When New Jersey military families connected to the Joint Base started struggling during the recent federal government shutdown, State Sen. Troy Singleton (D-Burlington) didn’t wait for someone else to step in.
He mobilized organizations, donors and volunteers to get food — proteins, shelf-stable goods — directly to families facing sudden financial uncertainty.
For that work, Singleton will receive the chamber’s State Lawmaker of the Year Award at the Veterans Business Summit on Sept. 18 at Collins Arena, Brookdale Community College. (Register here)
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker will receive the chamber’s Federal Lawmaker of the Year Award for a different kind of intervention — one aimed less at an immediate crisis and more at a long-standing structural problem.
Booker worked with the chamber to secure Congressionally Directed Spending supporting StandSmall.com, a procurement portal in development to help veteran-owned, disabled veteran-owned and military spouse-owned businesses find government and private-sector contracting opportunities and help buyers find them.
Veterans Chamber CEO Retired Col. Jeff Cantor was eager to laud both.
“Food insecurity should never be something a service member, veteran, or military family has to face alone,” he said. “Senator Singleton did not wait for someone else to solve the problem. He brought together organizations, raised resources, recruited volunteers, and helped get food directly into the hands of families who needed it.”
Booker’s impact goes to the bottom line.
“Senator Booker understood one of the fundamental challenges facing veteran entrepreneurs: opportunity does not matter if businesses cannot find it and buyers cannot find them,” he said. “His support for StandSmall.com will help us build a practical solution that connects buyers and sellers, increases visibility for veteran businesses, and creates a pathway toward greater participation in public- and private-sector procurement.”
The chamber said Booker has stayed engaged in ongoing conversations about expanding contracting access for veteran and military-family entrepreneurs beyond the initial funding.
The chamber described the two awards as recognizing different but equally important forms of leadership.
“Senator Singleton stepped forward when military families needed food and support. Senator Booker stepped forward when veteran entrepreneurs needed greater access to economic opportunity,” Cantor said. “We are proud to recognize both of them.”
Cantor, founder of the Veterans Foundation of America, said recognitions like these reflect the summit’s broader purpose.
“This is about opening doors — for contracts, for connections and for growth,” he said. “Our veterans deserve every opportunity to succeed in business and beyond.”
