Ramapo Magazine

Distinguished Citizens Dinner – A Night to Remember

Distinguished Citizens Dinner – A great success! Pictured above (l. to r.): Myron Adler, benefactor of Ramapo College; Dr. Rodney Smith, newly elected president of Ramapo College; his wife, Dr. Christina Smith; and Elaine Adler, benefactor and member of the Foundation Board of Governors, enjoy an elegant evening at the Distinguished Citizens Dinner.

Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, the Shirelles, headlined the Ramapo College Foundation’s 19th Annual 2001 Distinguished Citizens Dinner, held March 3 at the Rockleigh Country Club. The event honored four distinguished citizens for their leadership and commitment to higher education: Thomas W. Dunn, Gene Marie Ferguson, William E. Miller, and John J. Nallin.

Thomas Dunn is a partner at Beattie Padovano, L.L.C., a Montvale law firm that has served Bergen County since 1971. A member of the Ramapo College Board of Trustees since 1993, he served as its chair from 1997-2000 and recently chaired the Presidential Search Committee for the College. He has served as counsel for area townships, planning boards, and school boards and is a noted lecturer, author, and editor on legal topics. Dunn is a graduate of Princeton University and Columbia University School of Law.

The Shirelles, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, were joined onstage by Renee Pollard, a guest at the Distinguished Citizens Dinner, and Lisa Price, president of the Student Government Association.

Gene Marie Ferguson joined Hackensack University Medical Center in 1995 as a social worker and currently works for the New Center for Trauma Recovery. An active community, education, and hospital volunteer, Ferguson received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Ramapo College in 1990 and a Master of Social Work degree from Rutgers University in 1993.

William E. Miller is the president and CEO of Damon G. Douglas Company, an employee-owned regional construction company with an annual volume of approximately eight million dollars. He is past national president of the Construction Financial Management Association, a member of numerous civic and professional organizations, and an author and presenter in the construction field.

Pictured below (l. to r.): Thomas Palmer, chair, Foundation Board of Governors; Cathleen Davey, executive director of the Ramapo College Foundation; Distinguished Citizens honorees Thomas Dunn, John Nallin, Gene Marie Ferguson, and William Miller; Bernard Milano, chair of the event, and Alice Chandler, interim president of Ramapo College.

John Nallin is vice president of Information Services at United Parcel Service, the world’s largest package distribution company. He is a member of the New Jersey

Institute of Technology Board of Overseers and serves on its Management Advisory Board. Nallin is also an active leader in the Marine Corps League, school foundations, and United Way.

The Distinguished Citizens Dinner raised over $150,000 to support efforts for student scholarships, College programs, and faculty development opportunities.