Two West Hudson residents were among 24 of their peers selected as the 2015 Hudson County Women’s History Month Honorees feted March 25 at the historic Brennan Courthouse in Jersey City.
The awardees, who received citations and medals from Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise, represent a diversity of backgrounds, careers and personal influences.
The program was co-hosted by County Clerk Barbara Netchert, County Register Pamela Gardner and County Freeholder Caridad Rodriguez.
West Hudson’s representatives among the group were Patricia Ann Hinchcliffe-Pettigrew of Harrison and Rosemary Marks of Kearny.
Hinchcliffe-Pettigrew is the oldest of 13 children with an extended Harrison legacy and a graduate of Holy Cross Grammar School and Harrison High School. Her grandfather, father, uncle and brother all served on the Harrison Police Department.
Hinchcliffe-Pettigrew worked 18 years as a project manager in New York City until 2009 when she became secretary to the superintendent of the Harrison public schools. She and her husband Art Pettigrew, a former Second Ward councilman, have been married more than 25 years and are proud of their children, Jason, Heather and Michael, and stepchildren Kevin, James and Christian, and her seven grandchildren. She was recently appointed to the Harrison Public Library board of trustees where her grandmother served many years ago.
Marks is assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction with the Hackensack public schools, where she has previously served as a bilingual/ESL teacher, math teacher and director of the Bilingual/ESL and World Language program.
She received her B.A. from the College of New Jersey in Ewing, an M.A. from New Jersey City University and is pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership at New York University.
Married to her college sweetheart Stephen Marks, she is a dedicated mother to Timothy (St. Peter’s Preparatory School, Class of 2012) and Sarah (St. Dominic Academy, Class of 2015), and has been an active member of the Kearny community, having served on the Kearny Board of Education, the Junior Women’s Club and the Roosevelt School PTA.
Marks is an active member of the St. Stephen’s Parish community, the Portuguese Cultural Association and St. Dominic Academy Parent Association.
Other honorees were: Sylvia Abbato, education administrator, Union City; Theresa Borrelli, author, of Weehawken; Det. Tori Carter, Hudson County Sheriff’s Office; PeiJu Chien-Pott, Nimbus Dance Works, Jersey City; Susan M. Colacurcio, science teacher, West New York; Theresa Ferguson, entrepreneur, Jersey City; Radia Funna, Build n Blaze, Jersey City; Melina Garcia, Union City Music Project; Maurena Luzzi, singer/teacher/ playwright, North Bergen; Adriana Machado-Jaworski, graphic artist, Jersey Journal; Adela Martinez, school trustee/council member/educator, Guttenberg; Eva Mehos, Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs/ Tourism Development, Jersey City; Councilwoman Sharon Ashe Nadrowski, Bayonne; Amanda Morrison, CEO of Don’t Sit Home, Hoboken; Rebekah Ortiz, banking, Hoboken; Lee Penna, Secaucus Public Library/Special Events coordinator; Maria Pepe, CPA/assistant comptroller, Hoboken; Wendelin Regalado, Living Village Community Garden/Good Vibes Coalition, Jersey City; Miriam Rendon, senior volunteer/aide to Rep. Albio Sires, West New York; Zabrina Stoeffel, Project Play/ Mile Square Theater, Hoboken’ Laura E. Torres, Regis Corp., Hoboken; and 2015 Willie Flood Youth Community Service awardee Liliana Matilde Segovia, My Outreach Mission (M.O.M.s), West New York.
