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JERSEY CITY, N.J. | �鶹��ý (NJCU) will honor two distinguished individuals and one visionary organization on Thursday, October 24, 2024 at 6 p.m. when it presents the 2024 Leaders & Legends Gala at The View, located in Lincoln Park (201 Lincoln Park) in Jersey City.

The Leaders & Legends Gala, formerly known as the NJCU Leadership Awards, are the institution’s annual celebration of those who have made a lasting impact on society in the Jersey City and the greater Hudson County area.

Presented by the NJCU Foundation, this year’s theme will be Honoring Transformative Achievements, and the university will honor recipients in the categories of Service, Impact, and Legacy.

�鶹��ý State Senator Nellie Pou, who has represented the state’s 35th Legislative District as a senator and assemblywoman since 1997, will be recognized in the Legacy category.

Ulises Diaz, the Senior Vice President of Government and Community Affairs at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ, is the 2024 honoree in the Service category, while Ponce Bank is being distinguished with the 2024 Impact Award.

More information, including tickets and sponsorship opportunities for the 2024 Leaders & Legends Gala are available at . All proceeds from the gala will directly benefit the NJCU Foundation, advancing its mission to support the university and its students, including student scholarships.

Peter Hernandez, the Chair of the NJCU Foundation Board of Directors, said: “The NJCU Foundation is pleased to be able to honor Nellie, Ulises, and Ponce Bank for their impacts on our community and celebrating their achievements. The NJCU Foundation empowers our students to reach their fullest potential. The honorees at the 2024 Leaders & Legends Gala, through their work and actions, compliment the vision and leadership of the Foundation each day.”

NJCU Interim President Andrés Acebo said “This event will allow the Foundation to continue its immensely meaningful and impactful work of championing the aspirations of our students. The Leaders & Legends Gala is a special opportunity for our community to rally behind our students’ accomplishments, and continue driving forward our mission to enhance and strengthen our university. It is with gratitude that we celebrate Nellie, who has been a dynamic advocate for NJCU among state leadership, along with Ulises and Ponce Bank.

Lizette Delgado, the Executive Director of the NJCU Foundation noted: “The 2024 Leaders & Legends Gala is a signature event for our institution to celebrate those whose professional and personal contributions to our community should be lauded, while igniting passion for our mission, and raising the essential resources needed to transform lives.”

2024 Honoree Profiles:

2024 NJCU Foundation Leaders & Legends Gala: Legacy Award — State Senator Nellie Pou

 

State Senator Nellie Pou has represented the state’s 35th Legislative District, including Paterson, and neighborhoods in Bergen and Passaic Counties since 2012. Currently she is the �鶹��ý Senate Majority Caucus Chair, Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, Vice Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Chair of the �鶹��ý Legislative Latino Caucus. 

First elected to statewide office in 1997 as an assemblywoman, she served in the General Assembly for 15 years until her ascension to the State Senate. She was the first woman and first Hispanic to represent the 35th Legislative District and the second Latina elected to a �鶹��ý state government office. 

Over 25 years in the Assembly and Senate, she has championed policies on social justice, criminal justice reform, and human rights, and worked to increase diversity in �鶹��ý’s courts. Pou has focused on economic independence, affordable education and healthcare, voter participation, and funding for vital programs.

From 2021-23, Pou served as President of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) — the first �鶹��ý legislator to do so. She led a delegation to meet Vice President Kamala Harris, discussing Hispanic legislative priorities. Pou has held various leadership roles within NHCSL and continues to advocate for the Latino community nationally. Pou has been a Delegate for Presidential nominees including Bill Clinton, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden. She represents the state and the Democratic National Committee at national conventions, bringing their platform to voters.

Senator Pou worked for the City of Paterson for over three decades, including as business administrator and served in many leadership positions throughout her years of service to the community. She attended Kean College and Rutgers University.

2024 NJCU Foundation Leaders & Legends Gala: Service Award — Ulises Diaz

 

Ulises Diaz leads the Government Affairs and Community Relations team at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ. In this role, Diaz represents Horizon before the �鶹��ý Legislature and �鶹��ý departments and agencies, and is responsible for federal delegation and the Horizon Foundation for �鶹��ý.

Prior to joining Horizon, Diaz served as Director of Government Affairs at Verizon in �鶹��ý, where he was responsible for state legislative and regulatory functions. During his tenure at Verizon, his efforts led to the passing of several landmark pieces of legislation and regulations that created a level playing field in an otherwise heavily regulated industry. Diaz helped Verizon establish a strong State House operation, effective political action committee, and an aggressive local outreach plan. He enjoys strong relationships on both sides of the political aisle and throughout the state.

Diaz previously served as Vice President of External Affairs at United Water in �鶹��ý, where he was responsible for government and public affairs, communications, and business development in the U.S., including Puerto Rico. In addition, he was responsible for the regulatory and legislative functions of United Water's utility footprint that included 26 states. At United Water, he was successful in privatizing the water and wastewater concessions of Puerto Rico ─ the largest privatization of its kind ─ valued at $5 billion.

He is a former Chairman of the Hackensack University Medical Center Foundation, where he continues to serve as a Trustee. He was also appointed by Governor Corzine as a Commissioner of the �鶹��ý Turnpike Authority. Diaz is a member of the Hispanic Institute and the Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce and the Commerce and Industry Association.

He holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Rutgers University and is a resident of Bergen County.

2024 NJCU Foundation Leaders & Legends Gala: Impact Award — Ponce Bank

Ponce Bank is being recognized by NJCU as the 2024 Leaders & Legends Gala Impact Award winner for its commitment to diverse communities for seven decades.

 

Ponce Bank was founded in the Bronx in 1960 when most banks fled an area assumed to be in decline. Their founders saw opportunity in an entrepreneurial community of immigrants and people of color that embodied the diverse cultures that make New York City one of the most innovative and welcoming cities in the world. They focus on supporting small business, providing financial mastery education to our underserved, but highly deserving, communities, and real estate ownership, investment, and development with a particular emphasis on affordable housing. The Bank now has 13 branches and six loan production offices throughout the NYC Metro Area, Union City, �鶹��ý and recently opened a representative office in Coral Gables, Florida. Ponce Bank has grown to nearly $3 billion in assets and is now publicly traded (NASDAQ: PDLB).

�鶹��ý the NJCU Leaders & Legends Gala Awards
Launched in 2018 as the NJCU Leadership Awards, the Leaders & Legends Gala was conceived to honor, promote, and encourage exemplary efforts by individuals and organizations who have made and continue to make exemplary contributions to our society. The 2020 and 2021 events were canceled due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The gala returned in 2022 and 2023.

Past honorees include 2018 honorees Jersey City Mayor Steven M. Fulop (Service); Angelo J. Genova, Esq., Senior Partner, Co-Founder and Chairman, Genova Burns, Attorneys-At-Law (Innovation); Stefania Panepinto, Founder, Panepinto Galleries (Arts); and the late Thomas Stanton, Jr., a Jersey City banker, visionary and prime mover committed to the renaissance of his hometown (Legacy, awarded posthumously); and 2019 honorees Hon. Frank J. Guarini (Service); Meredith Burns Executive Director, Art House Productions (Arts); Joseph F. Scott, FACHE, Executive Vice President, Health Care Transformation, RWJ Barnabas Health (Innovation); and the late Glenn D. Cunningham, Former Mayor of Jersey City, 2001-2004 (Legacy, awarded posthumously). 2022 honorees were then-Assembly Deputy Majority Leader and �鶹��ý Assemblywoman Angela V. McKnight (Service); Paul Silverman (Arts), co-founder of the Jersey City-based real estate company, SILVERMAN; John J. Moore, L.L.M.,‘56, the former Chair of the Board of Trustees (Legacy, awarded posthumously); and Bank of America (Innovation), accepted by Alberto Garofalo, President, Bank of America �鶹��ý.

NJCU did not present awards at its 2023 Gala and focused exclusively on inspiring student stories. The theme was Bright Futures.

�鶹��ý the NJCU Foundation
NJCU is wholly dedicated to offering the best, most affordable education to its students, as well as state-of-the-art facilities and campus amenities that augment learning and support personal development. Philanthropic giving is key in making this happen. The NJCU Foundation Board of Directors empowers this work by guiding philanthropic endeavors and serving as ambassadors for NJCU.

NJCU Foundation’s mission is to support �鶹��ý as it transforms itself into a nationally recognized leader in urban public education while maintaining its commitment to transforming the lives and livelihoods of its diverse student body.

�鶹��ý NJCU: 
�鶹��ý is a comprehensive public regional institution of higher learning located in Jersey City, N.J., dedicated to the development of our students, our city, our communities, and our state. We are a game-changing force for our students and have been recognized as one of the top colleges in the nation improving their upward economic mobility. In fact, NJCU has been ranked No. 1 in �鶹��ý and Top 10 in the nation in the CollegeNET Social Mobility Index for 2023. Whether enrolled in one of our undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral programs at our three locations, NJCU students have access to an affordable, diverse environment, and an exceptionally supportive faculty. This prepares them to go on to become the next generation of workers and leaders who improve their communities and the State of �鶹��ý.

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Contact: 
Ira Thor, Associate Vice President for University Communications and Marketing | ithor@njcu.edu | 201-200-3301