

Tara Scott

Congratulations to the Women of Distinction and our friends at OceanFirst Bank, in particular Christopher Maher, chair of the Monmouth University Board of Trustees.

The Girl Scout Gold Award

The mark of the truly remarkable – proof that a girl can not only make a difference, but she already has.

Girl Scouts tackle issues dear to them and drive lasting change in their communities and beyond. These girls are leaders in their communities, schools, and will bring those skills with them into the future.

Sophie, a senior at Holmdel High School, is passionate about film making, and wants to pursue producing and directing. Her Gold Award project is a short documentary that captures the emotional story of her neighbor who faced racism and obstacles in her life but used a positive mindset and inner strength to overcome these issues. This inspirational documentary will impact those for years to come.

Invest in Girls. Change the World.

Your financial commitment to our mission is more important than ever before. You have the opportunity to invest in our work as a Girl Scout champion and help us expand the impact and reach of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

CONGRATULATIONS

To

Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore

WOMEN OF DISTINCTION & COMMUNITY PARTNERS HONOREES

DIANE LEE BROCK

CAROLYN E. CANNON

JODY L. HERKLOZ

JAN KIRSTEN

CHRISTINA M. LASSIK

OCEANFIRST Community Partner

BOB MCLANE

Man Enough to Be a Girl Scout

COMPLIMENTS OF

THE CITTA FOUNDATION

Board of Directors Founders

Kristin Farfalla, President

Loriann Erbe, 1st Vice-President

Heather Moffitt, 2nd Vice-President

Marie Roselli, Secretary-Treasurer

Joseph A. Citta

Lillian R. Citta

J. Phillip Citta (1944-2004)

Trustees: Rosanne L. Citta (1945-2016)

Joseph A. Citta, Jr.

Justin Citta

Cheryl Zahn, Administrator

-Carol

SENATOR DECLAN

The Ocean County Board of Commissioners

Director Barbara Jo Crea

Deputy Director Gary Quinn

Virginia E. Haines

John P. Kelly

Frank Sadeghi

Congratulations

Hac kens ac k Me r idian He a l t h is p roud t o suppor t th e Gi rl Sc outs o f the Jersey Sho re’s Wome n o f Di st i nction & Community Partners Gal a .

Congr atulatio ns t o all of tonig ht’ s ho noree s.

Deloitte is proud to support the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore.

Monday, August 5, 2024

Thank you to the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore for your community leadership and congratulations to all the honorees! www attentiveenergy com

Unlocking the Clean Energy Opportunity

Lady Di may You continue to be a Blessing with your always willing Spirit and caring attitude to help others.

Congratulations on being one of the Select Honorees for the GSJS.

God Bless,

Joann T. Valentine

Proudly Supports the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore’s Women of Distinction and Community Partner’s Gala and Congratulates all of Tonight’s Honorees!

Congratulations

Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore’s

Woman of Distinction honoree

Christina M. Lassik

Everyone at Bright Harbor is proud of you and your accomplishments!

Diane,

Congratulations! We are very proud of you and this award.

We Love You, Kim, Penny and Roxanne #kelseygirls

Congratulations to the 2024 Women of Distinction & Community Partners Gala Honorees

Diane Lee Brock - Retired Financial Officer, Department of Defense

Carolyn E. Cannon - New Jersey Natural Gas

Jody L. Herkloz - NorthStar Strategies, LLC

Jan Kirsten - Ocean County College

Christina M. Lassik - Bright Harbor Health Care

Bob McLane – Jersey Shore BlueClaws OceanFirst

T h a n k y o u f o r t a k i n g t h e t i m e t o m a ke a l a s t i n g d i f f e re n c e .

We're proud to support the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore for driving the change that makes each day better than the one before.

w w w . p n c . c o m ©2023 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc All rights reserved PNC Bank, National Association Member FDIC CON PDF 1221-018-1951005

Corporate Synergies is proud to support

Girl Scouts of

Jersey Shore

Congratulations To All Honorees

especially to our friends

Jan Kirsten & Bob McLane

Live Like Jonathan Foundation

The foundation is our daily reminder to continue the legacy he left behind as a teenager and young adult.

He displayed a commitment and an obligation in doing small things with great love.

What matters is not the duration of his life but the donation of it. Not how long he lived, but how he lived.