Countdown to the NJBIZ Best 50 Women event A look back at the Class of 2012

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NJBIZ is celebrating the 10th anniversary of our Best 50 Women in Business event with a countdown to this year’s ceremony, to be held Monday, March 23, at The Palace at Somerset Park.For the nine business days leading up to the event, we’ll take a look back at a previous class, giving you a sneak peek at their answers to a class-only poll question and a class-only open-ended question based on topics involving women in the workplace.

Today, we’re featuring the Class of 2012.

But before we get to our answers (below) and a listing of the members of the Class of 2012 (even further down), we feel the need to remind you to get your tickets first.

This event always has capacity crowds and we’re expecting another sellout. If you haven’t made a reservation, click here now.

And if you want to start tweeting about the event today, please use #Best50WomenNJ on your tweets.

And now, the answers from the Class of 2012:

Poll Question: Do feel the current generation of women going in or coming out of college are mindful of the gender gap?

Yes: 66 percent
No: 34 percent

Open-ended question: Is your company putting an emphasis on becoming more family-friendly (i.e. child care, telecommuting, flex time). Give us some examples?

1. Taryn Bostjancic, partner, WithumSmith Brown P.C.: My company is very supportive of women in the workplace. As family-friendly environment, we have allowed women to enter into non-traditional arrangements, typically individually tailored to their personal situations. These customized arrangements may include working reduced workdays, working remotely, and the use of flex time. We value our women and don’t want them to opt out just because their personal situations have changed.
2. Wendy Johnson Lario, shareholder/partner, Greenberg Traurig: My firm continues to place an important emphasis on being family-friendly to women and men-alike, which is a very positive thing for productivity and morale.
3. Karen Giannelli, chair, financial restructuring and creditors’ rights department, Gibbons P.C.: Absolutely! We have a very favorable maternity/paternity leave policy and part-time attorney policy to allow parents to be productive attorneys while taking care of their responsibilities to their families.

More answers will be in our special supplement covering the event.

Want more NJBIZ news? Check out items in Breaking Glass, our women in business blog. Interested in everything else NJBIZ has to offer? Click here to get our daily e-mail newsletters and news alerts. Want NJBIZ’s award-winning print coverage and Book of Lists, click here to subscribe.

Looking for the answers from other classes? Click the year:

The Class of 2006

The Class of 2007

The Class of 2008

The Class of 2009

The Class of 2010

The Class of 2011

And finally, a look back at the Class of 2012:

• Marla Bace, Chief Marketing Officer, Brinton Eaton
• Kathleen Barnett Einhorn Esq., Partner, Genova, Burns & Giantomasi
• Taryn Bostjancic CPA, Partner, WithumSmith Brown, P.C
• Cynthia Brooks Esq., Partner, Archer & Greiner P.C.
• Donna Buzby, Partner, Capaldi, Reynolds & Pelosi, P.A.
• Rhonda Carniol, Member of the Firm, Wolff & Samson PC
• Colette Chapman, President, Chapman Concierge
• Erica Chung, Co- Founder and Creator, 3LAB Inc.
• Seena Cushman, Vice President, Sales and Operations, Coca-Cola Refreshments
• Carolyn D’Anna, CPA, Partner and Managing Director, Human Resources, J.H. Cohn LLP
• Alma DeMetropolis, CFA, Managing Director, New Jersey Market Investment Team Leader, J.P. Morgan
• Mindy Diamond, President and CEO, Diamond Consultants
• Willa Edgerton-Chisler, CEO Chief Empowerment Officer & Founder, Symphony Coaching, LLC
• Tara Flynn Condon, Vice President, Corporate Marketing, API Technologies Corp.
• Kim Fortunato, Director, Childhood Obesity and Hunger Programs, Campbell Soup Company
• Karen Giannelli, Director; Chair, Financial Restructuring & Creditors’ Rights Department, Gibbons P.C.
• Sharon Gordon, CPA, Partner , J.H. Cohn LLP
• Brett Harris Esq., Shareholder, Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A.
• Julie Hastrup, Chief Operating Officer, Telesto Group, LLC
• Anne Hoskins, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs and Sustainability, Public Service Enterprise Group
• Dr. Lori Ingber, Founder and President, Parent Match
• Wendy Johnson Lario, Equity shareholder, Chair of the New Jersey Labor & Employment Practice, Greenberg Traurig
• Mary Keefe, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Elizabethtown Gas
• Margaret Lanning, Senior Vice President; Senior Credit Risk Officer, Northeast Region (NJ, NY, CT), Wells Fargo
• Patricia Laus, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, The Atlantic Club
• Mindy Lissner, Executive Vice President, CBRE, Inc.
• Kim Logsdon, Chief Financial Officer, Water Mark Technologies, Inc
• Anne Madden, Vice President, Corporate Development and Global Head of M&A, Honeywell International Inc.
• Peggy McHale, Principal, Consultants 2 Go, LLC
• Merilee Meacock, AIA, LEED AP, Partner, KSS Architects
• Susan Molosh, President, Compensation Solutions HRO
• Celia Moncholi, Senior Vice President, US Phone Channel , TD Bank
• Pamela Mount, Owner, Terhune Orchards
• Christina Murray, Executive Vice President/ CFO, American Cargo Express, Inc.
• Kristi Nielsen-Drew, Associate Partner, Account Executive, Aon Hewitt
• Dina Opici, President, Opici Wine Group
• Karen Randall, Equity Partner, Connell Foley LLP
• Deborah Rivosa, MBA, CFP®, CFA, Chief Compliance Officer; Director of Business Development, Lassus Wherley
• Brenda Ross-Dulan, Executive Vice President, Regional President Southern NJ, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
• Susan Scarola, Vice Chairman , DCH Auto Group
• Stefani Schwartz, Member, Schwartz Simon Edelstein & Celso, LLC (SSEC)
• Linda Sharkus Ph.D., President and Co-Founder, AcquiSci Inc.
• Tracy Straka, Executive Vice President, Creamer Environmental, Inc.
• Kate Sweeney, Financial Advisor and Certified Financial Planner, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
• Joy Taylor, Co-Founder and CEO, TayganPoint Consulting Group
• Joan Verplanck, Senior Director, Cushman and Wakefield
• Lisamarie Volino, VP Business Operations and COO, Active Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, LLC / Active Center for Health and Wellness, LLC
• Liza Wolf, Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President, Blue Sky Power
• Karen Young, Assurance Partner & NY Market Leader for Health Industries, PwC
• Catherine Youngman, Member, Forman, Holt, Eliades, Ravin & Youngman, LLC