February 1, 2010
Girls Scouts honor Women of Achievement
vhurleyschubert@girlscoutsjs.org
Reader Submitted
Mentors and role models make the biggest difference in the lives of children and teens as they grow into young adults. This is especially critical for girls as they mature in a society that frequently sends messages that conflict with the Girl Scout mission of building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.
This year, the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore will honor four women from Southern Ocean County with its prestigious Women of Achievement Award.
Through their everyday actions and activities, as well as their countless hours of community service, DiAnne C. Gove, Brant Beach; Mildred Hughes, Ship Bottom, Sandi Johnson, Little Egg Harbor, and Lorraine Schwinn, Manahawkin serve as the mentors and role models girls need in the 21st century. They join the 32 other Women of Achievement recipients who have been honored by the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore since the award's inception in 1999.
Businesses and individuals that would like to honor these distinguished women are invited to receive information about the event's commemorative journal or purchase tickets for the Women of Achievement Reception and Dinner, which will take place at 6 p.m. on March 10 at Sea Oaks Country Club, Little Egg Harbor. Tickets are available by calling (800) 785-2090, ext. 223.
In addition, the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore are proud to share with you the biographies of each outstanding honoree:
DiAnne C. Gove, Brant Beach
Gove serves as an assemblywoman in the 9th district. She is the former mayor and commissioner of finance, public safety and affairs, revenue and finance, and public works and property for Long Beach Township. She also served as a commissioner on the Ocean County Utilities Authority.
Gove began her career as a social studies teacher at Southern regional High School.
Her professional and civic affiliations include: National Council for the Social Studies; New Jersey Council for the Social Studies; National Education Association; New Jersey Education Association; Daughters of the American Revolution; American Association of University
Women Barnegat Light Branch; Ocean County Federation of Republican Women; Ocean County Mayors' Association, president; New Jersey League of Municipalities Legislative Committee; New Jersey League of Municipalities Women in Municipal Government. She also serves as St. Francis Parish lector and Eucharistic minister.
Mildred Hughes, Ship Bottom
Hughes registered the first lone troop of Girl scouts on Long Beach Island in 1953. In 1954 people from Monmouth County helped Millie to get a council started here. In 1955 the Charter was received and this was the first chartered Girls Scouts in Ocean County. They have been called the Long Beach Island Girl Scouts, Ocean County Girl Scouts and the Jersey Shore Girl Scouts as time went by.
Hughes has belonged to Soroptimist of Long Beach Island since 1972 and has continuously worked for the advancement of women. She belongs to the Kyette Methodist Church in Beach Haven.
Hughes was a member of theUnited States Coast Guard from September 1942 until December 1945. Hughes owned the Hi-Tide Gem Shop in Surf City and was one of the first female proprietors on Long Beach Island. Millie's committment to service has been a life long mission as she pierced ears in her shop and gave the profits to help the fledging medical center which is now known as Southern Ocean County Hospital.
Sandi Johnson, Little Egg Harbor
For the last eleven years Johnson has been employed by Mezzina Real Estate as a senior administrative assistant after retiring from Prudential Insurance Company after twenty-three years of service.
Johnson is an active member of the community emergency response team (CERT) in Little Egg harbor, the Italian-American Social Club of Little Egg Harbor and St. Theresa's Church where she ushers, teaches the children's liturgy on Sunday and volunteers each year for their carnival. She is an active member of Beacon Chapter #282, Order of the Eastern star of NJ and serves as chair for several fundraisers for them; chairperson to the Little Egg Harbor Board of Health, where she organizes the seasonal flu and annual rabies clinic; is Chairperson to the Board of Directors of the Regular Republican Organization of LEH. Johnson served as the Little Egg Harbor municipal chairperson and as a county committee person representing her district for ten years. She is also a 2005 graduate of the Christine Todd Whitman Excellence in Public Service series.
Lorraine Schwinn, Manahawkin
Schwinn is a development associate at the Southern Ocean County Hospital Foundation. She has volunteered for the Manahawkin Relay for Life since it's inception as Luminary and Publicity Chair, in addition to volunteering for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACSCAN) to raise awareness, support and funding for cancer. She has received the 2009 New Jersey Ambassador Team Award for the Eastern Division of the American Cancer Society from New Jersey District 3 Ambassador Constituent Team. Schwinn is co-president of Soroptimist International of Long Beach Island; volunteers ar the Stafford's Good Ole Days and the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce's Annual Merchant's Mart of Chowderfest and has been a member of Stafford Township Health Advisory Committee for five years.
Please join us in honoring these dynamic women at 6 p.m. on March 10 at Sea Oaks Country Club in Little Egg Harbor. Tickets and sponsorships are still available. For more information call Karen Palamara, fund raising specialist at (800) 785-2090, ext. 223.