Alumna Makes $250,000 Gift to Establish Endowment for Childhood Studies

By Tom McLaughlin

Rutgers University–Camden

will continue to be a global leader at the forefront of research and initiatives focused on improving the lives, opportunities, and understanding of children, thanks to a $250,000 gift from alumna Nancy Shuman to establish the Nancy Seagrave Shuman Endowment for Childhood Studies.

Shuman, a 1968 graduate of the Rutgers–Camden

College of Arts and Sciences

(CCAS) with a bachelor’s degree in medical technology, established the fund to ensure that various initiatives within Rutgers–Camden’s

Department of Childhood Studies

will receive ongoing support in perpetuity.

“The well-being of children is deeply important to me,” says the Allentown, Pa., resident. “I hope that my gift provides increased momentum for the Department of Childhood Studies and related programs at Rutgers–Camden to help make a difference in the lives of children in the Camden community, the Greater Delaware Valley region, and beyond.”

Howard Marchitello, dean of the

Faculty of Arts and Sciences

at Rutgers–Camden, praises Shuman for her continued support of Rutgers–Camden’s Department of Childhood Studies and its students. He notes that, because of her generosity, the students’ work will, in turn, be dedicated to ensuring the general well-being of students in Camden City and the greater South Jersey region.

“This act of generosity will reach countless beneficiaries for many years to come,” says Marchitello. “The College of Arts and Sciences is deeply moved by Ms. Shuman’s support and faith in our faculty and students, and in the vision of our Department of Childhood Studies.”

After earning a state scholarship, Shuman was drawn to Rutgers–Camden for the medical technology degree that it offered at that time. She remembers that she was among only three students in the inaugural cohort of the major and the intensive coursework was largely the same as for pre-medicine.

After completing three years of the four-year degree, she served a 12-month internship at the former West Jersey Hospital in Voorhees.

Upon graduating from Rutgers–Camden, Shuman continued working as a medical technologist in the blood bank at West Jersey Hospital.

She and her husband, Clyde, later settled in Allentown, where he and a partner founded Precision Medical, a global leader in respiratory devices.

Shuman has been a generous benefactor to Rutgers–Camden over the years, previously contributing to the CCAS Dean’s Endowed Scholarship Fund and the Center for Children and Childhood Studies Gift Fund.

Rutgers–Camden’s Department of Childhood Studies focuses on putting the issues, concepts, and debates that surround the study of children and childhoods at the center of its research and teaching missions.

Nancy and Clyde Shuman

Through a multidisciplinary approach, childhood studies aims both to theorize and historicize the figure of the child and to situate the study of children and childhoods within contemporary cultural and global contexts.

The curriculum in the department spans several disciplines in scope and purpose, and provides students with a strong background in both humanistic and social science perspectives on children and their representations. This approach prepares students for careers in many areas, including academics, public policy, social services, youth programming, and education.

Rutgers–Camden launched the nation’s first Ph.D. program in childhood studies in 2007. The program provides an advanced theoretical and methodological study of children and childhood. It prepares scholars capable of innovative research in this interdisciplinary field, as well as policy leaders with new perspectives in child-related social practice.

HRC Scores New Jersey Companies’ LGBTQ-Inclusive Workplace Policies

WASHINGTON  DC (January, 2020)—

America’s leading companies and law firms are stepping up in record numbers to adopt increasingly forward-looking policies and practices to meet the needs of their lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) workers in the U.S. and abroad, according to the

2020

Corporate Equality Index

(CEI) released today by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization.

In the most rigorous assessment of LGBTQ-inclusive workplace policies and practices to date, a record of more than 680 companies have been designated a

Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality

by the HRC Foundation for their efforts in satisfying all of the CEI’s criteria results, earning them a 100 percent rating.

Top-scoring companies include 23 in New Jersey.

In total, 1059 companies and law firms were officially rated in the new CEI, up from 1028 in last year’s survey. The report also unofficially rated 122 Fortune 500 companies, which have yet to respond to an invitation to participate in the CEI survey assessing their LGBTQ policies and practices.

The average score for companies and law firms based in New Jersey is 86 percent. Of the 46 companies ranked, 23 earned 100 points, 31 earned 90 points and above, and 38 earned 80 points and above.

For the first time, HRC this year is giving special recognition to the 11 companies that earned top marks on all three of HRC’s workplace equality assessments: the CEI, as well as

Equidad MX

and

Equidad CL

. HRC’s groundbreaking Equidad program recognizes Latin American companies and U.S. multinational companies for their work in Mexico and Chile.

“These companies know that protecting their LGBTQ employees and customers from discrimination is not just the right thing to do — it is also the best business decision. In addition, many of these leaders are also advocating for the LGBTQ community and equality under the law in the public square,” said

HRC President Alphonso David

. “From supporting LGBTQ civil rights protections in the U.S. through HRC’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act, to featuring transgender and non-binary people in an ad in Argentina, to advocating for marriage equality in Taiwan — businesses understand their LGBTQ employees and customers deserve to be seen, valued and respected not only at work, but in every aspect of daily life.”

Employer

Headquarters Location

State

2020 CEI Rating

ADP

Roseland

NJ

100

American Express Global Business Travel

Jersey City

NJ

100

BASF Corp.

Florham Park

NJ

100

Bayer U.S. LLC

Whippany

NJ

100

Becton, Dickinson and Co.

Franklin Lakes

NJ

100

Celgene Corp.

Summit

NJ

100

Day Pitney LLP

Parsippany

NJ

100

Dun & Bradstreet Corp., The

Short Hills

NJ

100

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey

Newark

NJ

100

Johnson & Johnson

New Brunswick

NJ

100

Mathematica Policy Research

Princeton

NJ

100

Merck

Kenilworth

NJ

100

Nestle Health Science

Bridgewater

NJ

100

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.

East Hanover

NJ

100

Pearson Inc.

Hoboken

NJ

100

Prudential Financial Inc.

Newark

NJ

100

Quest Diagnostics Inc.

Secaucus

NJ

100

Samsung Electronics America Inc.

Ridgefield Park

NJ

100

Sanofi

Bridgewater

NJ

100

Subaru of America Inc.

Cherry Hill

NJ

100

TD Bank, N.A.

Cherry Hill

NJ

100

Unilever

Englewood Cliffs

NJ

100

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Inc.

Parsippany

NJ

100

Avis Budget Group Inc.

Parsippany

NJ

95

Novo Nordisk Inc.

Plainsboro

NJ

95

Aero OpCo LLC

Lyndhurst

NJ

90

Ascena Retail Group Inc.

Mahwah

NJ

90

Mars Inc.

Mt. Olive

NJ

90

Realogy Holdings Corp.

Madison

NJ

90

Wipro Ltd.

East Brunswick

NJ

90

Campbell Soup Co.

Camden

NJ

85

John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Hoboken

NJ

85

Public Service Enterprise Group

Newark

NJ

85

Burlington Stores Inc.

Burlington

NJ

80

Conduent Inc.

Florham Park

NJ

80

Firmenich Inc.

Plainsboro

NJ

80

Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC

Jersey City

NJ

80

McCarter & English LLP

Newark

NJ

80

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp.

Teaneck

NJ

70

NRG Energy Inc.

Princeton

NJ

65

Honeywell International Inc.

Morris Plains

NJ

60

Newell Brands Inc.

Hoboken

NJ

60

Selective Insurance Group

Branchville

NJ

40

Software House International

Somerset

NJ

30

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.

Union

NJ

20

PBF Energy

Parsippany

NJ

20

More than 260 top businesses — including 191 that earned top scores on the CEI — are also

corporate supporters on the Equality Act

, critically important bipartisan legislation that would finally add clear, comprehensive non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people to our nation\’s civil rights laws. While the Supreme Court decides whether LGBTQ people are protected by federal employment non-discrimination law, these companies are holding the line for their employees and their families.

Other key findings revealed in the 2020 CEI:

The more than 680 companies who earned a 100 on the CEI represent 12.4 million employees nationally, 11.9 million globally and earn a combined estimate of $12.9 trillion in revenue.

Eighty-three companies participated in the CEI for the first time in 2020 with 36 debuting at a score of 100 — including Etsy Inc., Peloton Interactive Inc. and Stop & Shop, and Warner Music Group.

Of all Fortune 500 companies, 93% have sexual orientaiton in their U.S. non-discrimination policy, and 91% have gender identity.

The average CEI score for all Fortune 500 companies increased from 67 to 71 in the past year — with actively participating Fortune 500 companies having an average score of 90, up from 88 last year.

Over the last several years, CEI-rated companies have dramatically expanded their support for transgender workers. This year 89% percent of companies participating in the CEI offer at least one health care policy that is inclusive of their transgender workers, and 85% percent met stringent criteria that requires all blanket exclusions of medically-necessary care for transgender workers be removed from all health policies the company offers — up from 73% last year.

The CEI rates companies and top law firms on detailed criteria in four broad categories:

Non-discrimination policies

Employment benefits

Supporting an inclusive culture and corporate social responsibility including public commitment to LGBTQ equality

Responsible citizenship

The full report is available online at

www.hrc.org/cei.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America\’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

Dirty Dirt Bill Becomes Law in NJ

Governor Murphy has signed S1683 (Smith/Greenstein) into law. The bill was written to address the regulations of solid waste, hazardous waste, and soil and debris recycling industries and to amend the existing law to expand the

requirements for background checks to a broader range of persons involved in the solid waste industry, such as salespersons, consultants, and brokers.

“Today is an important day when it comes to dealing with dirty dirt in New Jersey. This new law addresses New Jersey’s ongoing problems with illegal dumping of contaminated materials. Illegal dumping in New Jersey is still happening, risking the environment and public health. DEP has not been enforcing against these dumpers like they should have, and this law will go a long way to give them the tools to do their job and protect New Jersey from illegal dumping,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “The Special Commission of Investigation’s first “Dirty Dirt” report in 2016 exposed the rampant problem of soil brokers and dirty dirt. The industry has ties to the mob, and there are serious pollution and health impacts. These unscrupulous dirt brokers are dumping contaminated soil all over the environment. Now the loopholes in the law that gives them less scrutiny have been closed.”

Illegal dumping of contaminated materials is a widespread problem in New Jersey. In Vernon, Joseph Wallace dumped toxic chemicals and materials for over 8 years. Samples taken from the dirt by DEP were found to contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and the pesticide chemical chlordane all at levels above the state’s standard for residential soil. In October, Wallace was sentenced to 90 days in Sussex County Jail and fined $58,500 after months of fighting in court.

“This law will help address illegal dumping in New Jersey, which is a statewide problem. The illegal dumping in Vernon and elsewhere was a wakeup call to our legislature and the Murphy Administration that we need more enforcement power and inspections. In Vernon, the judge did the DEP’s job for them. DEP looked the other way and would not enforce the cleanup at this site for far too long. DEP Polluters not only need to clean up their mess, but they need to pay too. Wallace has been illegally dumping materials in Vernon for over 8 years, and enough is enough,” said Tittel. “Illegal dumping has become a toxic menace to the community. High levels of PAHs, PCBs, and chlordane endanger public health. PCBs have been linked to cancer, as well as pregnancy complications and other health effects. Exposure to chordane can affect the human nervous system.”

In June, the Special Commission of Investigation released their latest “Dirty Dirt” report detailing illegal dumping in Marlboro. SCI reported that New Jersey currently “lacks the authority to properly oversee elements of its recycling program”. Illegal dumping in New Jersey has the potential to impact the environment but also cause public health problems, like in Kearny where New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority illegally dumped liquid sewage sludge.

“We are glad that Governor Murphy signed this bill, but we need to go further. New Jersey needs tighter regulations and restrictions on how our waste is handled. We have a long history of contaminated materials coming into our state, in part because DEP chooses not to regulate these chemicals. DEP needs to set and enforce standards for toxic materials to prevent any more possible dumping,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

Texas Man Indicted for Violent, Racist Post in Student Group Chat

Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced that a 21-year-old Texas man has been indicted for posting a comment calling for racial violence in a group chat created by a Northern Burlington Regional High School student in the spring of 2018.

Kenneth Petersen, of the 400 block of North Clinton Street in Stephenville, Texas, was indicted by a grand jury on one count of Bias Intimidation (

Fourth Degree). The indictment was returned January 9 and signed by Prosecutor Coffina.

The investigation began in May 2018 after a Northern Burlington student who had created a group chat to discuss senior pranks using the messaging app GroupMe received a message from a sender she did not know that suggested “all the black people at the school” should be shot.

The student informed her teacher and police were notified. The comment raised particular concern in the school community because it was made as the 2018 graduation ceremony was approaching. The Mansfield Township Police Department immediately provided an increased presence on the campus, and it was quickly determined that the threat had come from out of state and that no students or members of the staff were in immediate danger. The investigation revealed that the message was posted by Petersen, who was attending a university in Texas at the time. He was arrested in September 2019 following a multi-agency investigation.

Access to the group chat was available to anyone with a GroupMe account, and had been discussed by students on other social media platforms. It is not clear what led Petersen to target that particular group chat.

“There can never be any tolerance for racially-motivated threats like this and, especially during recent times when we have seen threats escalate to actual acts of violence, law enforcement must respond with the utmost seriousness,” Prosecutor Coffina said. “You cannot hide behind a cell phone halfway across the country while spewing such hatred.”

The investigation was conducted by the Mansfield Township Police Department, with assistance from the BCPO, the New Jersey State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tarleton State University Police Department in Stephenville, Texas.

An indictment is an accusation. Defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.

NJ Residents Receive Degrees from Wilkes University

WILKES-BARRE, PA (01/21/2020)– Wilkes University awarded 302 bachelor\’s, master\’s and doctoral degrees when it held its winter commencement ceremony on January 19. The event was held in the Arnaud C. Marts Center, 274 South Franklin St. in Wilkes-Barre.

Wilkes interim President Paul S. Adams presided at the event. The commencement address was delivered by Paul Riggs, dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University. Kristin Donati, who received her master of business administration degree at the ceremony, was the student speaker. Donati is associate director of graduate enrollment at Wilkes University.

Janine Pietrangelo of Cherry Hill (08003) received the Master of Science degree with a major in Education.

Brittany Chan of West Deptford (08051) received the Master of Science degree with a major in Education.

Salvatore Piccone of Mullica Hill (08062) received the Bachelor of Business Admin. degree with a major in Marketing.

Andrew MacDonald of Bridgeton (08302) received the Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Accounting.

About Wilkes University

:

Wilkes University is a private, independent, non-sectarian institution of higher education dedicated to academic and intellectual excellence through mentoring in the liberal arts, sciences and professional programs. Founded in 1933, Wilkes is on a mission to create one of the nation\’s finest doctoral universities, offering all of the programs, activities and opportunities of a large university in the intimate, caring and mentoring environment of a small college, open to all who show promise. The Economist named Wilkes 25th in the nation for the value of its education for graduates. In addition to 46 majors, Wilkes offers 24 master\’s degree programs and five doctoral/terminal degree programs, including the doctor of philosophy in nursing, doctor of nursing practice, doctor of education, doctor of pharmacy, and master of fine arts in creative writing. Learn more at

www.wilkes.edu

.

Thief Who Stole Pickups From Used Car Dealerships In Gloucester City Arrested: Admits Guilt

William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews.net

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (January 22, 2020)–The thief that stole vehicles from C.W. Clarke Auto and Gormley\’s Auto in Gloucester City has been arrested according to

Agent Alex McVeigh spokesperson for the Camden County Prosecutors Office.

One of the thefts occurred January 2, 2020 after 7PM at CW Clarke\’s Auto, located on US Route 130 south near the Gloucester City/Brooklawn border and the other was a week or so before at Gormley\’s Auto, US Route 130 and Klemm Avenue, also in Gloucester City.

There was a Haddon Township gas station robbed at Route 130 and Nicholson Road shortly after the truck was stolen from Clarke\’s.  Police have not confirmed a connection between the theft and the robbery according to

Fox29.

The suspect, Vincent Kerlin was arrested in Brooklawn on January 15, 2020.

Kerlin is scheduled to appear in Camden County Superior Court on Thursday, January 23.

The judge will determine whether Kerlin will be remanded to Camden County Jail pending further court proceedings

or whether he will be released to conditions.

Kerlin was released on his own recognizance as there is no monetary bail in the State of New Jersey as a result of the Criminal Justice Reform Act, which became effective January 1, 2017.

His detention hearing is scheduled for Thursday, January 23, 2020.

He was charged out of Gloucester City with one count of Burglary, one count of Theft by Unlawful Taking, and one count of Criminal Mischief.

According to the Complaint and Probable Cause statement the defendant confessed in a taped statement to stealing the vehicles from C.W. Clarke and Gormley\’s.

RELATED:

Thief Strikes Local Car Dealerships

Chesterfield Man Charged with Possession of Child Pornography

Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Chesterfield Township Police Chief Kyle Wilson announced that a 39-year-old Chesterfield Township man has been charged with possessing child pornography.

Sean O’Malley, of the 100 block of Chesterfield Crosswicks Road, was charged January 16 with one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Third Degree).

The investigation began last year after the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit received information regarding O’Malley’s online activities from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The investigation revealed that O’Malley was utilizing a search engine to locate and view child pornography online. Multiple electronic devices were seized from his residence during the execution of a search warrant on January 15 and will be examined by detectives from the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit.

The case will now be prepared for presentation to a Burlington County Grand Jury for possible indictment. O’Malley will be prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Remy.

The investigation was conducted by the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit, with assistance from United States Homeland Security Investigations – Cherry Hill Office, the New Jersey State Police, the Chesterfield Township Police Department and the Cinnaminson Township Police Department. The lead investigator was BCPO Detective Jennifer Appelmann.

The Prosecutor’s Office High-Tech Crimes Unit and the Cinnaminson Township Police Department are members of the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The BCPO also belongs to the New Jersey State Police Cyber Terrorism Task Force.

All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Catholic Charities Partner with Philadelphia 76\’s

A portion of all tickets sold will directly benefit Catholic Charities Appeal beneficiaries providing support to the homeless, special needs students, food cupboards, after school programs, and more.

The Catholic Charities Appeal (CCA), the Archdiocese of Philadelphia\’s single most important fundraiser, benefiting hundreds of thousands of people through countless organizations and ministries in the Archdiocese, will partner with the Philadelphia 76ers to host a night of family fun at the Wells Fargo Center.

Thursday, February 20, 2020

8:00 p.m.

Philadelphia 76ers vs. Brooklyn Nets

The Wells Fargo Center

3601 South Broad Street

Philadelphia, PA 19148

Each year, CCA helps to ensure the vitality of countless organizations and ministries throughout the five-county Archdiocese. CCA beneficiaries are grouped into five areas of ministries including Education; Social Services; Evangelization, Parish and Spiritual Life; Clergy; and Local Mission Activities.

Those interested in supporting Catholic Charities Appeal can purchase tickets online through a dedicated link at

https://fevo.me/cca76

. If 150 tickets are sold, Mr. James Amato, Secretary for Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (CSS), a CCA beneficiary, will be honored on court prior to the start of the game.

121 Parks in Pennsylvania Face $500 Million Deficit

By Dave Fidlin |

The Center Square

HARRISBURG, PA–Rising costs and stagnant income is leaving Pennsylvania’s 121 parks with a projected deficit of about $500 million to address ongoing maintenance needs, a state official revealed recently.

CNBNews graphic files

Paul Zeph, head planner of the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks, went before members of the House Tourism Committee on Jan. 15 and discussed the

Parks for All

plan, which was recently refreshed after last going under the microscope in 1992.

In his testimony to the House panel, Zeph touched on a number of issues related to state parks, but the one piece of insight that garnered the most attention was the anticipated shortfall. When Parks for All was last updated, Zeph pointed out budgetary deficits at the time hovered around $100 million.

“We’re scratching our heads on how to go forward,” Zeph said. “We may have to shut down some facilities, we may have to make some parks a little more remote. We’re not sure, but we are identifying that we have a need.”

In 2017, the Bureau of State Parks conducted a survey, which yielded about 14,000 responses, and Zeph said he thought the feedback could serve as an important guide in how to proceed.

Pennsylvania residents have long enjoyed visiting state parks for free – the thinking, Zeph said, being the cost is covered through taxes – and there was minimal support for imposing an admission cost at this point.

Another middle-of-the-road scenario, calling for scaling down amenities at some of the state’s lesser used parks and giving them more of a rustic designation could also be on the table.

“There was some mild support for that,” Zeph said.

Several committee members weighed in on the issue. State Rep. Dan Moul, R-Gettysburg, questioned if at least one of the state’s larger parks could have a ramped up, amenity-rich emphasis on tourism that would extend beyond the park system’s current traditional base of day-trippers.

“We do have some state parks that have big enough lakes,” Moul said. “There’s a way we could bring more people into the commonwealth and have them spend money.”

But Zeph said such a scenario could lead to unforeseen circumstances. Other states, he said, have encountered financial losses in the long run for similar proposals.

“The bigger you get, the more the commonwealth winds up paying for these kinds of facilities,” Zeph said.

State Rep. Mark Longietti, D-Hermitage, said he was concerned with the rising deficit of parks maintenance. With inflation taken into account, Longietti said he is concerned the figure will only rise in the years ahead.

“It’s frustrating. It’s a conundrum,” Zeph said in response, pointing out there are no easy answers to the questions.

As for the survey itself, Zeph said there was one aspect of the responses that jumped out at him as the results were tabulated.

“I was surprised by the uniformity of responses,” he said. “By and large, people seem pretty happy with the system.”

Further discussion of the deficit and other aspects of the Parks for All plan is anticipated as 2020 gets underway.

“We need to mine a little deeper on some of these questions,” Zeph said. “We do have more work to do. This isn’t the end. But this has given us a good starting point.”

published here with permission of The Center Square

Virtua Health Names Senior VP and Chief Nursing Officer

Marlton, N.J.

— Virtua Health, South Jersey’s largest health system, has promoted Catherine Hughes, MSN, MHA, RN, NEA-BC, to senior vice president and chief nursing officer.

The

West Deptford

resident has been with Virtua for 18 years. She most recently was vice president of nursing integration

and outcomes, while also serving as interim chief nursing officer.

“Cathy has outstanding leadership qualities, which will enable her to work effectively with our nurses and collaborate with our physicians to ensure ongoing advances to Virtua’s care delivery model,” said Dennis W. Pullin, FACHE, president and CEO of Virtua Health.

In her new role, Hughes will lead all aspects of professional and nursing practice, as well as patient care throughout the not-for-profit health system. She will continue to focus on the integration of nursing operations and standards of care across Virtua Health’s continuum of services.

Marlton, N.J.-based

Virtua Health

grew substantially last year, with its acquisition of Lourdes Health System, Pullin noted. Today, Virtua has 14,000 employees working at 280 locations, including five hospitals.

“Cathy will play a key role in aligning our new organization, and in helping us to build an even greater network of care for the people of South Jersey,” he said.

Hughes has held a variety of nursing and senior leadership roles in health care. She joined Virtua in 2002 as vice president for patient care services for Virtua Berlin and Virtua Camden. Previously, she held various leadership roles at Kennedy Health System (now Jefferson Health) in Cherry Hill, Hampton Behavioral Health hospital in Westampton, and Saint Agnes Medical Center in Philadelphia.

Hughes is a member of the American Organization of Nurse Leaders (ONL), an elected board member of the N.J. ONL, and chair of the ONL Mentorship Committee. She belongs to the American Nurses Association and Sigma Theta Tau nursing honor society. A graduate of the Johnson & Johnson Wharton Fellows Program on Management for Nurse Executives, she is board-certified as an advanced nurse executive by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Hughes is also an advisory-board member for the Allied Health Program at Gloucester County Institute of Technology.

Hughes earned a bachelor of science in nursing from Widener University in Chester, Pa., a master of health administration from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, and a master of science in nursing from Thomas Edison University in Trenton.

About Virtua Health:

Virtua Health is committed to helping the people of South Jersey be well, get well, and stay well by providing the complete spectrum of advanced, accessible, and trusted health care services. Virtua’s 14,000 colleagues provide tertiary care, including a renowned cardiology program, complemented by a community-based care portfolio. In addition to five hospitals, two satellite emergency departments, and more than 280 other locations, Virtua brings health services directly into communities through home health, rehabilitation, mobile screenings, and its paramedic program. Virtua has 2,850 affiliated doctors and other clinicians, and its specialties include orthopedics, advanced surgery, and maternity. Virtua is affiliated with Penn Medicine for cancer and neuroscience, and the Children\’s Hospital of Philadelphia for pediatrics. As a not-for-profit, Virtua is committed to the well-being of the community and provides innovative outreach programs that address social challenges affecting health, from addiction and other behavioral issues to lack of nutritious food and stable housing. A Magnet-recognized health system ranked by U.S. News and World Report, Virtua has received many

awards

for quality, safety, and its outstanding work environment. For more information, visit

ThisIsVirtua.org

. To help Virtua make a difference, visit

GiveToVirtua.org

.