E2 Award Winners
The Hopewell Valley Education Foundation’s 2012 E2 Award winners are Heidi Kahme and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
The E2 Awards Dinner will be held at Chauncey Conference Center at Educational Testing Service. The dinner begins at 6pm with a cocktail hour and silent auction, with dinner and live auction beginning at 7:30pm. Tickets are $115 per person, $1000 for a table of 10 guests. HVRSD employees can purchase tickets for $80.
Click here to purchase tickets online
Press Release
The Hopewell Valley Education Foundation is pleased to announce its annual E2 Award Winners for 2012. Each year the HVEF recognizes individuals and corporations or community organizations which have made significant contributions to the educational experiences of students in the Hopewell Valley public schools. The E2 Awards Dinner, held each spring, recognizes these winners at a gala celebration of enterprise and education working together.
The Individual E2 Award for 2012 goes to Heidi Kahme for her years of active support of Hopewell Valley schools. In the 16 years that Heidi Kahme and her family have lived in Hopewell Township, Heidi has been heavily involved in the schools and community. Heidi began as room parent at the elementary level and as co-president of the PTO at Timberlane Middle School. She volunteered to conduct a comparative middle school study and worked to promote the school budget and referendum in 2004 as a member of the Citizens for Hopewell Valley Schools. In 2006, Heidi accepted the position as Chair of the Hopewell Valley Municipal Alliance. Under Heidi’s leadership, the Municipal Alliance’s Healthy Communities/Healthy Youth initiative has grown with an increase in programs to build developmental assets in Hopewell Valley’s youth. In collaboration with the schools, she has created a Teen Summer Job and Opportunity Fair and helped develop a Teen Wellness Day and Career Lunch and Learn programs.
Through the Executive Board of the Municipal Alliance, Heidi brings together all facets of our community. She has served on committees such as the Underage Drinking Town Hall meetings, the Race to Nowhere planning Committee, Teen Center Steering Committee, and the 2008 Hopewell Valley Community Needs Assessment in an effort to educate community members on current topics affecting youth. Heidi also has been a supporter of Generation Connection (bringing teens and senior citizens together), the Pennington 5K race, and Hopewell Valley Come Outside and Play! In addition to her involvement with Hopewell Valley schools, Heidi serves on the Community Relations Committee for Capital Health and is an active member of the Prevention Coalition of Mercer County.
The Corporate/Community Organization Award for this year goes to the Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a member of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies. As part of its commitment to the communities in which its employees live and work, Janssen has partnered with many local organizations in Mercer and Somerset counties on a wide range of educational, social, environmental and community programs. Janssen has been selected as the E2 Award winner for its commitment the Hopewell Valley Education Foundation and its support of Hopewell Valley schools.
Between 2008 and 2011, Janssen contributed $28,500 to the Hopewell Valley Education Foundation. Janssen donations have supported the robotics program at CHS, the district calendar, Challenge Day at Timberlane, Challenge Day at CHS, and Project Lead the Way, a pre-engineering program, at Timberlane. Peg Forrestel has been instrumental in steering the Foundation’s grant requests through the decision making process at Janssen. Each year she has met with HVEF board members to consider proposals for the current year and help the Foundation select the ones that most closely match Janssen’s corporate goals. In our discussions she consistently seeks those projects that will benefit the greatest number of students in the most positive ways while at the same time remaining consistent with Janssen’s mission and values. Peg’s support, insight, and guidance have made her an invaluable partner and Janssen a most valued corporate supporter of Hopewell Valley schools and their students.
In addition to the Individual and Corporate Award Winners, the E2 Dinner also honors the Governors Teachers of the Year Recipients from each school in the Hopewell Valley Regional School District. This year the award winning teachers are Amy Ciavaglia of Bear Tavern Elementary School, Robert O’Boyle of Central High School, Jane-Ellen Lennon of Hopewell Elementary School, Marci Thomas of Stony Brook Elementary School, Georgine Johnson of Toll Gate Grammar and Nancy Greener of Timberlane Middle School. Parents are encouraged to attend the dinner to support these teachers recognized for excellence in their field.
This year’s E2 Awards Dinner and Celebration will be held on Friday, May 11th, under the tent at the Chauncey Conference Center at ETS. Cocktails begin at 6:00, with an open bar and entertainment provided by Central High School student musicians, and dinner will follow at 7:30. There will be a live auction featuring a set of four “front row” tickets for the 2012 Hopewell Valley Central High School graduation, a week in Orlando, Florida, a dinner party for eight prepared by Chef Joe Egitto of Cuginos in Pennington, a “Backyard Picnic” featuring the culinary talents of Hopewell Valley elected officials, and much more. Tickets are $115 ($80 for HVRSD employees), and tables of 10 can be purchased for $1000.
