The County College of Morris Foundation, along with the CCM Alumni Association, inaugurated its annual Alumni Awards in 2003. Since then, more than 93 outstanding graduates have been added to the Alumni Wall of Fame. On May 3, 2019, we celebrated four more awardees for their achievements.
The Alumni Award Recognition Program acknowledges those who meet specific criteria, including personal achievement, dedication to serving the public good, service to a segment of the college, and finally, for exceptional overall achievement in their professions, the Alumnus/a of the Year Award.
The Alumni Association Wall of Fame salutes this 16th class of distinguished inductees. Their achievements, service and dedication to their professional lives and to the community make all of us at County College of Morris proud.
AWARD CRITERIA
Alumni Achievement Award
Specific, outstanding achievements and/or accomplishments in their profession. Have received honors from associations or employers, or whose work has proven beneficial to a pronounced segment of society.
Alumni Service Award
Recognition of outstanding service to County College of Morris Alumni Association or some other segment of the College.
Alumni Humanitarian Award
Dedication to humanitarianism and serving the public good. Unique contribution to society or the community. Lengthy volunteer service to community.
Alumnus/a of the Year Award
Highest honor given by the Alumni Association that recognizes the exceptional achievements of graduates of the College. Nominees must have shown outstanding performance in their professions, should be recognized as leaders, and should have made outstanding contributions to the community, state, or nation.
DOWNLOAD THE AWARD CRITERIA NOMINATION FORM HERE
Four distinguished alumni were honored at the 2019 Annual Foundation Gala held on May 3, 2019 at the Hanover Marriott, where the event has returned to for this year. The Foundation and Alumni Association recognized these CCM graduates for their outstanding personal achievements, community service, and commitment to the Foundation and Alumni Association. All inductees will have their names inscribed in perpetuity on the Alumni Wall of Fame, along with the other 93 awardees, prominently located in the Student Center entrance hallway. “This is an opportunity for us to acknowledge and recognize the success of our alumni and their contributions,” stated Katie Olsen, executive director of the foundation. “The alumni awards also show present and prospective students the many exemplary alumni who began their education here. CCM is a gateway for success, and we are proud of our alumni and the 2019 awardees.”
ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR
Stephen Eulie ’81 is Executive Vice President (EVP) of The Kessler Group, a Boston headquartered company that specializes in developing and executing strategies that help financial services companies and their partners solve complex challenges. In his role as a management consultant, Eulie engages with major US banks to develop and execute business strategies. His areas of specialty include consumer payments, lending, small business financing, credit risk policy and underwriting, and mergers and acquisitions.
“My focus is to help clients realize the full potential of consumer financial products for their prospects and customers,” he explained.
Over a span of 25 years, Eulie has worked at some of the largest banks, including Citibank and JPMorgan Chase. Just prior to joining The Kessler Group in 2016 he served as EVP at First National Omaha (FNBO), overseeing all of the bank’s consumer deposit, mortgage and lending businesses as head of their Consumer Banking division. He was also President of First Bankcard, a top-twenty U.S. credit card issuer. Eulie holds a Master of Business Administration degree in finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a bachelor of arts degree from Rutgers University.
Active in community affairs, as Board Chairman for Habitat for Humanity in Omaha, Eulie worked toward increasing the number of homes built, expanding into underserved areas, and granting no-interest mortgage loans to needy families. He also launched a partnership between FNBO and Operation Hope to assist low-income households in gaining access to the banking system. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the College of St. Mary in Omaha.
Eulie and his wife Darlene relocated to Omaha in 2005. They are parents to nine children, three boys and six girls.
ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Amanda Zega ’97 is a Senior Real Estate Manager with CBRE Group, Inc., a commercial real estate services and investment firm. In this role, Zega is responsible for the management of Class A commercial office property. Her daily work includes hands-on tasks with private third-party ownership.
Earlier in her career, Zega worked for Mack-Cali Realty Corporation as a Property Manager; The Gale Company as an Assistant Property Manager and in Support Services for Gale & Wentworth.
Active in the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) for more than 16 years, Zega currently serves as Treasurer on the BOMA NJ Executive Board. She is also an ambassador for the Newark Regional Business Partnership and an event committee member for the Newark Public Library.
An active member of High Life Ski Club, Zega has served on both the Executive Board and Lodge Committee. She also sits as Secretary on the Executive Board for the New Jersey Ski & Snowboard Council.
An active alumna, Zega has twice participated as a panel member during CCM Career Week and was invited by the college to speak at last year’s initiation ceremony for the National Business Honor Society. Zega is a member of the CCM Business Advisory Board. Zega raises funds for the Special Olympics, participating annually in the Lincoln Tunnel Run and the Plane Pull, and attends the opening ceremony, and the awards dinner.
After completing her studies at County College of Morris, Zega earned a bachelor of arts degree and a master of arts degree, both from Montclair State University.
Zega comes from a family of successful CCM graduates; her mother, Karen Dinapoli ’04, father, Robert Zega ‘76 and two of her brothers, Jeff Zega ’96 and Steven Dinapoli ‘04 are graduates, as is her uncle, Douglas Zega ‘76. Zega’s brothers coached the CCM hockey team.
In a recent letter to Dr. Anthony Iocono, Zega wrote, “I couldn’t be more thrilled to give back to CCM. Thank you for allowing me to be part of the CCM community, and thank you for doing a great job.”
ALUMNI HUMANITARIAN AWARD
Dee Rincon ’85 is a true humanitarian whose altruistic efforts have impacted thousands of people – both young and older – over the past 25 years. Rincon’s long-term commitment to mental health and wellness programs came to the forefront following the 2017 death of Marisa, her beloved daughter, from suicide. Three months after her daughter passed away, Rincon worked with CCM to exhibit Marisa’s artwork during Suicide Awareness Month. The following year, she established a memorial scholarship in her daughter’s name.
During her five-year tenure as a member of the Randolph Municipal Alliance Committee, Rincon helped evaluate programs on substance abuse for the Randolph School District.
She is committed to continuing her education, regularly completing relevant courses and programs, and is now a certified leader and presenter on suicide awareness and prevention. She is the author of two booklets – a parent guidebook and one on substance use prevention.
Rincon’s altruistic efforts extend beyond mental health awareness and drug abuse prevention. She is also an active promoter of anti-bullying, having authored a children’s book on the topic. As a trained Rainbows bereavement facilitator, Rincon has provided comfort to hundreds of people suffering from the loss of a loved one. Working with special needs children, Rincon served on the Board of Directors for The Allegro School for children with autism.
As a certified crisis first responder, Rincon has worked side-by-side with the Randolph Police Department to assist victims of domestic violence. She regularly shares her deep sense of faith, as a leader and educator at Resurrection Parish in Randolph. She is an active member of the CCM Alumni Association, serving in several capacities. Rincon believes she has experienced the best of both worlds, working 15 years in the business world and 15 years for Randolph Schools.
She has been honored as Distinguished President of the Randolph Kiwanis Club, and she is also the recipient of the CarringtonSwain Award and Hixon Award, given in recognition of years of service.
ALUMNI SERVICE AWARD
George Muha ’96 credits a CCM writing course, taught by Professor Sander Zulauf (now retired), for revealing an ability for writing that has fueled his career in the transportation industry and beyond. “That class is where I discovered I liked writing and found a voice in my writing that I didn’t know was there,” he explained.
For 20+ years, Muha has worked as a logistics and supply chain consultant. Currently, he is employed by KDL Freight Management, where he is responsible for business growth.
A highly regarded industry thought leader, Muha has published articles in trade magazines and is frequently invited to speak at industry conferences. Muha’s talent and passion for writing has led to several successful businesses. In 2007, he created Freight Saving Tips (www.freightsavingstips.com), a blog and podcast venture that provides companies with money-saving ideas around logistics and supply chain. “I created this podcast to share ideas, teach concepts and interview experts to help listeners stay current in a quickly evolving industry,” commented Muha who is also the developer of an online course on how to “Uncover the Hidden Money Tied up in Inbound Logistics.”
Ten years ago, Muha founded Morris Sussex Sports, a media company that provides live scores and sports coverage for more than 40 high schools in Morris, Sussex and parts of Warren counties, drawing 40,000 visitors to the site each month. “I first started Morris Sussex Sports as a hobby, and it just keeps growing,” he commented.
Muha promotes CCM on this website http://morrissussexsports.com/ through YouTube videos and ads.
