Monmouth County Freeholder Lillian G. Burry of Colts Neck has been nominated for the Association of Defense Communities (ADC) 2019 John Lynch Base Redevelopment Award for her role in the redevelopment of Fort Monmouth. The nomination was made by the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA), which Burry serves as a board member and as the chairwoman of the Veterans Staff Advisory Committee.
“Freeholder Burry has been the backbone through this whole redevelopment process,” said Bruce Steadman, executive director of FMERA. “She has been outstanding in terms of her leadership and her support of every initiative. It was the natural pick for her to be our nominee.”
According to a press release, Burry was instrumental in proposing and obtaining approval from the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders for Monmouth County to issue bonds backed by a county guaranty, and loan the funds to FMERA for its 2016 purchase of the fort’s Main Post. This agreement allowed for Monmouth County and FMERA to assume control of the redevelopment of the fort.
The John Lynch Base Redevelopment Award will be presented at the Defense Communities National Summit in Washington, D.C., in June.
A $1,000 scholarship will be awarded this summer to a New Jersey student majoring in natural resource conservation, environmental science or a related field of study, as announced by the Firman E. Bear Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society. To qualify for the Edward R. Hall/Robert R. Hanna Scholarship, an applicant must be a full-time student in good standing at any New Jersey accredited university/college, or a New Jersey resident attending any accredited out-of-state university/college; an undergraduate enrolled in a curriculum related to natural resources, including but not limited to agriculture, agronomy, conservation, ecology, environmental science, fisheries, forestry, geography, journalism, plant science, soil science, and/or wildlife; and have successfully completed at least two semesters of study. To apply, visit www.njswcs.org to download an application form. Complete and postmark by May 6 and mail to Firman E. Bear Chapter, SWCS – c/o USDA-NRCS, 220 Davidson Ave., 4th floor, Somerset, NJ 08873. The scholarship winner will be announced by May 30.