The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF) will honor South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum, who is also a candidate for New Jersey Lt. Governor, with its first Visionary Leadership Award at the organization’s inaugural Community Changemaker Night in June.
According to a news release from the foundation, Changemaker Night will honor exemplary community leaders who have made “significant contributions to the betterment of life in North Jersey.”
South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum will receive the NNJCF’s First Visionary Leadership Award.
In the release, the foundation lauds Collum’s accomplishments as mayor of South Orange in her selection for the award: “As the first woman to hold office as mayor in South Orange, Collum’s leadership demonstrated a commitment to civic engagement, volunteerism and the modernization of municipal operations in the Village. Under her stewardship, South Orange secured over $500 million in commercial and mixed-use investments, with a strong emphasis on inclusionary affordable housing and groundbreaking community benefits agreements. A bold advocate for equitable growth, she spearheaded the creation of a downtown business incubator and artist hub, fostering economic opportunity while enhancing the cultural fabric of the community. Collum also led a sweeping overhaul of the town’s outdated master plan, engaging a diverse coalition of volunteers and thousands of residents to reimagine the future of South Orange.”
“Demonstrating her ability to turn challenges into opportunities, she successfully negotiated the sale of an underutilized and costly Town Hall, transforming it into a thriving restaurant and banquet venue,” it continues. “Additionally, she realigned capital spending to prioritize projects that directly benefit residents, including a renovated recreation center featuring a café and art gallery and the upcoming state-of-the-art 21st-century library, set to break ground this year.”
Collum, who is also the executive director of the American Planning Association – New Jersey Chapter, earned both a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration with a concentration in public policy from Seton Hall University.
The foundation will also honor five “local heroes,” who have made their communities better places to live and work. They are:
- New Jersey Assemblyman (District 36) Clinton Calabrese – Creative Communities Award for helping communities through the arts.
- Fairleigh Dickinson University Professor and Biology Department Chair Dr. Marion McClary – Green and Healthy Places Leadership Award for protecting the environment or advancing public health.
- Fund Advisors for the Andrea Tilbian Halejian Memorial Fund, Gina Wilson and Lisa De Dominicis – Belonging and Opportunity Award for supporting inclusive communities or economic opportunity.
The celebration takes place Thursday, June 5, 2025 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception and silent auction at Forte Ristorante, located at 160 Prospect Avenue in Hackensack, New Jersey. The foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, is headquartered in Hackensack.
Tickets to the event are $130 per person with special group ticket rates available, as well as sponsorship opportunities, both of which can be found on the organization’s event webpage.
Donations can be made at online or by sending a check made out to The Northern NJ Community Foundation (NNJCF), 1 University Plaza Drive, Suite 128, Hackensack, NJ 07601.
“The proceeds from this celebration will help the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation enhance North Jersey communities. By working together, we can build community partnerships that achieve more impact than any organization can do alone,” said Leonardo Vazquez, Executive Director of the Foundation.
The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation supports communities by bringing people together in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Warren and Union counties to address the pressing issues of public health, environmental protection, civil society and education. Founded in 1998, the foundation has awarded over $1 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and scholarships to residents, developed diverse alliances to tackle critical quality of life issues, connected people to valuable resources, and produced catalytic public art and environmental projects to benefit all residents.
For more information or to get involved, visit the foundation’s website, send an email to nnjcf@nnjcf.org, or call 201-568-5608.
