AAPI Heritage Month
BHDC Celebrates Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month
The Berkeley Heights Diversity Council is celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month.
Women of the Week are women in the Berkeley Heights community who are often unsung yet are inspiring, motivating and hard-working. WOW is honoring women right here in Berkeley Heights who are impacting the world in their own wonderful ways.
History of Women's History Month
Women’s History Week was established in 1980 and became Women’s History Month in 1987. In signing the declaration in 1980, President Jimmy Carter said,
“From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung, and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.”
2021 Women's HerStory Celebration
The BHDC celebrated Women's History Month by creating a "Women of the Week" (WOW) series. WOW honored the women right here in Berkeley Heights who are impacting the world in their own way.
Who inspires you? Motivates you? Leads you? Has impacted your life in a special way? The Berkeley Heights Diversity Council asked the community to consider these questions and to nominate women for selection by the BHDC. We have been overwhelmed by the nominations and selected 4 Women of the Week to feature in 2018 and again in 2021.
The community responded by nominating many inspirational women. The BHDC selected four to feature in our Women of the Week Series.
2021 Women of the Week
Meet Sue Seto - Berkeley Heights Diversity Council’s first 2021 Woman of the Week
Sue inspires us with her passion for giving back to our community, but she doesn’t do this alone as she has reached into the community to work with children to teach them her love for community service and helping others. In the midst of the pandemic, Sue creatively and inspiringly founded the “Giving Back 2020” club where children have collected needed supplies, run a food drive and crafted beautiful cards for residents in local nursing homes among other much-needed and giving endeavors. We have loved watching her do so much good, and know you will too. Here’s her story.
Meet Tiffany Escott - Berkeley Heights Diversity Council’s second 2021 Woman of the Week
Tiffany inspires us with her passion for helping others. For over a decade, Tiffany has been quietly nurturing the Berkeley Heights YMCA community and community special events impacting our community in such a significant way, whether you knew it or not. We are grateful for Tiffany’s hard work, her passion for helping others, and we know you will enjoy learning more about HerStory.
Meet Marguerite Ferrell - Berkeley Heights Diversity Council’s third 2021 Woman of the Week
Marguerite Ferrell has devoted her career to the education of others. Marguerite is a current adjunct professor of Coaching Leadership at FDU in their Master’s in Sports Administration degree and also the Talent Management Specialist at JAG-ONE Physical Therapy with over a decade of work with the New York Red Bulls and US Soccer Federation where she provided education workshops and employee training and development of coach, player, student, and/or employee learning curriculums. Marguerite delivers leadership training to inspire greatness in individuals and teams.
Marguerite inspires us with her abundant enthusiasm, passion and ability to help others become their best selves, and inspire others. She’s a working mom who understands the value of creating, and then leaning on, a support network to help be her and others become their best selves yet still create the balance we all crave. We know you will enjoy Marguerite’s HerStory as much as we did, and bet that once you read this, like us, you will want to have a coffee with Marguerite, or work with her professionally where she clearly shines.
Meet Laurie Liming - Berkeley Heights Diversity Council’s final 2021 Woman of the Week
Laurie inspires us with her relentlessness paired with her desire to give back to the Berkeley Heights community that supported her with so much heart while she battled cancer. She took that heart and turned it back onto Berkeley Heights by creating The Silver Liming Foundation with her sons as a way to channel kindness back into the community. One lesson we take away from reading HerStory is this quote, “We have two ears and one mouth for a reason. We should listen twice as often as we speak.” We completely agree and hope you enjoy Laurie’s HerStory as much as we did.
Laurie Liming was a teacher at Mountain Park Elementary school for 20 years. In 2015, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. While she was sick, the kind people of Berkeley Heights helped raise her two sons, Thomas and Matthew. Laurie vowed to keep the kindness flowing and, with the help of her son, started Silver Liming Foundation. It’s a local nonprofit organization that spreads kindness, one gesture at a time.
2018 Women of the Week (WOW)
BHDC established the Woman of the Week (WOW) series in 2018 by selecting four women who lived or worked in Berkeley Heights who were driving change or nurturing society in great ways.
Meet Beth Ferris Sale - Berkeley Heights Diversity Council’s first 2018 Woman of the Week
Beth Ferris Sales inspires us through her art with her powerful colors and love for what surrounds her. Her view in life and her love for the people can be seen through her work. Her exhibit was at the Gallery on Main's "Artist of the Month" series in March of 2018. Please read all about Beth.
Meet Komal Naik - Berkeley Heights Diversity Council’s second 2018 Woman of the Week
Komal Naik was born and raised in Flushing, NY. She grew up in NYC enveloped in different cultures and enjoyed the diversity. She lives in Berkeley Heights with her husband and 2 daughters. She has been working in Berkeley Heights for the past 11 years as a neurologist at the Summit Medical Group. She has been serving on the Berkeley Heights Board of Health for the past several years. Please read all about Komal.
Meet Jeanne-Marie Mocarski - Berkeley Heights Diversity Council’s third 2018 Woman of the Week
Jeanne-Marie Mocarski began her career in Law Enforcement as a police dispatcher for the Berkeley Heights Police Department. In 2002, she graduated from the John H. Stamler Police Academy and was the Berkeley Heights Police Department's first female officer. She loves serving the Berkeley Heights community and enjoys connecting with the children; with the support of the members of the Berkeley Heights PBA Local 144, she initiated and organized the Trunk or Treat and Police Santa events for the children in our community.
Jeanne-Marie has a special interest in assisting children with special needs and their families. She is a member of Law Enforcement United New Jersey, a 100 percent volunteer driven organization that raises funds for the children of fallen police officers and the Officer Down Memorial Page. Their mission is to honor the fallen and remember the survivors. Each May, Law Enforcement United NJ hosts the annual Road to Hope Memorial Bicycle Ride from Atlantic City, NJ to Washington D.C. She has participated as a bicycle rider and support team member for the past 5 years in honor of Officer Matthew Melchionda (Watchung Police Department) who was killed in the line of duty on March 8, 2006. Please read all about Jeanne-Marie.
Meet Jeanne Kingsley - Berkeley Heights Diversity Council’s final 2018 Woman of the Week
Jeanne Kingsley has been a Berkeley Heights resident for over 23 years, and was recently re-elected to the Berkeley Heights Township Council where she previously served for two three-year terms and is currently serving as the Council President. Jeanne is directly responsible for establishing the Berkeley Heights Downtown Beautification Committee, which has an established track record of working closely with the town’s landlords, business owners and residents to improve and enhance the appearance of the downtown area and create a pedestrian friendly, community-oriented environment. Jeanne has four children and has worked tirelessly for the public schools in Berkeley Heights having served as PTO Treasurer for both the Governor Livingston High School and the Thomas P. Hughes Elementary School. Jeanne and her husband Ed are also active members of the Church of the Little Flower in Berkeley Heights where she has served as a trustee and member of the Church’s Finance Council and Strategic Planning Team. She is also dedicated to bringing a little happiness and cheer into the lives of seriously ill children at Children’s Specialized Hospital in Westfield, where she has been volunteering for over 12 years. Jeanne is a CPA and her professional experience is primarily in the area of finance and strategic planning. Most recently, Jeanne helped build a financial planning and analysis function for the Employee Benefit Solutions Group of AIG and prior to that helped the various leadership of increasing responsibility at Prudential Insurance and Deloitte. In her “spare time,” Jeanne enjoys skiing, boating, reading and spending time with family. Please read all about Jeanne.