Commerce Bank has partnered with the Brookdale Community College Center for World War II Studies, Lincroft, to support World War II education for the college’s students as well as the local community. Commerce Bank has made a cash donation to the center to help fund the fall series of professional presentation that address the impact World War II had on America’s history, society and culture. For more information about the series, call Brookdale at (732) 224-2315. Commerce Bank has 17 locations throughout Monmouth County.
Cream Ridge Winery, Upper Freehold Township, will host a “Sugar and Spice Open House,” Nov. 5-6 from 11 a.m to 5 p.m. both days. The event will be held outdoors, and admission is free. There will be wine tasting and tours all day, and winemaker Tom Amabile will be available to answer questions. There will also be samples of other products. Details: (609) 259-9797.
Monmouth Business Exchange (MBEx), a new business networking organization, will host its first meeting Nov. 9 at 7:15 a.m. MBEx is seeking people from all occupations to come and see how this concept can help them to widen the scope of their business. The group will meet on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. For more information, call Fran Greenberg, (732) 580-8535, or Charles Lambert, (732) 358-5106.
Young Chefs International announced the opening of its newest Young Chefs Academy, located in the Morganville section of Marlboro. The facility is the first in the New Jersey area. Young Chefs International was founded in April 2003.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held recently with owners Lyle Stone and Allan Milboer and guests, including Marlboro Mayor Robert Kleinberg.
Budding chefs will have the opportunity to learn the basics of cooking while participating in the preparation of real recipes, which they get to taste at the end of each class. Classes also include kitchen safety, etiquette, napkin folding, table settings and menu planning.
To celebrate the opening, the school will host a special grand opening during November. For more information, call (732) 536-7777.
The Monmouth-Ocean Chapter of the New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners will hold its annual holiday auction Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. at the Sheraton Eatontown. A variety of gifts and services, which have been donated by area businesses and retailers, will be auctioned off through silent and live auctions. Admission is $40, with proceeds to fund the chapter’s education and legislative activities and support scholarship funds and outreach programs. For further details, or to donate an item for the auction, call Sheryl Gambarella, (732) 370-7047, or Dawn Nakash, (732) 901-7836.
Sun National Bank, its employees and customers have contributed more than $86,000 to the American Red Cross for Hurricane Katrina relief.
The total donation includes a $10,000 initial contribution from Sun National Bank to kick off its support efforts. During the collection time, employees and customers contributed more than $43,000 and the bank made a matching contribution of $33,000.
Sun Bancorp Inc. is a multistate bank holding company headquartered in Vineland. Its primary subsidiary is Sun National Bank, serving customers through 73 banking centers in southern and central New Jersey, Philadelphia, and New Castle County, Del.
Scott S. Jennings of Marlboro was recently appointed vice president of PSEG Energy Holdings. In his new role, Jennings is responsible for the accounting, internal controls and reporting for Energy Holdings and its subsidiaries, PSEG Global and PSEG Resources. He also represents PSEG on the boards of Global’s investments, including Texas Independent Energy, Skawina in Poland, and Dhofar Power Co. Jennings was also named vice president-controller for Exelon Holdings for Exelon Electric & Gas, which will take effect upon completion of the merger between Exelon and PSEG.
Jennings has worked with PSEG since 1998 and has been at the center of a number of accounting issues related to Public Service Electric and Gas Co.’s deregulation, the reorganization and financing of its affiliates, and various corporate development transactions. Previous to working with PSEG, he spent five years with Deloitte & Touche in New Jersey.
The U.S. Small Business Administration is searching for outstanding New Jersey small business owners and small business champions who will be honored during National Small Business Week in the spring.
Nominations are being sought for New Jersey’s Small Business Person of the Year and for outstanding SBA Small Business Champions in the areas of minority, women, veteran, financial services, home-based business, and Small Business Journalist of the Year.
The SBA New Jersey District Office is also seeking candidates for Small Business Exporter of the Year, Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and an SBA Family-owned Business of the Year.
Winners will be recognized at the Ninth Annual New Jersey Small Business Conference, to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in New Brunswick.
Nominations should be submitted to the SBA New Jersey District Office at 2 Gateway Center, 15th Floor, Newark 07102. The deadline for all nominations is Nov. 21. For more information and eligibility criteria and guidelines, and to receive a copy of the nomination forms, call Harry Menta at (973) 645-6064 or e-mail harry.menta@sba.gov., or visit www.sba.gov/nominationsguideline.html.
The New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners Monmouth-Ocean Chapter will host its annual holiday auction Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. at the Sheraton Eatontown. The organization is seeking gift donations, sponsors and advertisers for the holiday auction journal to be distributed at the event.
More than 150 people are expected to attend the holiday auction, which will feature live bidding on the donated gifts. All proceeds from the event will fund the NJAWBO Monmouth-Ocean Chapter’s education and legislative activities and support scholarship funds and outreach programs.
BNI, a business networking group, is now forming at the Empire Diner on Route 9 in Freehold Township. Meetings are held on Friday mornings from 7-8:30 a.m. For more information, call Leon Silvestre at (732) 866-8551. Attendees should bring plenty of business cards.
Business news items may be faxed to the News Transcript at (732) 780-4192 or mailed to P.O. Box 5001, Freehold 07728.