Commissioner Mauro Tucci today was named to receive the Distinguished Service Award in Civic Affairs and heads the list of five honored Nutley citizens who will receive the Jaycees' 43rd annual "Distinguished Service Awards" at a community banquet on Thursday April 3.??The "Outstanding Young Man of the Year" award will be presented to the current president of the Nutley Chamber of Commerce and local businessman, James Maguire.??For distinguished service in "Public Health and Public Safety, the Jaycees award will honor Fire Department Tour Commander, John Hund, a longtime member of the department who first joined in 1988 as a volunteer. The Educator of the Year award for 2014 goes to Leann Martin, teacher and Coordinator of Mathematics for the Nutley School System. ??The "Business Award" goes to Nutley Veterinarian Dr. Louis Crupi who not only cares for thousands of Nutley pets, but helps with stranded animals in times of emergency .??Announcement of the award recipients was made by former Nutley Commissioner Walter Smith, chairman of the judges' panel. In addition to Smith, the judges panel includes Dr. Steven Clarke, local businessman John Brown, Superintendent of the Nutley School District Russell Lazovick, community volunteer Anne Lynne Eisenfelder, NJHometown Editor Phil White, and former N.J. Assemblyman Fred Scalera. ??The winners will be honored at a Thursday, April 3 dinner at The Valley Regency, 1149 Valley Road, Clifton. The event opens with a 6:30 p.m. cocktail hour followed by dinner at 7:30 p.m. Tickets at $45 can be reserved by calling Dr. Steven Clarke at 973-235-1515.??
The winners:??
Educator of the Year??Leann Martin, Educator of the Year, has distinguished herself not only as a classroom teacher, but for the past four years as Coordinator of Mathematics. A 1993 Nutley High, she attended The College of New Jersey (1997) double majoring in Mathematics and Elementary Education.
She continued on to earn her Masters of Mathematics Education in 2004 from Rutgers University. She joined the Nutley as a mathematics teacher September 1999, and become thee Coordinator of Mathematics in 2010.
Today she heads the mathematics department at the middle and high schools, overseeing student trainings, communication ith parents and students, and handling the business of the department.
Lisann Martin also is responsible for working with every general and special education teacher in the district, She trains students at all levels as well as managing curriculum and student assessment from kindergarten through advanced placement classes.
She also was a member of the team that developed the district’s strategic plan, and since its adoption has led a new “competency action team” of more than 50 teachers and parents who have implemented a new mathematics system, vastly different from the outdated curriculum that had been in use.
In addition to her classroom leadership, Leanne was the cheerleading coach from 2007-2012 as well as the advisor to the student Mathematics Club.??Outstanding Young Man?
The 2014 “Outstanding Young Person of the Year Award” recipient is Jim McGuire, cited for his outstanding efforts in volunteerism to the Nutley Community through his involvement in several various and charitable endeavors.
A lifelong resident of Nutley, Jim has been involved in numerous capacities with the Nutley Family Service Bureau, including serving as Chairperson for the Nutley Family Service Bureau’s 100th Anniversary Gala, Vice President of the organization from 2010-2012, past Chairperson of the organization’s fundraising “Party in the Park” from 2010-2012 in which he continues to serve as a Committee Member.
Jim Maguire currently is serving as vice president of the Gail's Angels Foundation, the non-profit organization dedicated to providing support to families that have a mom with breast cancer. He also assists families with autistic andr special needs children...
His involvement in the community is widespread with Jim, being a member of the Nutley Elks, the Nutley Irish and serves as the current President of the Nutley Chamber of Commerce. A 2000 graduate of Nutley High, Jim attended Montclair State University. He is currently general manager of Terrazza’s Restorante on Franklin Ave.?
??Public Health and Safety Award??Nutley Fire Captain John Hund, the recipient of this year’s Distinguished Service Award in the Field of Public Health and Safety, has been a member of the Nutley Fire Department since 1988, first as a volunteer and since 1994 as a career firefighter. In 2005 he was promoted to Captain and is currently the Tour Commander for Tour 2, where he is responsible for all fire department operations in Nutley during the shift.
Hund also served a period of time as Administrative Captain, and was responsible for successfully writing numerous grants for fire department equipment including, nearly $300,000 for a new fire engine for the volunteer firefighters, new protective clothing for 30 firefighters, an exhaust system for the Public Safety Building, which has eliminated diesel exhaust from contaminating the indoor air, with a value of $82,000. Captain Hund also was successful in gaining private grants to update the equipment used for public safety presentations. The grants also provided handheld computers valued at more than $10,000 for the fire inspection program.
He coordinates the annual Fire Prevention Open House each year along with the annual October fire department visits to each Nutley school. He also personally presents a fire safety assembly to each of the elementary schools in Nutley
He was recognized for heroic actions twice while a Nutley Firefighter, first in 1989 as a volunteer he was presented a valor award by the Bergen County 200 Club for rescuing four Washington Township firefighters caught in a riptide while attending the NJ firefighters convention in Wildwood.
The NJ Metro Fire Photographer’s Association and NJ/NY Firemen’s Association also recognized him with valor awards for his efforts. Then in 2001 the Nutley Elks presented Hund and several others the Service Award for Heroic Action for saving a man who attempted suicide by jumping into the Third River???Honored for Work in Nutley Civic Affairs??The Jaycees 2014 Civic Affairs Award honors Nutley Department of Parks and Public Property Commissioner Mauro G. Tucci. Mauro has served on the Nutley Board of Commissioners since 2000. Under his direction, the Parks & Public Property Department has secured over three million dollars in grants and low interest loans to make numerous improvements to virtually every park and athletic field within the 110 acre Nutley park system. The most recent improvement being the total reconstruction of Owens Field which included installation of artificial turf on the multi-purpose field and baseball diamonds, construction of a walking track, new bleachers and a spectator pavilion.
A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in Urban Studies, Mauro’s professional background is community planning and public administration. He is currently the CEO of Northwest Essex Community Healthcare Network. Mauro is also a local businessman at Nutley Pool and Spa. He has previously served as Director of the Essex County Division of Housing and Community Development, as Director of Montclair Public Works, Township Administrator in Bloomfield and Township Manager in Belleville. He has also been the Chairman of the Suburban Essex Joint Insurance Fund for the past 7 years which manages insurance and reduces costs for thirteen municipal bodies, including Nutley.
Mauro is heavily involved in volunteer. He is dedicated to the American Cancer Society’s, Relay for Life, raising over $700,000.00 over the past seven years, with the various Nutley teams and organizations that participate. In the past he has also served on the Nutley Shade Tree Commission and as co-chair of the Nutley Family Service Bureau Charity Ball. Mauro is a member of several local organizations, including Nutley Unico, the Nutley Irish American Alliance, the Nutley Chamber of Conference, Nutley Elks, the Knights of Columbus, Kingsland Manor Trust, the Van Riper Trust and the Nutley Third Half Club.
Mauro and his wife Linda have four grown children-all raised and educated in Nutley and seven grandchildren.
Business Man of the Year
Dr. Louis Crupi, a Nutley veterinarian since 1988, when he established the Nutley Dog, Cat and Bird Clinic, is this year’s DSA recipient in the Business category.
Active in the veterinary community, Dr. Crupi has served as former President of the Metropolitan NJ Veterinary Medical Association, and is a member of the Avian Association of Veterinarians and numerous other pet-friendly organizations dedicated to the health and well-being of animals. He assists the Nutley Department of Public Affairs with rabies clinics and various special events.
Dr. Crupi has served the Nutley community with his involvement with the Nutley Rotary Club as well as Nutley Unico a local Italian American organization that aims to promote and preserve Italian heritage. He sponsors various youth sports teams and takes pet pictures with Santa donating all proceeds to local animal shelters.
His love of the pets and desire to help others became even more evident when during Hurricane Sandy, Dr. Crupi reached out to local officials to offer his assistance in housing as well as caring for, displaced pets during the statewide emergency. To honor his efforts, the Nutley Board of Commissioners presented Dr. Crupi with a commendation for his service.
His furry and feathered family consists of his ever-faithful 15-year-old Golden Retriever, Sam, his adopted, sweet, Silky Terrier, Molly, two cats, Roxy and Rafael, and four Yellow-Naped Amazon Parrots: Monty, Virgil, Emily, and Rio.
In his time away from the clinic,
Dr. Crupi is married to his wife Dee and his daughter, Nicole is currently attending St. George's University School of Veterinary Medicine.
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