Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mercer County
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mercer County has appointed five trustees to its Board of Directors, three of whom are new — environmental engineer Armando Alfonso, Publicis Sapient VP Shikha Bajaj, and Rue Insurance COO Janelle Hazell — while two, Herb Ames and Tisha Cole, joined last year.
In January, the Trenton nonprofit that encourages youth mentoring chose Gary Marx, a Pennington resident and president of BlueCap Economic Advisors, to become the organization’s new chair.
“Since the pandemic, BBBS-Mercer has sought to expand our Board of Directors with highly qualified individuals who are dedicated to our mission of youth mentoring and reflective of the communities we serve,” Executive Director Kate Noonan said in the press release. “We are thrilled to have new Directors Armando, Shikha, Janelle, Herb, and Tisha on the Board and know their passion and commitment will move our organization forward this year.”
Alfonso, a graduate of Rutgers Law School in Camden, works for both the city of Trenton and the state’s Department of Environmental Protection.
Bajaj is a senior executive at Publicis Sapient, a technology consulting firm that is a subsidiary, or “solution hub,” of the Publicis Groupe, a French public relations, marketing, and advertising company. As part of her larger mission to further the professional development of women in the workplace, Bajaj became the WLN (Women’s Leadership Network) New York office lead and established Publicis Sapient’s “first ever” mentorship program.
Hazell has been with the Hamilton-based independent agency of Rue Insurance since 2021, coming to the job with over 20 years of industry experience as an operations professional. The Rutgers University graduate is a member of the National African American Insurance Association (NAAIA) and was honored in Insurance Business America’s 2019 “Elite Women in Insurance” as one of 69 recipients back when she worked at AHT Insurance in Virginia.
Ames is the founder and CEO of The Devin Group in Trenton, where his focus is on new business development. Prior to this, he was the director of economic development for Mercer County. He is also the head of the Capital Region Minority Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors, which aims to “support minority business enterprises in Central New Jersey,” and is active with the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber and Hamilton Area YMCA.
Cole is the senior manager of advanced customer collaboration and partnerships on Johnson & Johnson’s global consumer team, where she applies her more than 25 years of experience in retail, wholesale, CPG, supply chain functions, and project management. She also leads policy development for the J&J North America Supply Chain Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion task force and is a part of the Racial and Social Justice workstream’s Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Manufacturing, and Design program, or WiSTEM2, which pairs mentors like Cole with Black and Latinx girls interested in STEM careers.
For more information, visit mercerbbbs.org.
Mercer County Community College
Dr. Gonzalo Perez, who has been named the new assistant vice president of academic affairs for workforce education and innovation at Mercer County Community College, will continue many of his current responsibilities with the Division of Lifelong Learning and MercerOnline in addition to supervising the institution’s James Kerney Campus (JKC).
Perez started at MCCC in 2020 and is the new replacement for former JKC Dean Tonia Perry-Conley. As a native of Guttenberg in Hudson County with 17 years of higher education experience, Perez has previously worked at both Coconino Community College in Flagstaff, Arizona, and Passaic County Community College in Paterson, New Jersey.
Perez was the associate vice president of Innovative Learning Solutions at CCC, where he helped establish the Southern Nevada and Northern Arizona Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, or SNNA-LSAMP, a National Science Foundation grant-funded program that works to support “underrepresented students” in the pursuit of STEM degrees. There, he developed several remote education initiatives in partnership with Native American tribes.
“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Perez as AVP,” said Dr. Deborah Preston, the president of Mercer County Community College. “His expertise and depth of experience in higher education and his demonstrated commitment and contributions to Mercer over the past several years have established him as a remarkable leader and invaluable member of our senior team.”
“I am honored and excited about my expanded role at MCCC,” said Perez, who has also taught computer information systems as an adjunct professor. “My past experience has put me on solid footing to face the new and interesting opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.”
Perez has a doctorate in applied computing from Pace University in New York City, as well as a master’s in management information systems and a bachelor’s in management science from Kean University.
According to its website, MCCC’s Lifelong Learning program offers non-credit courses and ongoing education through the Center for Continuing Studies (CCS). Lifelong Learning is designed to assist those who enroll in broadening their skills, becoming certified, and even gaining access to various business and training opportunities. Similarly, MercerOnline allows students to earn a virtual degree just by taking online credit courses.
“My vision is to create proven pathways to career success for our students through the growth and expansion of James Kerney Campus,” Perez said.
“By strengthening and expanding workforce development opportunities for businesses and the community at large in Trenton,” he continued. “I hope to make JKC a top-tier choice for Trenton residents or any individuals seeking to pursue their academic and career goals.”
For more information, visit mccc.edu.
