MILESTONES

Issue of Jan. 25

FINANCIAL SERVICES
   Craig Allsopp, president of Harbourton Group, a local mergers and acquisitions firm, was recently designated a certified business intermediary by the International Business Brokers Association. The CBI designation requires that candidates meet professional education and experience requirements and pass a comprehensive examination that covers the personal, legal, financial and ethical aspects of private company transactions.
   Mr. Allsopp, who lives in Hopewell Township, started Harbourton Group in 1998 to provide strategic advice and services to startups and owners of middle market businesses, as well as investors, who are considering the sale or purchase of a mid-market company. His company is one of 35 firms affiliated with the Mainsource Mergers & Acquisitions Network, which provides access to buyers and sellers throughout the country.

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   Of the 24 network offices in Northwestern Mutual Financial Network Eastern Region, the Joseph M. Savino office in Princeton was the sales leader for 2004.
   William G. Borchert Jr. of Princeton ranked first among 1,675 financial representatives participating in the eastern region’s annual sales contest.
   Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, the marketing name for the sales and distribution arm of Northwestern Mutual, provides expert guidance on insurance, investment products and services, retirement and estate planning, education funding and employee benefits. The network has 7,900 financial representatives and more than 350 offices nationwide.
HOSPITALITY
   The Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village announced the addition of Maureen Sobers Boyd as director of marketing and sales. She will be responsible for directing the staff of sales and marketing professionals and securing the hotel’s status as the area’s premiere upscale hotel for both corporate and social communities.
   With 15 years of successful sales, marketing and management experience in the hospitality industry, Ms. Boyd was previously the director of sales for the Hilton East Brunswick and has held sales positions with the Hyatt New Brunswick, Manhattan East Suite Hotels, New York, and Hyatt Resorts Caribbean. She is a member of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce.
ARCHITECTURE
   The American Institute of Architects, New Jersey Chapter (AIA-NJ), recently held its annual design competitions, the Design Day conference and the Smart Growth Architecture Awards, with three local firms garnering recognition.
   The Design Day conference recognizes architectural projects created by New Jersey architects or constructed in the state that exhibit design excellence in a variety of ways, from overall style, to cost, to impact and integration.
   Wilkes and Kluck Architects of Montgomery Township was awarded a Built Honor by the conference for its work on the Princeton Writer’s Block along Paul Robeson Place in Princeton. The Writer’s Block transformed a vacant lot into a lush urban garden to be used by the public as a local gathering place. The design incorporated a collaborative effort by 10 architects and community volunteers, utilizing rich landscaping engulfing an interesting array of follies, a 19th century term used for garden structures.
   Local firms honored for work done out-of-state are the Princeton firm of KSS Architects, awarded both a Design Day Built Honor for its work on the Cornell School of Administration addition in Ithaca, N.Y. and a Design Day Built Merit for work on the New Jersey City University, Charter High School in Jersey City; and Hillier Architects of West Windsor, awarded an Unbuilt Honor for its work on the Complexe Cultureel et Administratif de Montreal, in Canada.
   Princeton’s KSS Architects also received a Smart Growth Urban Design Award for work on the New Jersey City University West Campus Redevelopment Plan. The Smart Growth Architecture Awards are offered in conjunction with the state Office of Smart Growth and are a means of reinforcing the statewide emphasis on curbing sprawl and reducing unchecked over development.
RESEARCH
   Five employees at Mathematica Policy Research Inc. were recently cited for their years of service to the company: Employees recognized for 30 years of service were Pennington resident Alan Hershey, senior fellow and area leader for welfare studies in the research division; and Princeton resident Stuart Kerachsky, senior vice president and director, surveys and information services division. Recognized for 25 years of service were Hopewell resident John Burghardt, senior fellow and nutrition policy expert and Monroe Township resident Lynne Beres, senior word processing specialist. Plainsboro resident Patricia Fenner, director of facilities and services, was recognized for her 20-year milestone.
   The employee-owned firm, with headquarters in West Windsor, conducts policy research and surveys for federal and state governments as well as private clients.
RETAIL
   Wegmans Food Markets, based in Rochester, N.Y., has topped Fortune magazine’s eighth annual list of "100 Best Companies to Work For." The list rates companies based on the policies and culture of each company, as well as the opinions of each company’s employees. Additionally, the privately held grocery chain posted 2004 sales of $3.4 billion, despite the company’s unusual motto, "employees first, customers second." Wegmans has a store locally in West Windsor.
NONPROFIT
   Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic recently announced promotions and a reorganization of the management team at the nonprofit’s national headquarters in Plainsboro.
   Of local note, Peter T. Smith, of Princeton, formerly vice president of marketing, was promoted to senior vice president for programs and services. Mr. Smith joined RFB&D in 1995 after three decades in international marketing management with Proctor & Gamble, McCann Erickson and Johnson & Johnson, among others.
   RFB&D also announced the creation of a strategic communications department to direct the organization’s expanding communications, public relations, media relations, publications and e-communications services. Morgan Roth of Montgomery Township, formerly vice president of public affairs, was named vice president of strategic communications.
   RFB&D is the nation’s leading educational library of recorded textbooks for students with visual impairment, dyslexia or other physical disabilities that make reading standard textbooks difficult or impossible. For additional information, volunteering or making a donation, call toll free (866) 732-3585 or visit www.rfbd.org.
LAW
   Drinker Biddle & Reath has been selected by the Pro Bono Partnership as its Law Firm Vounteer of the Year for 2004. The award is in recognition of the many Drinker Biddle lawyers in the firm’s local offices who have volunteered to work on pro bono cases.
   The Pro Bono Partnership helps provide free legal assistance to nonprofit organizations whose programs benefit low-income communities or serve the public interest. The partnership has offices in Newark as well as New York and Connecticut.
   Drinker Biddle & Reath is a full-service national law firm with area offices in Plainsboro, Florham Park and Philadelphia.
MARKETING
   Holt, Mulroy & Germann Public Affairs announced the hiring of Tony Bianchini as public affairs account executive. He will be responsible for the development and execution of strategic public affairs and government relations programs for clients in both the public and private sectors. Mr. Bianchini, a resident of Montgomery Township, has six years’ experience in communications and public relations strategies, including internships at various government institutions.
   HMG is a bipartisan firm with more than 20 years experience representing a cross-section of corporate, public and not-for-profit organizations with issues at every level of government. Headquartered in Trenton with offices in Washington, D.C., HMG offers its services in lobbying, government relations and public affairs consulting and crisis management.
BUSINESS COUNCIL
   Plainsboro resident Michehl R. Gent, president and chief executive officer of the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC), announced that he intends to retire at the end of 2005. Mr. Gent, 64, joined NERC in 1980 as executive vice president and was elected president in 1982.
   Under Mr. Gent’s leadership, NERC has grown from an organization of just five people to one of more than 50 employees. Mr. Gent has been at the forefront of the industry’s efforts to improve the protection of critical and cyber assets, both before and after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Most recently, he led the technical investigation into the Aug. 14, 2003 blackout and over the past year he has overseen the successful implementation of many of the recommendations resulting from that investigation.
   NERC’s mission is to ensure that the bulk electric system in North America is reliable, adequate, and secure. Since its formation in 1968, NERC has operated successfully as a self-regulatory organization, relying on reciprocity, peer pressure, and the mutual self-interest of all those involved in the electric system.
GOOD DEEDS
   Cecilia Aerstin, director of training for the Child Care Connection, announced that the agency is the recipient of a $7,900 grant from the Princeton Area Community Foundation and the Harbourton Foundation to support a literacy-building training initiative. The organization’s Early Childhood Institute for Professional Development will offer training concentrating on building literacy skills while teaching the fundamentals of child development, early childhood curriculum, observing children, planning the learning environment, and parent-provider communication.
   Child Care Connection will enroll up to 10 participants for the 12-session series to begin in February. Eligibility requirements include completion of a short application and endorsement from the center director where the applicant works. Staff from the agency’s training institute will serve as mentors to each of the participants.
   Child Care Connection is a private, nonprofit resource and referral agency dedicated to improving the quality, availability, and affordability of dependent care services in central New Jersey. For more information, call (609) 989-7940.