Regina Arcuri, of Robbinsville, accepted a 2018 Mercer County Women of Achievement award from the Mercer County Commission on the Status of Women March 27 at Mercer Oaks Golf Club in West Windsor.
The award recognizes county residents who volunteer their time to make the county a better place to live, work and raise a family.
Arcuri is a lifelong Mercer County resident who served as an honorary commander at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. She continues to serve the military installation as a community ambassador with her recent appointment to the Honorary Commander Emeritus Program.
“I am thrilled to be recognized for my many years of volunteers service,” Arcuri said. “The commission has acknowledged my hard work and dedication to making Mercer County a safer and more welcoming place to live and work.”
The honorary commander program was established to bring together military commanders and civic leaders, educate civilian volunteers on the various missions of each service branch, and encourage communication between installation commanders and surrounding towns. During each yearlong appointment, honorary commanders are required to complete condensed training exercises that mimicked those of service members in their respective branches, tour base operations to learn the mission of each branch, attend base ceremonies, and spend time with service members to understand how local communities can better assist them.
Grateful not to depart entirely from this special post, Arcuri joined the first group of former honorary commanders who were inducted into the newly created emeritus program in October 2017.
“Being a civilian leader with unique access to our neighboring military installation puts me in a special position to advocate for the needs of service members who must uproot their families and settle into strange, new towns every few years,” Arcuci said. “I’m proud to share their concerns with local officials, businesses and anyone, frankly, who can lighten their load. I talk about their needs, but I also invite the community to come and see the base for themselves and learn from these dedicated professionals.”
The 2018 Power in the Pines open house and air show will be held May 5 to 6 on the base. The event is free to the public.
Arcuri’s community service began in 2006, when she championed the Robbinsville Fire Department during a restructuring initiative. She advocated for the continuity of the same care that her family received during a medical crisis. She explained to elected officials how comforting it was to see familiar faces who knew the family’s medical history before they walked in the door. She later worked with fire officials to conduct a listening tour throughout the township and effectively build consensus within the first responder community on how to meet the needs of residents.
She continues to use her broad network to remind residents of fire safety measures and fundraising events and to help seniors take advantage of basic medical services at the township’s senior center.
Arcuri has been employed by the New Jersey State Lottery for nearly 36 years. She served as a promotions and events manager for most of her career and then was tapped to become the drawing manager in 2013.
To show their appreciation, the U.S. Armed Forces have given Arcuri several citations for her support of military personnel fighting the global war on terrorism, as well as for her efforts to improve the lives of service members stationed at Joint Base MDL. The Robbinsville Township Council has also recognized Arcuri with a proclamation lauding her dedication to those who serve our country on both local and national levels.
Regina Arcuri. (Photo by Denis Symons.),
