Douglas Kauffman of Farmingdale has successfully completed the New Jersey Agricultural Leadership Develop-ment Program, a two-year professional development program designed for individuals in farming and agribusiness.
Through a series of seminars and interactive workshops, participants explore various agricultural topics, debate key issues, sharpen communication skills, particularly public speaking, and establish and cultivate an extensive agricultural network throughout the state. The graduation ceremony took place at Terhune Orchards in Princeton.
Bill Roff, of Howell, an Exclusive Agent with Allstate New Jersey Insur-ance Co. (Allstate New Jersey), has been recognized by Allstate Insurance Co. for high standards in customer satisfaction, customer retention and profitability. Roff received the Honor Ring award and will be recognized by local and regional management at a banquet held in his honor.
The Lakewood Chamber of Com-merce will hold a luncheon meeting Sept. 7 at Woodlake Country Club, 25 New Hampshire Ave., Lakewood. Russell K. Corby, director of the Lakewood Devel-opment Corp., will present the results of this year’s Lakewood Industrial Park Survey. Networking will begin at 11:30 a.m. with lunch at noon. The cost is $25 for chamber members and $30 for nonmembers. A $5 charge will be added for walk-ins. Details and reservations: (732) 363-0012.
Sam Brown, an attorney at the Law Offices of Sam Brown, Lakewood, is sponsoring an essay contest for high school students in Monmouth and Ocean counties. The winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship toward any accredited college with additional prizes for runners-up. The top 10 contestants will be invited to participate in a forum entitled, “Ask the Lawyer,” at the Law Offices of Sam Brown.
Eligible students should submit a 250-word or less essay titled “America,” postmarked Sept. 30 or before, to Sam Brown, 205 East Kennedy Blvd., Lake-wood 08701. The essay must include the student’s name, address, and telephone number. The decision will be based on context, originality, and writing ability. Details: www.sambrownlaw.com.
Ragupathy Veluswamy, M.D., has been appointed as assistant vice president of quality and utilization for Kimball Medical Center. In his expanded role, Dr. Veluswamy will oversee all operational functions of the laboratory and radiology services, while also retaining responsibility for Kimball’s Quality Improvement Program.
Dr. Veluswamy is a certified physician executive with a master’s degree in medical management from Carnegie Mellon University. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Quality and Utilization Review Physicians. Dr. Veluswamy is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics and Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
St. Barnabas Health Care System recently received the designation of Accredited Chest Pain Center from the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC). Local hospitals in the St. Barnabas System are: Community Medical Center, Toms River; Kimball Medical Center, Lakewood; and Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch.
According to the press release, St. Barnabas is the only system in New Jersey to achieve the designation, and is among 141 hospitals nationwide. The approach to achieving the designation involved a team including physicians from cardiology, internal medicine and emergency medicine, as well as nursing, pharmacy, laboratory, radiology and emergency medical services.
Dr. Walter Florek, a clinical psychologist and director of A&W Psychol-ogy Services, Lakewood, gave the presentation “Post Traumatic Stress Disorders” at the annual National Assoc-iation of County Veterans Service Officers (NACVSO) Conference 2005, Corpus Christi, Texas, to more than 500 people responsible for preparing disability claims for veterans.
The focus of Dr. Florek’s talk was on how to make assessments of post-traumatic stress disorder and how to write viable reports for female veterans returning from war. Issues for female veterans, who now make up 16 percent of those on active duty in the military, may range from the effects of sexual assaults to emotional, psychological, or physical problems associated with serving during war time. To date, 46 women have died (41 in Iraq and five in Afghanistan).
Dr. Florek is the co-founder of the Center for Post Traumatic Studies, Lakewood. He is the former director of the Veterans Administration Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program, Manhattan, N.Y., and the Veterans Evaluation and Treatment Program, Montrose, N.Y.
The Howell Chamber of Commerce and the Optimist Club will hold the seventh annual End of Summer Carnival at the Wal-Mart shopping center parking lot, Route 9, Howell, from Aug. 24-28. Proceeds will help area youth.