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| • THE TRENTON TIMES Female political leaders honored Award honors female leaders Wednesday, March 22, 2006 By CHRIS STURGIS Special to The Times TRENTON -- Jeannine LaRue, deputy chief of staff to Gov. Jon Corzine, and Republican former Assemblywoman Rose Heck are the 2006 recipients of the Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award for Leaders with Vision. LaRue and Heck were honored at a dinner Monday at the Trenton Marriott at Lafayette Yard hotel for being effective leaders in the male-dominated world of politics. Patrizia Zita, chairwoman of the Women's Political Caucus of New Jersey's Political Action Committee, described both recipients as effective leaders who get their way through charm. Heck would wear a "very sweet smile" while explaining that she "thought you were completely wrong, that she completely disagreed with you, but she would take everything you said into account when she made her decision." "And, somehow, you would believe her," Zita said. She also described LaRue as "strong-willed and determined, but she goes about it in such a kind and general way," she said. The award is named in memory of the late Barbara Boggs Sigmund, who died in 1990, a transplanted southerner who led by persuasion and charm while Democratic mayor of Princeton Borough. Zita said the purpose of the event was to raise campaign money so more women can be elected. New Jersey is below average in the number of female state legislators, ranking 31st among the 50 states, up from 39th in 2005. Of New Jersey's 120 seats, 23 (19.2 percent) are held by women in the current Legislature. Of those, 16 -- 11 Democrats and five Republicans -- are in the 80-seat Assembly and seven -- five Democrats and two Republicans -- are in the 40-seat Senate. LaRue, a Trenton resident, was senior vice president of the Office of Governmental Affairs at Saint Barnabas Health Care System, where she had worked since 1997. She was also a co-chairwoman for the Corzine Connection in the recent gubernatorial campaign. She recently received the Kountz Heritage Award of Excellence at New Jersey Organ and Tissue Sharing Network's Heritage Awards. LaRue was introduced by Annette Catino, president and Chief Executive Officer of QualCare. "A leader is a dealer in hope, and Jeannine is the greatest dealer in hope there ever was," Catino said. LaRue said she developed her skills -- the most important of which is not making things more complicated than they need be -- by being a mother. "I keep it real. That's why the governor and I get along so well," she said. Heck of Hasbrouck Heights was praised for her service to the people of the 38th Legislature District and her service on the Assembly Advisory Council on Women. She was praised for holding hearings that led to a law guaranteeing mothers a miniumum hospital stay of 48 hours after giving birth. |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact Shari Weiner- 609.393.5555 March 24, 2009 Women’s Political Caucus of New Jersey Will Honor Senator Barbara Buono and Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk : Awards Reception To Raise Money for Women Legislative Candidates Trenton, NJ, March 24, 2009. The Political Action Committee of the Women’s Political Caucus of New Jersey (WPCNJ/PAC) has announced that Senator Barbara Buono and Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk are the 2009 recipients of its Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award. Buono and Vandervalk will be honored for their contributions as legislators and trail-blazers at an awards reception March 26 at 6 p.m. at the Trenton Masonic Temple, 100 Barrack Street, Trenton, N.J. Announcing the 2009 honorees, WPCNJ President Shari Weiner said, “These are two of the state legislature’s most savvy, well-regarded and thoughtful members. They have not only fought for ground- breaking laws and policies that support women and families, they have also reached back to open doors for the women who will follow them.” The WPCNJ/PAC annually recognizes two women—one Republican and one Democrat—who exemplify the courage and leadership of Barbara Boggs Sigmund, the colorful and forward-thinking mayor of Princeton from 1983 to 1990. The awards event is attended by a wide range of Trenton elected and appointed officials. Proceeds from the awards event benefit WPCNJ’s financial support of WPCNJ endorsed female legislative candidates. State Senator Barbara Buono was elected to the New Jersey State Senate in 2001 to represent the 18th Legislative District. Buono serves as the first woman to chair the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and has established a reputation as a consensus-builder during the state’s challenging fiscal times. Senator Buono authored New Jersey’s School Funding Reform Act which ensures that every child will receive a quality education. She was the prime sponsor of the Stroke Centers Law requiring designation of hospitals as primary or comprehensive stroke centers. She was also a prime sponsor of laws authorizing stem cell research in New Jersey and providing funding for construction of the Stem Cell Institute of New Jersey. Senator Buono was the prime sponsor of the Global Warming Response Act mandating the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. She currently serves on the New Jersey-Israel Commission. A former Metuchen Councilwoman, Senator Buono has a law degree from Rutgers University and began her career as a criminal trial attorney. She is married to Dr. Martin Gizzi and has four children and two stepdaughters. Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk has had 121 bills enacted into law since being sworn into the New Jersey General Assembly in 1991. She chaired the Assembly Health Committee from 1995 until 2002 and sponsored the Health Care Quality Act, hailed as one of the strongest patient protection laws in the United States. Assemblywoman Vandervalk sponsored two laws to promote wider access to cardiac defibrillators, the Work First New Jersey program that reformed the state’s welfare laws, and the Child Support Act which establishes a unified collection system for child support payments. Her Mental Health Parity Act requires all insurance carriers to provide mental health benefits under the same terms and conditions as they do for other illnesses. Assemblywoman Vanderalk also served as the chairwoman of the Commission for the Study of Pain Management Policy and was the founding chairwoman of the Bergen County Task Force on Women and Addictions. A former Montvale councilwoman and Bergen County Freeholder, Assemblywoman Vandervalk is serving her seventh term in the Assembly. She and her husband James reside in Hillsdale and have four children and nine grandchildren. ######## With many women legislators standing for election in 2009, the awards event is a key fund-raiser to enable the WPCNJ/PAC to provide financial support for the Women’s Political Caucus’ endorsed women legislative candidates. Information and registration for the event is available at www.wpcnj.org or 609.393.5555. About the Women’s Political Caucus The Women’s Political Caucus-New Jersey (WPCNJ) is an affiliated chapter of the National Women’s Political Caucus, a national, multi-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to increasing women’s participation in the political process and creating a women’s political power base to achieve equality for all women. The Caucus recruits trains, and supports pro-choice women candidates for elected and appointed offices at all levels of government. For more than 30 years, the Women’s Political Caucus has advocated on behalf of women. |