Recognizing Leaders in Early Care and Education

At the 2008 NJACCRRA Annual Retreat, NJACCRRA began what has become an annual tradition to recognize leaders in the field of early care and education. The awards include the Circle of Collaboration Award—to recognize an individual or organization that has partnered with NJACCRRA and assisted NJACCRRA in furthering the field of early care and education; the Leadership Award—to recognize an active member of NJACCRRA who goes above and beyond to support the work of the association; and the Emerging Leader Award—to recognize an emerging leader who goes above and beyond their responsibilities to support the work of NJACCRRA. The 2008 award recipients include:

2008 Circle of Collaboration Award: JM Sorge, Inc. As environmental consultants for NJACCRRA, Joseph Sorge and Christopher Daggett of JM Sorge worked in partnership with several CCR&Rs during 2007-08 to provide valuable information and technical assistance that helped providers navigate through the Office of Licensing regulations around environmental safety.

2008 Leadership Award: Tom Zsiga As the ch North Jersey 4Cs of Passaic County, Tom Zsiga has been a strong advocate for children and families and the network of care supporting them. Tom serves as chair of the Advocacy Committee for NJACCRRA and represents NJACCRRA on the Build New Jersey Committee. Tom also served on the NJ Child Care Advisory Council and the Policy Advisory Board for Professional Impact New Jersey.

2008 Emerging Leader Award: Theresa Hayes As the executive director of Child Care Resources in Monmouth County, Theresa Hayes has devoted strong dedication and leadership to the early care field and CCR&R network. Her work includes service on three NJACCRRA committees, leading as co-chair for two. Chris Daggett (L) and Joseph Sorge are presented the Circle of Collaboration award by NJACCRRA members Rebekka Zydel (C) and Nancy Thomson (R)