EDISON, N.J., Dec. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Junior Achievement
of New Jersey (JANJ) virtually
held its 19th annual New Jersey Business Hall of Fame™ on
Thursday, December 9, 2021. The
2021 Laureates included John E. Harmon,
Sr., IOM, Founder, President & CEO, African American
Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey
(AACCNJ); Valerie Montecalvo, CEO
& President, Bayshore Recycling; and Steve Rusckowski, Chairman, CEO & President,
Quest Diagnostics. Nominated by their peers, these New Jersey business leaders join a prestigious
group of Laureate Legacies known for demonstrating business
excellence and consistent community involvement throughout their
professional lives.
For the past 17 years JANJ has celebrated remarkable role models
from the business community. The New Jersey Business Hall of Fame
honors individuals for their innovative leadership, high standards
as role models for New Jersey
youth, and their impact in positively shaping their business and
communities. The annual premier event raises funds to underwrite
unsponsored High School Heroes learning experiences statewide to
empower today's leaders as tomorrow's Laureates. Through the Heroes
initiative, high school students are equipped with valuable
employability skills, like leadership, public speaking, and
critical thinking, all necessary to succeed in a global economy.
The leadership initiative also introduces elementary school
children to role models closer to their age and delivers meaningful
community engagement and cross-cultural learning for high
schoolers. The New Jersey Business Hall of Fame through the
tremendous support of its sponsors, enables JANJ to continue
building our state's future leaders.
These very same leaders had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to
lead this highly publicized New Jersey Business Hall of Fame event.
The power of JA was apparent in their own words of impact, as the
students steered the evening seamlessly through their confident
storytelling. Throughout the hour-long virtual event, powerful
themes of encouragement, resiliency, perseverance, and grit
emanated to inspire the hundreds of guests in attendance, from
students, sponsors, families, and volunteers alike. As the keynote,
Eric LeGrand candidly spoke about
his motto of motivation, 'bELieve', about overcoming adversity
throughout the course of his career, and the importance tenacity
can play in building character.
JA Student Ambassadors then had the privilege of introducing and
inducting the 2021 Class of Laureates, each of whom were
motivational and shared valuable advice.
As an admired leader in New
Jersey, John E. Harmon, Sr.,
IOM, has contributed extensively to the furtherance of the state
workforce pipeline – specifically the strategic partnerships in the
public and private sectors to promote economic diversity and
increase opportunities for African American businesses throughout
New Jersey. In reflecting on his
career journey, John advised younger viewers watching to embrace
new things by suggesting "If you have the opportunity to contribute
to something great, give it your all."
As an alum of JA, Valerie
Montecalvo credited JA for helping to channel her confidence
at a young age and expressed "It is a proven fact that women learn
best when they are supported and encouraged by their peers and
society. Junior Achievement gives them what they need to
succeed."
A leader locally and globally, Steve
Rusckowski exemplifies extraordinary leadership through his
commitment to the betterment of his community, as well as his
innovative approach to expanding Quest Diagnostics capabilities. In
offering guidance to students, Steve advised "Let your experience
at Junior Achievement provide a foundation for you to build upon in
your professional career."
Paving the way for future Laureates, the 2021 Class shared
humbling stories of strength, resilience, and hope. There is no
doubt their words of encouragement will continue to inspire young
people in the state to reach their highest potentials and embrace
challenges along their educational journeys. As the New Jersey business community looks to JA as
the leader in developing its pipeline of employees, students rely
on JA's curriculum to gain knowledge and skills around financial
literacy and the economics of life.
The entire recording of the 2021 Virtual New Jersey Business
Hall of Fame can be watched here.
Nominations for 2022 Laureates can be submitted here.
About Junior Achievement of New
Jersey (JANJ):
JANJ is an award-winning,
best-in-class JA operation. With its headquarters and Capstone
programs located in the JA Education Center, in Raritan Center,
Edison, NJ, JANJ is a free
educational resource dedicated to giving all young people the
knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success and
plan for their futures. JA's learning experiences primarily focus
on career readiness, financial empowerment, entrepreneurship, and
life skills, and are held at the JA Education Center, in schools,
on college/university campuses, in corporate facilities, and online
through digital learning experiences. For more information,
visit janj.org and follow JANJ on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn,
Twitter, and YouTube.
About the African American Chamber of Commerce of
New Jersey (AACCNJ):
The
AACCNJ performs an essential role in the economic viability of
New Jersey. While providing a
platform for New Jersey's African
American business leaders, to speak with a collective voice, the
AACCNJ advocates and promotes economic diversity fostering a
climate of business growth through major initiatives centering on
education and public policy. The Chamber serves as a proactive
advocacy group with a 501(c) 3 tax exemption, which is shared by
the National Black Chamber of Commerce. www.AACCNJ.com
About Bayshore Recycling:
Established in 1995,
Bayshore is a NJDEP Licensed facility and NJ State certified Woman
Owned Business. A premier destination for the recycling of
concrete, asphalt, brick, block, bulky waste, construction debris,
non-hazardous petroleum impacted soil, all curbside commodities,
and other diverse materials. Headquartered in the Kearbey section
of Woodbridge Township, NJ. The
site boasts Raritan River frontage
and convenient access via road, barge, and class-1 railroad.
Sustainable "green business" operations driven by renewable energy
are at the center of the company's Business Plan. Bayshore is also
an ISNetworld network certified toward connecting corporations with
safe, reliable contractors/suppliers from capital-intensive
industries. www.bayshorerecycling.com
About Quest Diagnostics:
Quest Diagnostics empowers
people to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from the
world's largest database of clinical lab results, our diagnostic
insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire
healthy behaviors and improve health care management. Quest
annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the
physicians and hospitals in the United
States, and our nearly 50,000 employees understand that, in
the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights
can inspire actions that transform lives.
www.QuestDiagnostics.com
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SOURCE Junior Achievement of New
Jersey; Quest Diagnostics