Executive Women of New Jersey will honor 48 of the state’s top women leaders — from CEOs and managing partners to nonprofit, education and arts executives — at its biennial Salute to the Policy Makers gala Oct. 21.
The event runs from 6 to 10 p.m. at The Legacy Castle in Pompton Plains. Writer Mikki Taylor, editor-at-large of Essence magazine, will deliver the keynote. The evening also includes a reception, dinner, recognition of the honorees, a fireside chat and an appearance by an EWNJ scholarship recipient.
The honorees represent law, business, nonprofits, government, education, health care, public companies and the arts. EWNJ said they reflect the advancement, resilience and leadership it takes to move up in today’s society.
The gala is led by EWNJ President Susan K. Dromsky-Reed of Brach Eichler and President-elect Onome N. Adejemilua of McCarter & English, who chairs the Salute committee.
The event also raises money for EWNJ’s Graduate Merit Award Program, which has provided more than $1.4 million in scholarships to nearly 350 women who were nontraditional graduate students at New Jersey colleges and universities.
EWNJ works to increase the presence of women in boardrooms and top leadership at New Jersey companies.
Tickets are $500 for members and $750 for nonmembers and are available at ewnj.org/events. A portion of each ticket is tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
The 2026 honorees:
A-
Stacey Antar (General Counsel): Ferring Pharmaceutical
Linda Baraka (First Lady of Newark): BOLD Newark
Regina Barboza (Director of Development & Strategic Initiatives): Newark Arts Council
Kate Barrett (President, The Campbell’s Foundation): The Campbell’s Company
Deb Belfatto (Founder & Chief Visionary): Let’s Talk Women’s Health & Wellness
Kirsten Scheurer Branigan (Managing Partner): KSBranigan Law
Patricia Campos-Medina (Executive Director & Faculty, The Worker Institute, School of Industrial and Labor Relations): Cornell University
Jennifer Carillo Perez (Partner): Connell Foley
Monica Padovano Casiello (Vice President of Business Development): US Title Solutions
Laura Crowley (Partner): Citrin Cooperman
Lori DelGiudice (Senior Vice President, Human Resources): NJResources
Lexie Demirali (Senior Product Officer): New Jersey Economic Development Authority
Nora DeVeau-Rosen (Managing Director): Two River Theater
Veronica Diaz (Director of Consumer & Sales Support): AmeriHealth
Nicola Ellam (Managing Principal, NY/NJ): CliftonLarsonAllen
Michelle Ferrer (Founding Partner): Ferrer Goldfine Law Group
G-
Gemma Giantomasi (Member of the Executive Committee): CSG Law
Susan Okin Goldsmith (Partner): McCarter & English
Gail Gordon (Trustee of HMH Network/Commissioner of NJSEA): Hackensack Meridian Health/GB Gordon Associates
Sandra Grannum (Partner): Faegre Drinker
Jan Brown Helgeson (Managing Director, Human Capital): Deloitte
Aiysha (AJ) Johnson (CEO & Executive Director): NJ Society of Certified Public Accountants
Dianne LaRocca (Vice President, Talent, Culture & Wellbeing): PSEG
Shannon Lazare (Executive Vice President/Regional President of NJ): M&T Bank
Nadine Leslie (Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer): Middlesex Water
Brenda Liss (General Counsel): Newark Board of Education
Sonia Luaces (Lead Client Partner): PwC
Filomena Machleder (Associate Director, The Horizon Foundation for NJ): Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ
Jennifer Mara (Managing Partner): Baldassare & Mara
Martha Marchesi (Chief Executive Officer): JK Communications
Valerie Jules McCarthy (Partner): Pashman Stein Walder Hayden
Wendy O’Ree (Senior Managing Director, Wealth Management): Peapack Private Bank & Trust
P-Z
Caroline Patterson (Member & Vice Chair, Healthcare Law): Brach Eichler
Barbara Peña (Tax Partner): EisnerAmper
Christine Pronek (Principal): WilkinGuttenplan
Michelle Richardson (Executive Director): Hudson County Economic Development Corporation
Suzette Robinson (Senior VP, People, Belonging and Impact): RWJBarnabas Health
Veronica Ross (Senior Vice President & Director of Engagement): Kearny Bank
Leigh Russo (Senior Wealth Advisor): Mariner
Bhakti Shah (Partner): PKF O’Connor Davies
Natalia Shuman (CEO): MISTRAS Group
Dr. Tania Small (SVP & Head of Global Medical Affairs): Bristol Myers Squibb
Jennifer Phillips Smith (Director): FBT Gibbons
Joanne Spears (Senior Vice President, Financial Planning): Newport Capital Group
Shavonda Sumter (President & CEO): Children’s Aid & Family Services
Alicia Brittany Sundberg (Executive Vice President and Head of Fidelity OSG Account Treasury and Tax Services): Fidelity Investments
Shelley Sylva (US Head, Corporate Citizenship): TD Bank
Kathy Timko (CEO): iconectiv
