 |
The Ann Klein Advocate Awards Dinner has been held each year since 1988 to honor Ann Klein, former Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services, who was instrumental in establishing a community-based system of care for people with mental and physical disabilities. Past honorees have included legislators, scientists, advocates, corporate leaders, reporters, and entertainers. Past Masters of Ceremonies have included Governor Brendan Byrne, actress Olympia Dukakis, and former Attorney General Robert Del Tufo. Proceeds from the event are used each
year to support student interns in law, social work, and public policy, and for the general support of CHLP services and programs.
20th Anniversary Ann Klein Advocate Awards Dinner
October 18, 2007
This year's Ann Klein dinner celebrated the 20th anniversary of the event, as well as the 30th anniversary of the founding of CHLP. It was held at the Wilshire Grand Hotel in West Orange. The Master of Ceremonies of the evening was Betty Wilson, Chair of the New Jersey Pinelands Commission, who knew Ann Klein through her own distinguished career in public service: as a member of the General Assembly, Assistant Commissioner of the NJ Department of Human Services, Deputy Commissioner of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, and Deputy Commissioner of the NJ Department of Labor & Industry. The three individuals who were honored were:
Dr. Theodore Kastner, President of the Developmental Disabilities Health Alliance, Inc., a statewide medical organization that provides primary care to more than 4,000 people with developmental disabilities in New Jersey;
William Lang III, founder of the William Lang Foundation, which is dedicated to improving the quality of life of those suffering from spinal cord injuries; and
Joseph A. Masciandaro, President of Care Plus New Jersey, Inc., which provides mental health services to children, adults, and families in New Jersey.
The dinner also included a tribute to the late Alex Menza by Assemblyman Neil Cohen. Menza, a former CHLP Board member, jurist, state senator, assemblyman, playwright, and strong advocate for people with disabilities, died on March 2, 2007. Establishment of a public interest legal fellowship in his name was announced at the dinner by Seton Hall Law School Professor Michael Ambrosio and CHLP Executive Director Harold Garwin. With the support of Seton Hall University School of Law and other generous sponsors, CHLP will be offering a two-year fellowship to a Seton Hall Law School graduate starting in fall 2008. The Menza Fellow will work as a staff attorney in the Law Project’s South Orange office, focusing on civil rights litigation and public policy matters.
Anyone interested in contributing to the Menza Fellowship fund should contact CHLP at 973-275-1175.
We thank this year's sponsors: McCarter & English, LLP; Banc of America Corporate Insurance Agency, LLC; Columbia Bank; Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.; Janssen, LP; Princeton Public Affairs Group; PSEG; and ValueOptions, Inc.
SAVE THE DATE
October 23, 2008
The Next Ann Klein Advocate Awards Dinner
| |
