Awards
Through the years, WPCNJ has recognized the accomplishments of both men and women who have worked with the organization. Below is a list of awards and past honorees.
The Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award
Presented to a Democratic woman who has had a successful career, is a leader who has promoted policies in support of women and families, and has made progressive and effective efforts to advance the careers of and to create opportunities for other women.
In 1983, Barbara Boggs Sigmund was elected the first female Mayor of Princeton during her service as Mercer County Freeholder She was an example that women need to take risks even if they do not succeed. Her living example was running as a candidate in the US. Senate Primary in 1982. (She placed fourth out of nine candidates.)
Those who were privileged to know this scion of one of America's most prominent political families knew a woman of humor, intelligence, grace and charisma who advocated and supported that women are integral to the political landscape and practiced her convictions.
Carol Murphy Award
Presented to a Republican woman, who has had a successful career in any arena, and has demonstrated leadership, advanced policies in support of women and families, and helped pave the way for the next generation of women.
Carol Murphy was a trailblazer who helped open doors for other women at all levels of government. In her long career in public service, she was the first woman elected to the Montville Township Committee and served as Deputy Mayor. She was elected a Morris County Freeholder and was a director of the National Association of Counties. Carol was elected to the NJ General Assembly, where she served as assistant majority leader and then elected to be Republican Majority Conference Leader, the first woman to be so recognized. Carol chaired the Telecommunications and Utilities Committee and served on many other committees including the Appropriations Committee. In the Legislature, Carol made the well-being of women and families a priority. Carol Murphy was appointed by the Governor to serve as a Board of Public Utilities Commissioner, where she was active on the national level, chairing the National Regulatory Research Institute's Board of Directors.
Warm, witty, and wise, Carol’s style and authenticity earned her many fans on both sides of the aisle. "Carol Murphy had a compassionate heart, adventurous spirit and an incredible zest for life." (Star Ledger 1/15/12)
Good Guy Award(s)
Presented each year to a male from either the Democrat, Republican or Independent party, who have demonstrated leadership in advancing policies in support of women and families either in their businesses or in public policy. The honorees have made exceptional efforts to advance the careers of and to create opportunities for women.
Mary Philbrook Award
Presented to a woman who is an attorney with a distinguished career during which she has removed barriers and created opportunities for other women in the interest of advancing equality in all spheres.
Mary Philbrook of Jersey City was the first woman attorney in New Jersey. She used her legal training to advance women's rights, including a gender-free writing of the modern NJ Constitution which made discrimination on the basis of sex unconstitutional. She was instrumental in the founding of what is now DouglassResidentialCollege at RutgersUniversity. A suffragist, she supported Alice Paul in the fight for the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S Constitution.
Corporate Award
Presented to a business that has met the particular needs of its female employees and their families, has provided critical services to women, girls or families, or has made a meaningful effort to improve the gender diversity of its workforce.
Social Justice Award
Presented to an individual or organization that inspires, supports and expresses effective social action. The award recognizes those who devote their time & energy to improve their community, especially for women and girls.
President Award
The President Award is presented to a woman who has contributed extraordinary service to WPCNJ. They have donated their time, talent and resources to not only strengthen the core mission of the organization but help pave the way for the next generation.
Past Honorees:
2022
Wanda M. Akin, Esq.
Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald
&
Marshall McLean
Orsted
Aisha Glover
Chrissy Buteas
2021
Michellene Davis, Esq.
Assemblyman Anthony Verrelli
&
Michael Egenton
Corporate Award
Kivvit
Social Justice Award
Marcia W. Brown, Esq.
2020
Lori Grifa, Esq.
Good Guy Awards
Kris Kolluri
&
Matt McDermott
Corporate Award
Virtua Health
Social Justice Award
BlueWaveNJ
2019
Good Guy Award
Assemblyman Daniel R. Benson
Good Guy Award
Gil Medina
Corporate Award
AECOM
Social Justice Award
Reverend Deborah Stapleton
2018
Good Guy Award
Senator Troy Singleton
Good Guy Award
Murray E. Bevan
Corporate Award
Hackensack Meridian Health
Social Justice Award
1199 SEIU
2017
Mary Philbrook Award
Mary Patricia Keefe, Esq.
Good Guy Award
Vin Gopal
Good Guy Award
John Traier
Corporate Award
MZM Construction Company
Social Justice Award
New Jersey State Bar Association
2016
Barbara Boggs Sigmund
Tricia Mueller
Carol Murphy Award
Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi
Mary Philbrook Award
Rebecca Moll Freed, Esq.
Good Guy Award
John F.X. Graham
Good Guy Award
Jarrod C. Grasso
Corporate Award
MD Advantage Insurance Company
Social Justice Award
Lupe Fund Inc.
2015
Barbara Boggs Sigmund
Peg Schaffer, Esq.
Carol Murphy Award
The Honorable Mary E. O'Dowd, M.P.H
Mary Philbrook Award
Paulette Brown, Esq.
Good Guy Award
The Honorable Cory Booker
U.S. Senator
Good Guy Award
William J. Palatucci, Esq.
Corporate Award
NJBIA New Jersey Business & Industry Association
President’s Award
Gilda M. Morales
2014
Barbara Boggs Sigmund
Hon. Linda Greenstein, Senator
Carol Murphy
Gail Gordon, Esq.
Mary Philbrook Award
Sharon Levine, Esq.
Good Guys
Angelo J. Genova, Esq.
Tom Wilson
Corporate Award
Barnabas Health
2012
Barbara Boggs Sigmund
Hon. Nia Gill
Carol Murphy
Hon. Kim Guadagno
Mary Philbrook Award
Sue Feeney, Esq.
Good Guys
Hon. Joseph Cryan
Chris Daggett
Leaders for Social Justice
Associate Alumnae of Douglass College
Corporate Award
Saki Dodelson
2011
Women of Achievement
Sonia Delgado
Hon. Sophie Heymann
Good Guys
Hon. Ray Lesniak
Hon. Jon Bramnick
Mary Philbrook Award
Mary Hildebrand, Esq.
Leaders for Social Justice
Planned Parenthood Action Fund
2010
Women of Achievement
Amy Mansue
Karen Alexander
Good Guys
Hon. Robert Menendez
Hon. Dale Florio
Corporate Award
CooperHospital Foundation
Mary Philbrook Award
Hon. Sharon Weiner, Esq.
President’s Award
Elizabeth Cox
2009
Women of Achievement
Barbara Gitenstein, Ph.D
Hon. Eleanore S. Nissley
Good Guys Awards
Roger Bodman
Hon. Frank Pallone
Corporate Award
New Jersey Resources, Inc.
Mary Philbrook Award
Gloria E. Soto, Esq.
2008
Barbara Boggs Sigmund
Senator Jennifer Beck
Patti McGuire
Woman of Achievement
Kent Manahan
Good Guys
Ralph Izzo
Hon. Stephen Sweeney
Leaders for Social Justice
Girl Scouts of Central & Southern NJ, Inc
Mary Philbrook Award
Hon. Jennifer G. Velez, Esq.
2007
Barbara Boggs Sigmund
Deborah T. Pritz, Former Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court.
Maggie Moran, Former State Director to U.S. Senator Jon S. Corzine
Women of Achievement
Hon. Mildred Crump
Eileen Swan
Good Guys
Al Koeppe
Tom Shea
Hon. Rolando Torres, Jr
Leaders for Social Justice
GardenState Equality & Manavi
Mary Philbrook Award
Lynn Fontaine Newsome, Esq.
2006
Barbara Boggs Sigmund
Jeannine LaRue, Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor
Rose Heck, former Assemblywoman
Good Guys
Hon. Jon Corzine, NJ Governor
Hon. Christopher Bateman, NJ Assembly
Hon. Robert Franks, President, Health Care Institute of New Jersey
Dr. Chung S. Yang, Spouse Award
Mary Philbrook Award
Carmen Twillie Ambar
2005
Barbara Boggs Sigmund
Christine Todd Whitman, former Governor
Diane Legreide
Good Guys
Dennis Bone, President and CEO Verizon-Corporate Award
Hon. Wilfredo Caraballo, NJ Assembly
Hon. Thomas H. Kean, Jr, NJ State Senate
Laurence M. Downes, Chairman and CEO, New Jersey Resources
Marc Morales, Spouse Award
Mary Philbrook Award
Chris Bator
2004
Barbara Boggs Sigmund
Assemblywoman Loretta Weinberg
Nancy Becker
Good Guys
Hon. Joseph F. Vitale, NJ State Senate
Lewis Eisenberg, Finance Chairman, RNC
Dr. William H. Cherry, Spouse Award
Philip Kirschner, President, NJBIA
Mary Philbrook Award
Rita Stremnsky
2003
Barbara Boggs Sigmund
Diane Allen, NJ State Senator
Bonnie Watson Coleman, NJ Assemblywoman, State Chair Democratic Party
Good Guys
Hon. Rush Holt Representative, U.S. Congress (D.,12)
Hon. Joseph M. Kyrillos, Jr. NJ State Senate (R.,13
John T. Flynn, Spouse Award
Wachovia, Corporate Award
2002
Barbara Boggs Sigmund
Carol Murphy, former Assemblywoman
Melanie Willoughby, President, NJ Retail Merchants Assoc
Good Guys
Governor James E. McGreevey for promoting women in government
Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen for promoting women in government
Rabbi Stuart Weinberg Gershon for promoting women's rights
Professor Edwin M. Hartman, Spouse Award, for support of Prof. Mary Hartman
Harvey A. Holzberg, President and CEO Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital for for organizational commitment to women's healthcare initiatives
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Corporate Award
2001
Barbara Boggs Sigmund
Hon. Marie Garibaldi, former NJ Supreme Court Justice
Kathleen Crotty, Executive Director of NJ Senate Minority Office
Good Guys
Frank Lautenberg, U.S. Senator
Captain Gary Adams, Morris Twp. Domestic Violence Response Team
Jim McQueeny, Spouse Award, for support of Mary Amoroso
Wayne Yankus, MD, FAAP
2000
Barbara Boggs Sigmund
Jeanne M. Fox, Administrator, Region II, USEPA; past president WPC-NJ
Elinor Johnstone Ferdon, immediate past president Girl Scouts, USA
Good Guys
The late Ashely Montagu for his book, The Natural Superiority of Women
Ronald DelMauro, CEO of St. Barnabas Health Care System
Leonard Murphy, Spouse Award, for support of Assemblywoman Carol Murphy
David Newell, Sr., Vice President for Public Affairs, First Union Bank
Thomas O'Neill, Ex. Dir., Partnership for New Jersey
1999
Barbara Boggs Sigmund
Zulima Farber, former Public Advocate for State of NJ; attorney
Joan Verplanck, President NJ Chamber of Commerce
Good Guys
Governor Brendan Byrne
Governor Tom Kean
Marvin Reed, Mayor of Princeton
American Home Products for family-friendly workplace
Milton Kaplan, Spouse Award, for support of Myra Terry
Len Fishman, Health Commissioner
Summit Bank, Corporate Award
1998
Barbara Boggs Sigmund
Cynthia Jacobs, Esq., former President of NJ State Bar Association
Judy Shaw, first woman Chief of State to a NJ Governor
Good Guys
Gary Brickner, M.D. for promoting women's health care
Dr. Arnold Derman, Spouse Award, for support of Harriet Derman
New Jersey Network, Corporate Award
Rocky Peterson, Esq
Princeton Public Affairs Group, Corporate Award
Steven Samuel, M.D. for research in women's heart disease
1997
Barbara Boggs Sigmund
Susan Bass Levin, Mayor of Cherry Hill, NJ
Candace Straight, Founder of WISH List; Vice Chair, NJ Sports Authority
Good Guys
Alan Augustine, State Assemblyman
Richard Codey, State Senator
Ralph Froehlich, Sheriff of UnionCounty
BlaineGreenfield
Jeffrey Lucker, Spouse Award, in support of Ruth Mandel
NewarkAcademy
Thirteen/WNET, Corporate Award
Raymond R. Trombadore, Esq.
1996
Barbara Boggs Sigmund
Marge Roukema, US Congresswoman; Dean, NJ Congressional Delegation
Good Guys
Bill Bradley, U.S. Senator
Rev. Jeffrey Craig Eaton
Leonard Lance, State Assemblyman
Gualberto Medina, Commissioner, Department of Commerce
W. Michael Murphy
Gregory L. Myer, Spouse Award, in support of Jane Kenny
Warner-Lambert Co., Corporate Award
1995
Barbara Boggs Sigmund
Wynona Lipman, NJ State Senator
Good Guys
Byron M. Baer
Michael Breslin
Neil M. Cohen
George Geist
Jeffrey A. Warsh
Sanford Jaffe
Dr. Joseph E. Salvatore
Geoffrey Irvine - Spouse Award, in support of Barbara Irvine
1994
Barbara Boggs Sigmund
Hazel Gluck, former NJ Lottery Commissioner; former Freeholder
Good Guys
Richard Bagger
W. Michael Bryant
Cardell Cooper
William Granville, Jr
William J. Hughes
Gordon A. MacInnes
James F. Mulvihill
Jack Pesda
Ramon Rivera
John Whitman - Spouse Award
The Record - Corporate Award
1993
Barbara Boggs Sigmund
Ruth Mandel, Director of the Center for the American Woman and Politics
1992
Barbara Boggs Sigmund
Barbara Boggs Sigmund, posthumously
