Business Practices, Citizenship and Scholarship Earn Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce Honors

FLANDERS, N.J. - July 6, 2013 - PRLog -- HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. – Four people were honored for their business acumen and service to the community at the Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce (http://mountolivechambernj.com/) Annual Awards Dinner, held recently at Centenary College in Hackettstown.

“These awards are our opportunity to acknowledge the leadership and citizenship demonstrated by local business people,” said Greg Stewart, president of the chamber. “You need both to have healthy, prosperous and growing community.”

This year, Ray Miller, president of Your On The Go CFO (http://www.youronthegocfo.com/), was named Humanitarian of the Year. Janen Ardia, owner of RE/MAX Heritage Properties (http://www.heritagepropertiesrealestate.com/) in Flanders and Chester, was named Businessperson of the Year. Jacqueline Pignataro, a graduating senior from Mount Olive High School, was awarded the $1,500 scholarship. She’ll be attending St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia this fall. New this year was a Community Service Award, given to Mount Olive Mayor Robert Greenbaum for his leadership during a string of tragedies that hit the town.

Stewart said the number of nominees for the awards was unusually high. In the end, a committee made the selection.

Miller’s award was for the work he does for homeless people, including working with the Lord’s Food Pantry in Hackettstown, Habitat for Humanity, and Interfaith Hospitality Network, a group of faith-based homeless shelters for families. He also works with the Mount Olive High School Robotics Team and with the Boy Scouts.

“It’s a wonderful recognition of the things I do, but I do those things because I’ve been brought up to give back,” said Miller. “I like doing the things I do.”

The Business Person of the Year, Ms. Ardia, said she was accepting the award on behalf of her whole team.

“It’s difficult to be a successful business person without an amazing group of people,” she said. “To be recognized is very nice, but I share this with everyone.”

Mount Olive Mayor Greenbaum, who led the town through a series of very high profile tragedies, including the drowning of two teen-agers under an ice-covered lake,  a fire that took the lives of a man and his son, and Superstorm Sandy, received a special award for community service. Greenbaum called the award humbling and gratifying. He alluded to the tragedies the town has suffered over the past two years.

“We have always come out of those moments as a stronger, more caring community,” he said. Greenbaum thanked his family for their support and acknowledged the work of Sean Canning, town administrator; Lisa Pignataro, special programs coordinator and the rest of the township’s employees. “Without them,” he said, “I would not have accomplished a thing.”

Calling the scholarship an honor, Jacqueline Pignataro said she was thrilled to be receiving the award. She said she planned to pursue a career in business, perhaps marketing, and said the high school business program, including its chapter of DECA, had given her a great deal of insight.

The three award winners also received a citation from the 24^th Legislative District representatives State Sen. Steven Oroho, Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose and Assemblyman Parker Space.

The Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce (http://mountolivechambernj.com/?utm_source=PublicRelation...) is a volunteer member-driven business organization that serves the business community of the Mount Olive area by providing opportunities to develop, promote and pursue business interests; foster a healthy economic and local political business environment; and promote the benefits of the local businesses to the public.  Founded in the 1950s as the Mount Olive Businessman’s Association, the group was reborn as the Chamber of Commerce in 1966. Membership information is available by calling (973) 691-0109 or clicking on  http://mountolivechambernj.com (http://mountolivechambernj.com/join-us/?utm_source=Public...).