The William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University hosted its biennial Hughes Center Honors ceremony, celebrating five outstanding New Jerseyans for their excellence in public service, civility, and bipartisanship—values championed by the late Congressman William J. Hughes.
Before a crowd of over 225 people, the event centered on honoring one of the center’s founders, Edward H. Salmon, who received both the Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award and the Civility in Politics and Government Award.
Edward H. Salmon, the center’s Advisory Board Emeritus Founding Chair, was recognized for his expansive contributions to New Jersey public life, which spanned decades in education, business, and politics.
“During his 26 years as an elected official, whether that was as the mayor of Millville, a Cumberland County Freeholder or a state assemblyman, Edward Salmon was always a true public servant and never a politician,” said Kim Schalek Downes, Vice Chair of the Hughes Center Advisory Board.
Downes noted that Salmon’s deep commitment to the Hughes Center was fueled by his lifelong friendship with Ambassador Hughes. Salmon’s career also included 27 years in business and industry, founding four successful companies, and 27 years in the Millville public schools as a teacher, coach, and administrator.
In further recognizing his dedication to education, Hughes Center Advisory Board Chair Richard Tolson announced that the center is raising funds to create the Dr. Ed Salmon Educational Endowment to perpetually support Political Science students.
Recognizing leaders across New Jersey
The ceremony celebrated four other honorees whose leadership and integrity have made a lasting impression on civic life:
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Excellence in Civic Engagement Award: Presented to Christina Renna, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey. Renna was praised for elevating the role of the Chamber as a catalyst for economic development and regional progress by building sustainable relationships across business owners, nonprofits, and policymakers, regardless of party.
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Excellence in Community Leadership Award: Awarded to Cassie Iacovelli, the former executive director of MainStreet Hammonton. Christina Birchler, director of Stockton’s Hammonton instructional site, lauded Iacovelli as a mentor whose 15-year tenure helped transform Hammonton into a thriving destination for arts, events, shopping, and dining.
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Distinctive Alumni Leadership Award: Presented to Jessica Ramirez ’98, an attorney at D’Arcy Johnson Day and a New Jersey District 32 Assemblywoman. Ramirez, who moved to New Jersey from Puerto Rico at age eight unable to speak English, credited her Stockton education as “a turning point” that gave her the tools and confidence to lead with courage and purpose.
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Distinctive Student Leadership Award: Given to Vlad Vasylyk, a Stockton junior Political Science major and a Ukraine native. Vasylyk was honored for his dedication, academic excellence, and leadership within the Stockton Student Senate, embodying the highest ideals of engaged citizenship.
Stockton President Joe Bertolino saluted all the honorees, emphasizing the core message of the event. “These honorees remind us that integrity still matters. That dialogue still matters. That rolling up our sleeves and working together, across sectors and across ideologies, is still the best way to build stronger, more connected communities,” he said.
Hughes’ daughter, Barbara Hughes Sullivan, echoed the sentiment, noting that the honorees’ service and integrity made a “lasting impression on civic life, public service and communities across the country.”
