By Angela Fee-Maimon
Two Hopewell Valley residents are among the annual Mercer County Woman of Achievement and Young Woman of Achievement Awards for 2015.
This year’s recipients of the Woman of Achievement Award are Bernadette Demski Gur, of Lawrence, and Phyllis Jones, of Titusville, and recipients of the Young Woman of Achievement Awards are Kyla Chasalow, a student at Hopewell Valley Central High School, and Vanessa Woolfolk, a student at Villa Victoria Academy.
The Woman of Achievement Award honors women 18 and older, and the Young Woman of Achievement Award honors high school students age 18 or younger who have improved the quality of life in Mercer County through volunteer work. Awards will be presented by Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes and the county Commission on the Status of Women at a reception on Tuesday, March 3 in West Windsor.
Also, for the first year, the agency is awarding a Spotlight Agency Award. Agencies who partner with the Commission on the Status of Women annually are eligible to receive this honor, which was established to raise awareness about the work of both the commission and agencies, respectfully. This year’s award was granted to The Zonta Club of Trenton.
Jones was acknowledged as a Woman of Achievement for her work with UrbanPromise and Battle Against Hunger.
According to Jones, UrbanPromise is a worldwide organization focused on developing and empowering the next generation of youth leaders in critically underserved areas, and the Battle Against Hunger is a New Jersey that sponsors an annual, 200-mile bicycle ride from Gettysburg to Trenton each September to raise funds for agencies concerned with alleviating hunger.
Jones resides in Hopewell Township with her husband of 35 years, Mark. Jones has two grown children, Robyn and Gavin. Jones credits her family and the presence of God in her life as her inspiration.
Jones is from Mercer County, where she has resided most of her life. She graduated from Hopewell Valley Central High School before receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce from Rider University, where she was summa cum laude.
Jones spent seven years in mostly staff accounting roles, before pursuing a career in public accounting. She then obtained her CPA and worked with a small, local firm serving businesses. After 10 years, she became the Director of Accounting and later CFO for Jet Set Sports and its sister company, CoSport.
In 2010, Jones applied for and was offered the position of CFO for the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey, where she still currently works.
Chasalow is a 17-year-old junior at Hopewell Valley Central High. She was recognized for the Young Woman of Achievement Award because of her work volunteering at the Mercer County Park Commission Equestrian Center for three years supervising and encouraging the participants of the H.A.Y. program and the therapeutic riding program.
Chasalow said she has loved animals from a young age. She started her own dog-walking business in sixth-grade, which she continues to operate today. Chasalow said she has been a member of Mercer County Equestrian Center since the age of nine, and began volunteering weekly with MCEC’s Therapeutic Riding Program at the age of 14.
“Therapeutic riding has physical and mental benefits for people with disabilities. Sitting to the horse’s gait, balancing while playing games such as tossing and catching a ball, and posting up and down (for some students) strengthens their muscles and improves their balance,” Chasalow said. “Riding gives students independence and control. They learn that the horse responds to their movements and voice and then learn to control those aids so that the horse does what they want. Of course, Therapeutic riding is also just a fun experience for the students.”
Chasalow said her biggest volunteer commitment has been to MCEC with the Therapeutic Riding Program, but over the years, she has also been involved there with Parents of Autistic Children of New Jersey and the Trenton Horse and Youth (HAY) program.
Meanwhile, as a student at HVCHS, Chasalow is enrolled in various AP and honors classes, and especially enjoys art and writing classes. She is a member of the National Honors Society and the Recycling and Youth Environmental Society clubs.
Woolfolk is a junior at Villa Victoria Academy, where she participates in basketball,softball, and soccer. She is recognized for the Young Woman of Achievement Award because of her selfless volunteer efforts working with children at the Ewing Recreation Day Camp, the Ewing Youth Police Academy and Girl Scout Troop 70633.
Woolfolk participates in several school activities, including debate and government club, stage crew, bake sales, and fundraisers. Woolfolk taught herself to play both drums and guitar. As a member of the Girl Scouts, she is working on obtaining The Gold Award, the Girl Scouts’ highest service award.
Woolfolk said she has volunteered working with small children pre- and post-camp for the duration of summer camp daily with no fees charged to the parents. She spent three years as an assistant instructor for Ewing Township Youth Police Academy.
As part of her participation in the police Academy, Woolfolk volunteered to run games at holiday and community events, shopped for less fortunate families during holidays, read to younger children at public schools, and created a workshop to inform the public about the environment and steps we can take to lessen our carbon footprint, worked socializing animals at an animal shelter, created adoption bags complete with one months supply of food, water bowls, toys, and other things a new pet adopting family may need, and visited an Alzheimer’s home to interact and play games with the residents.
Woolfolk said she believes in giving back to a community that has given so much to her, and will accept any chance she gets to continue to give of herself.
