Editor’s Note: For the full photo spread of the December 2 gala, see page 39 of the U.S. 1 December 9 print edition. Photos by Mark Czajkowski.
The Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce’s annual Business Leadership Awards Gala is as old as the chamber itself, dating back to 1960. But in recent years it has taken on a luster that did not exist in the Princeton business community in the those early days of the chamber. The game changer is the venue: the Tournament Players Club at Jasna Polana.
The opulent country club, designed originally for Johnson & Johnson heir Seward Johnson and his wife, provides a glamorous backdrop to a glittering evening. Each year the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce devotes an evening to reflect on the accomplishments and achievements of its members, by awarding the Business Leader, Entrepreneur, Innovator, and Community Leader of the Year awards. This annual event, which has been occurring since the Chamber’s inception in 1960, is an opportunity to honor friends and colleagues. In addition, the Business Leadership Awards Gala helps support the programs, activities, and events that make the Chamber one of the strongest business organizations in New Jersey.
This year’s honorees were:
Kristopher Grudt of Princeton National Rowing Association — Innovator of the Year.
Al Maghazehe, president and CEO of Capital Health — Business Leader of the Year.
Connie Mercer, founder and director of HomeFront Inc. — Community Leader of the Year.
Joshua Zinder and Marlyn Zucosky of Joshua Zinder Architecture & Design — Entrepreneur of the Year.
