Business Briefs

The N.J. Marine Sciences Consortium, Sandy Hook, recently received a Governor’s Tourism Award for 2004 in recognition of its annual Coast Day NJ event and efforts to promote tourism. The statewide award is sponsored by the N.J. Office of Travel and Tourism and N.J. Travel Industry Association. Coast Day NJ was nominated for the award in the Eco-Tourism Award category by Barbara Steele, director of the Ocean County Public Affairs Department. The Eco-Tourism Award recognizes a program of activity that exhibits understanding, appreciation and respect of the environmental location presented as a tourism attraction.

Jayne Camlin, associate at Gloria Nilson GMAC, Middletown, was recently granted Quality Service Certified (QSC) Platinum status in recognition of achievement of 100 percent client service satisfaction as measured by Leading Research Corp. and the Quality Service Assurance Survey, San Juan Capistrano, Calif. Quality service certified status is the only service recognition in the real estate industry based upon independently validated, measurable service results. QSC professionals follow a proven and prescribed service process, present the process writing to every buyer and seller, guarantee its performance and agree to have every client receive a quality service assurance survey at the end of each transaction. Gloria Nilson GMAC’s corporate relocation division, Middletown, announced it has joined forces with LendingTree Inc., an online lending and realty services exchange. In order to assist clients searching for a Realtor, customers complete a profile which is then matched with three to four area real estate companies. GMAC will be rated on several factors such as how quickly contact is made with the potential customer and how satisfied the potential customer is with service provided.

Sylvia’s Children, a Holmdel nonprofit, has announced handmade Battenburg lace angels are now available for Mother’s Day and other gifts, with proceeds benefiting children in Uganda orphaned by the AIDS epidemic. The angels are $25 each and measure 6 by 5 inches. The firm was begun by Sylvia Allen of the marketing and communications firm, Allen Consulting Inc., Holmdel. For more information or to purchase an angel, call (732) 946-2711.

Bayshore Community Hospital, Holmdel, recently received the final proceeds of a bequest totaling more than $1.26 million, and will name its new imaging center the Ganz Imaging Pavilion, in honor of the donors and longtime hospital volunteers, Florence T. and Theodore Ganz. The gift from Mrs. Ganz’s estate is the largest bequest in hospital history. The Matawan resident made plans in the late ’80s to leave the bulk of her estate to Bayshore; however, hospital officials were unaware of her plans until her death two years ago. In addition to her volunteer work at Bayshore, Ganz also knit afghans for staff holiday party raffles. The Ganz Imaging Pavilion at Bayshore Community Hospital houses diagnostic imaging equipment to provide patients with advances in speed, accuracy and early detection of disease and trauma. The pavilion houses diagnostic imaging, cardiology and nuclear medicine.

Holmdel Township Cable Committee, in conjunction with Holmdel High School television teacher Roger Benedict, recently secured a grant for $75,000 from Comcast, with $10,000 to cover the cost to wire the township meeting room for television, and $65,000 for three new studio cameras for the high school television studio. The high school PTSO and Holmdel Creative Arts Asso­ciation also made donations of $1,500 and $1,800, respectively, to offset some of the costs that will be incurred. Al­though the high school studio’s 12-year-old cam­eras have fallen behind current technol­ogy, one will be mounted in the township meeting room, and the other two used in the auditorium.

The Brookdale Community College Alumni Association has named Dr. Pe­ter F. Burnham, college president, as the 2004 recipient of the Barringer Award. He will receive the award at the Barringer Award dinner April 23. The nonprofit association created the award in 1986 in honor of Dr. Bob Barringer, the third president of the college. It is presented annually to an individual or individuals who demonstrated commit­ment to educational excellence at Brook­dale and consistently performed a ser­vice to the college that distinguishes the individuals from other peers. Awardees are selected from nomination forms submitted to the association. The 700-member association is governed by a volunteer board of directors and is com­prised of Brookdale graduates.

Sayreville resident Marie Ferraro of Prudential New Jersey Properties, Sayreville, recently received the Chair­man’s Circle Platinum Award at the Prudential Real Estate Affiliates conven­tion in Miami Beach. The award is given to agents in the top 2 percent of the Pru­dential real estate network nationwide. Ferraro, a licensed real estate agent since 1987, specializes in the Sayreville and Matawan areas. She is also a recipi­ent of the 2003 Platinum Level New Jer­sey Association of Realtors Cir­cle of Ex­cellence Award.

The Matawan-Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce will hold its next board meeting April 13 at 8 a.m. at the post of­fice, 155 Main St., Matawan. The next general meeting will be April 20 at noon at Buttonwood Manor, 845 Route 34, Matawan. For more informa­tion, call the chamber at (732) 290-1125.

Ladies Workout Express, Keyport Plaza, Routes 35 and 36, will present a free health and wellness seminar by au­thor Tommie Weber April 2 at 7 p.m. Weber is also a nutritional counselor, and author of "Chasing Miracles." The seminar will detail how to keep the body free of toxins and how to use the natural im­mune system to fight disease. For more information, call Ann at (732) 335-8000.

Charlotte Ruden, a broker associate with Re/Max Central in Manalapan, has ranked No. 9 in Re/Max of New Jersey for her sales production during 2003. Ruden sold more than 50 homes last year, and this achievement places her at the top of more than 2,500 Re/Max professionals throughout the state. Ruden was honored at the 18th annual Re/Max Dinner Dance and Award Ceremony held at the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City.

Ruden, a resident of Manalapan, was also named to the Re/Max Hall of Fame. Only 10 percent of individuals among the more than 87,000 Re/Max associates worldwide were inducted into the Hall of Fame this year. Associates who have helped at least 350 families during their careers earn this award. Ruden has more than 15 years of experience and specializes in the listing and selling of residential and investment properties in Marlboro, Manalapan, Colts Neck, Freehold, Holmdel, Howell, Millstone, Upper Freehold, Jackson and the Shore area.