The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF) honored five community leaders for their contributions to make life better in North Jersey at the organization’s first Community Changemaker Night at Forte Ristorante in Hackensack.
The 2025 honorees were New Jersey Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese of Cliffside Park; Fairleigh Dickinson University-Teaneck Professor and Biology Department Chair Dr. Marion McClary; Gina Wilson and Lisa De Dominicis, fund advisers for the Andrea Tilbian Halejian Memorial Fund; and South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum.
The NNJCF is a not-for-profit, 501 c (3) organization based in Hackensack that serves North Jersey.
“Throughout the evening, we celebrated the changemakers’ contributions in their communities and highlighted the importance of community and connection. The festivities were not only inspirational, but they also invigorated our commitment to enrich Northern New Jersey’s communities for everyone,” said Leonardo Vazquez, executive director of the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation.
The NNJCF honored those who have made their communities better places to live, work and be.
New Jersey Assemblyman (District 36) Clinton Calabrese – Creative Communities Award for helping communities through the arts, supporting artists, or enhancing cultural ecosystems. 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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
Sponsors of this fun event were Champion Sponsor-Anonymous and Catalyst Sponsors-Fairleigh Dickinson University, Nishuane Group, Seton Hall University, and Anonymous. A range of donors contributed items to the night’s silent auction. Funds raised from the sponsorships and the silent auction will be used to build alliances, support programs that protect the environment and produce public art.
