CCM - County College of Morris

Noteworthy Events

The Women's Center at CCM developed the Wonderful Women of Morris Award to inform and inspire women to reach their personal and professional goals. The award presentation takes place during a lecture/discussion seminar that showcases women who are active in their community, profession, civic, social or religious roles. The ceremony is held during the month of March, which is National Women's History Month. 


2009 Honoree

Paula Kassell is a 91 year old resident of Dover, NJ, and she has a unique perspective and insight on the second wave of the women's movement. Dr. Martha Leslie Allen, President of the Women's Institute Freedom Press, wrote, "Paula Kassell made sure that women's voices would be heard when she founded and ran New Directions for Women, which grew into a national newspaper with an ultimate circulation of 65,000."

Dr. Allen continued, that "One example is her successful effort to get the New York Times to use the honorific "Ms." in place of the maritally discriminatory "Miss" and "Mrs." Her raising the issue of titles in 1986 resulted in the paper finally capitulating. She was great at both taking leadership herself and in working closely with others." 

2008 Honorees 

Florence Block is the president of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce, and the founder of the Somerset Hills Learning Institute in Gladstone, NJ. She is an active fundraiser, and is dedicated to the social services and education areas.

Harriet Kelem adds laughter to her work and presentations as "Shorty" the clown. After many years of being the co-owner of a printing company in Denville, NJ, Harriet fulfilled a lifelong ambition and studied to be a clown. She volunteers in hospitals and hospice centers, and at libraries and town parades. She also offers her time to area food banks. The Denville Rotary named her an Outstanding Citizen of the Year. She is currently working with her husband to bring the handcrafts of the Peruvian Indians to this country. 

2007 Honorees 

Judith Dickerson, Director, Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) at CCM, is a graduate of the University of Iowa, and a 30 year resident of New Jersey. Before joining CCM in 1995, she was a corporate liaison with a nonprofit organization, where she developed internships for four year college students by providing opportunities in various fields like telecommunications, insurance, and pharmaceuticals. The EOF program recruits and provides academic and financial support, counseling, and developmental workshops to a targeted group of students who might otherwise not be able to access higher education.

Jane A. Kurek is the Assistant Vice President at First Morris Bank, headquartered in Morristown. She is responsible for overseeing the bank's compliance with the federal Community Reinvestment Act, and has been instrumental in researching issues and shaping policies on committees such as the United Way of Morris County's Affordable Housing Team, and the Morris County Human Relation Commission's Housing Committee. She has been cited for her extensive community involvement for her fundraising and organizational efforts, and for her dedication to the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts organizations. Ms. Kurek recently completed a certificate program in Business Management at the College of St. Elizabeth in Convent Station. 

 
2006 Honorees 

Dr. Felicia B. Jamison - retired educator and community activist. In 2006 she received the "Drum Major for Justice Community Service Award" presented by the NJ Dept. of State and the NAACP. The honor went to five individuals who made significant contributions toward realizing Dr. Martin Luther King's dream of equality, social justice, and peace. Dr. Jamison spoke to Women's Center program participants about how she balanced a career in education with family responsibilities and community service while striving for high personal academic achievement. She encouraged them to set their own short and long term goals for person, family and community improvement.
 
Dr. Ada Rosen - Marriage and Family Therapist. Dr. Rosen spoke on "The Use of Laughter & Humor as a Therapeutic Tool in the Practice of Marriage and Family Therapy." This is a way to get clients to relax and become more open, which helps when discussing family issues.
 
Carole Ferfecki - professional clown. Carole performs at nursing homes, hospitals, and at many NJ State facilities. She brings laughter and joy to the residents and staff, and is a member of many professional clown associations.
 
Rosemary A. McSorley, Esq. - Director, Cornelian Community Counselors, Inc. Rosemary is a Catholic nun who earned a law degree so that she could better assist her clients with non-criminal matters. Her law firm offers legal counsel at a fraction of the typical cost. The clientele include people in abusive marriages, caregivers seeking legal custody of children, immigrants, and senior citizens in financial difficulty.

 

Here are some Rosie the Riveters who lived or worked in Morris County. These women left their homes and homemaking, and worked in factories and defense plants until the end of World War II. If you know of other "Rosies," we'd like to add them to our mailing list, and hear their story. Please call the Women's Center office at 973-328-5025 if you can help us.

Visit the CCM Rosie the Riveter website to learn more about the Morris County Rosies!   Go to http://archive.ccm.edu/rosie