The NJAC Foundation on Monday announced that it will award a record-breaking $113,000 in scholarships in 2026, providing a significant financial boost to New Jersey’s county vocational-technical school graduates.
The funding is earmarked for students transitioning to county or state colleges and universities this fall. Since its inception in 2011, the Foundation has now distributed over $700,000 to 850 students, reinforcing the “Garden State’s” commitment to keeping local talent within the state’s higher education system.
The 2026 scholarship pool was made possible through a coalition of New Jersey’s most prominent corporate citizens. The Foundation credited the “commitment and vision” of several key industry leaders for reaching this year’s six-figure milestone:
| Leader | Organization |
| Mike Renna | CEO, South Jersey Industries (SJI) |
| David Vitali | Public Policy, Amazon |
| Jaclyn Kator | Regional VP, AT&T |
| Calvin Ledford, Jr. | Director of CSR, PSEG |
| Brian Turano | Sr. VP, Citizens Bank |
| Patricia Harpence | Corporate Giving Officer, NJM Insurance Group |
| John Turba | District Manager, SHI International |
| Felice Katz | CEO/President, PKA Technologies, Inc. |
| Jody Lynn Herkloz | JLH Management / ACECNJ |
The Foundation plans to formally honor these corporate contributors during the President’s Luncheon at the NJAC’s 75th Annual Celebration of County Government. The event is scheduled to take place from May 6th through May 8th at Caesar’s in Atlantic City.
In addition to corporate partners, the Foundation extended special gratitude to Jackie Burke and Anne Nicholas of the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools (NJCCVTS). Their guidance proved essential in selecting a cohort of winners that the Foundation describes as “getting better every single year.”
“Through the generous grant funding from some of the Garden State’s outstanding corporate citizens, the Foundation has the unique opportunity to provide much-needed financial support to hard-working students and their families,” the Foundation stated in its announcement.
The NJAC Foundation continues to serve as a vital bridge between the vocational classroom and the professional workforce, ensuring that the next generation of New Jersey’s specialists and leaders can afford to pursue their degrees close to home.
