The Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual Women of Achievement Awards on Wednesday, June 26, at Jasna Polana, 4519 Province Line Road, Princeton. Since the inception of the award in 2013, 45 women have been honored for their position contributions to the greater Mercer County region.
The event runs from 8 to 10:30 a.m. For more information or to register, visit www.princetonmercerchamber.org.
This year’s honorees are Mary Gay Abbott-Young, Melissa Tenzer, and Natalie Tung.
Abbott-Young is the president of the Rescue Mission of Trenton, a nonprofit offering shelter and food, vocational training, and counseling. She is set to retire from the organization on June 30. She started at the Rescue Mission in 1978 as a program coordinator, after having served as a social worker in VISTA, then a counselor in a detoxification center. She became CEO in 1986 and held that position until 2021, when she became president. She earned a master’s degree in education from Temple University and is a licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor.
As a statement on the Chamber website notes, “Mary Gay has strategically led The Mission through some of its most challenging times, more than once when the doors were close to closing. She is leaving in her legacy an organization that is thriving, continually evolving, and poised to create an even larger impact.”
Tenzer is the CEO of Dress for Success Central NJ and the founder of Melissa Tenzer Enterprises. Dress for Success is a workforce development nonprofit that equips women with the tools and confidence they need to elevate their careers. During her tenure she has developed curricula and introduced several new educational programs and established the DFSCNJ Business Academy at Trenton Central High School.
Prior to Dress for Success, she owned CareersUSA, a staffing agency. She has also served on the boards of Eden Autism, Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Mercer County Workforce Development Board, and the Foundation Board of Mercer County Community College. She is a graduate of Rider University.
Natalie Tung is the co-founder and executive director of Homeworks Trenton, a free after-school boarding program serving high school-age girls in Trenton. She earned a degree in English and a teaching certificate at Princeton University and established the Homeworks program while she was still a student.
