Meet the Burlington County Woman of the Week, Sanmathi (Sanu) Dev, Esq. for September 27!Sanmathi (Sanu) Dev, Esq. is a partner at Capehart Scatchard, located in Mt. Laurel, NJ. Her practice focuses on the representation of boards of education and public school districts in all areas of education law including: labor & employment, civil rights, public records & meetings, student rights, and special education. Sanu is experienced litigating matters before State and Federal courts, She was selected to the “New Jersey Super Lawyer – Rising Star” list from 2019-2021 in the area of Schools & Education.Sanu is also passionate about diversity, inclusion, and equity in the legal profession. In 2017, the New Jersey Law Journal selected Sanu as a Diverse Attorney of the Year. She is the founder and chair of Capehart’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and is the firm’s Hiring Shareholder. She also serves as a co-chair of the @Burlington County Bar Association’s Diversity, Inclusion, and Leadership Committee and is a trustee of the @South Asian Bar Association of NJ. Sanu also serves on the Rutgers Law School Dean’s Council and is a member of the Rutgers Alumni for Diversity, Community-Building, and Access in the Law. Throughout her career, Sanu has mentored law students and young attorneys, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds.Sanu earned her undergraduate degree from Boston University and her law degree from Rutgers Law School. Immediately after graduating from law school, she served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Ronald E. Bookbinder, A.J.S.C. in Burlington County. Sanu resides in Mt. Laurel with her husband and two children.
Meet the Burlington County Woman of the Week for August 9, Pooja Mehta, Esq.!
Attorney Pooja Mehta, is a solo practitioner at her law firm, Dalal and Mehta in Edison, NJ. She is a local resident of Burlington City. She assists the immigrant community, all over the United States, in the specialized areas of family immigration and deportation defense. Being a first-generation immigrant herself, she understands the complicated obstacles that are presented during the immigration process. Her work is focused on not only making sure immigration petitions are approved, but creating strategies with her clients to give them the gift of quality time with their loved ones. This year, she started a web series called, Our Stories, to help counter the recent rise in Asian violence and negative rhetoric surrounding immigrants as a result of the previous presidential administration. Our Stories is dedicated to presenting stories of how immigrants are shaping our lives for the better.
Attorney Mehta also volunteers her time to help women who are dealing with domestic abuse and need a restraining order from their partner.
She is married to Dr. Saurabh Mehta who works with patients in South Jersey. The couple has two beautiful boys, Kabir and Garvit Mehta (ages 5 and 1), with whom their life is never dull for a moment.
Meet the Burlington County Woman of the Week for July 26, Bridget Wiese!
Bridget Wiese is Vice President and Senior Store Manager for Republic Bank. After joining the team in June 2018, she oversaw the bank’s store in Marlton for 2 ½ years before moving to its Moorestown location. In her current role, Wiese is responsible for increasing deposits, providing an exceptional customer experience, leading a of team banking professionals and recruiting, developing and retaining top talent.
Bridget has nearly 30 years of banking experience and a deep knowledge of the South Jersey market. She previously served as a Vice President and Branch Manager at Sun National Bank in Collingswood from 2001 2018 and a Store Manager at TD Bank in East Windsor from 2008 2011. Bridget also spent 10 years at Bank of America and five years at Corestates New Jersey National.
Passionate about giving back to the local business community, Bridget serves on the Burlington County Women’s Advisory Council, Assemblywoman Carol Murphy’s Women Advisory Group and is a part of the Garden State Council Boy Scouts of America Women of Achievement Committee. Wiese is also an Ambassador for the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey. In 2016, she was named a Woman to Watch by South Jersey Biz and in 2020 named Burlington County Women of Achievement by the Garden State Council Boy Scouts of America.
Meet the Burlington County Woman of the Week for May 3, Michelle Jackson!
Michelle Jackson is an Executive Board member for the Moorestown Democrat Committee and Elected Committeewomen in Moorestown District 7. She also serves as the Vice President of Moorestown’s Low & Moderate-Income Housing Oversight Committee. For over 29 years, she has been an advocate for the homeless and those in need. In addition to being a champion of affordable housing, Michelle has worked with children and individuals with intellectual disabilities for over 20 years. She is a proud member of the Burlington County
and Moorestown Community Emergency Response Team, a volunteer unit that is responsible for giving critical support to first responders in emergencies, providing immediate assistance to victims, organizing spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site, and
collecting disaster intelligence to support first responder efforts. Michelle is currently volunteering at the Burlington County COVID-19 Vaccine Mega Site.
In 2015, she received a Proclamation from Moorestown Township for serving as a Goodwill Ambassador for Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia and has received Senate Citations and a Certificate of Appreciation for dedication and assistance to the Burlington County Citizen Program.
Since 2005, Michelle has fulfilled her civic responsibility by working as a volunteer to register Voters, educating voters on political issues, and helping candidates with their political
campaigns at the federal, state, and local level. Michelle currently serves as a member of the Burlington County Federation of Democratic Women.
Michelle is passionate about the fight against social justice issues, racial injustice and all inequalities. She participated in several Black Lives Matter Marches, is a former Southern Burlington County NAACP Vice President and Human Relation Committeewoman.
Michele has 3 sons and 6 grandchildren. In addition to her biological children, she has 10 “bonus children” who regard her as a mother figure.
Meet the Burlington County Woman of the Week for April 5, Sandy Zoeller!
Sandy Zoeller is a lifelong resident of Burlington County. She lives in Springfield Township and was a dance instructor for 35 years, retiring in 2010. On March 21st, 2020, she decided to make masks for her family, friends, and neighbors in the community. With the help of her husband David and son Conrad they worked 7 days a week from 9 5 to keep up with the demand.
In April, a friend informed NBC 10 and they came and interviewed her, demand became greater. All her masks are on her porch, and free to anyone who needs them. People started leaving cash donations and as a family, they decided to send all the donations to the South Jersey Food Bank.
Her masks have gone to Puerto Rico, Florida, New York, Arizona, Colorado, California, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Alabama, Texas, and South Africa. She sent masks to a Cape May Hospital, Oaks Integrated Care, Senior living centers in Audubon, Haddonfield, Roebling, Burlington and the Masonic Home, a school in Trenton, a soup kitchen in Camden, a dance class for a recital, and a wedding.
She made 289 masks for a fundraiser for a young girl with cancer. 125 masks for the homeless, 136 for the hand and heart organization and BLM. 115 masks for Beverly United Methodist meals of love, 225 masks for One House at a time beds for kids, Family services in Texas.
She receives donations of fabric, thread, and elastic from the community, so it is a community effort. She has made approximately 7500 masks and donated $7430.00 to the South Jersey Food Bank. She continues to have the masks on her porch as long as they are needed.
Meet the Burlington County Woman of the Week for March 29, Dr. Robin Harden Daniels!
Robin Harden Daniels is a consummate teacher, certified change practitioner, and professional developer. In these capacities, she has provided professional equity based training to literally thousands of New Jersey educators.
Dr. Daniels’ workshops have been overwhelmingly described as “substantive”, “engaging”, and “dynamic.” She uses her well-honed interpersonal skills and passion for positive change to connect with administrators and teachers. This connection is electric. It allows for the creation of “brave spaces,” forums wherein the open discussion of race, class, and implicit biases take place without judgment or labels. Within these forums, educators receive information for the head and heart that advances their skills in cultural literacy.
In addition to her consulting work with INFLIGHT, LLC, a company she co-owns with her husband, Eugene, Dr. Daniels serves as a change practitioner who helps districts move from equity training to implementation. Her work is further advanced by her service as a popular trainer and course developer for the Foundation for Educational Administration (FEA) in Monroe Township, New Jersey. The FEA is state agency for New Jersey administrators.
Dr. Daniels is a native of Syracuse, New York and has lived in New Jersey since 1985 with her husband, Eugene, and three talented daughters.
She received her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Rowan University, New Jersey. Masters of Science in Educational Leadership from the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Masters of Divinity from Harvard University, Massachusetts and Bachelors of Art in Cultural Anthropology from Hamilton College, Upstate New York.
Meet the Burlington County Woman of the Week for March 22, June DePonte Sernak!
June is the Dean of Lifelong Learning at
Rowan College at Burlington County
and a Senior Adjunct Professor and teaches Marketing and Management. June has worked in corporate telecom for 25 years with MCI and Sprint in sales and marketing. Most recently, June was the Executive Director for the American Red Cross serving Burlington, Camden and Gloucester Counties and serves on their statewide Diversity & Inclusion Committee. She currently serves as an Honorary Commander Emeritus for the Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst, the Vice President for the 200 Club of Burlington County, former Board Member and Co-Chair of Diversity & Inclusion Committee of National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), Board Member, Alice Paul Institute and Board Member and Communications Chair of the Burlington County Military Affairs Committee, BCMAC.
June was voted SJ Biz Magazine Executive of the Year, NAWBO Community Advocate of the Year, SNJBP Magazine Women Executive of the Year, SJ Biz Women to Watch, featured in South Jersey Magazine’s Exceptional Women Entrepreneurs & Executives and Burlington County Women to Watch 2021. June studied Marketing at Montclair State College and an MBA in Management from Strayer University and currently in a Doctoral Program at Wilmington University in Organizational Leadership and Innovation. She is a lifelong resident of Burlington County and currently resides in Delanco, NJ with her husband, Michael and daughter, Alyssa.
Meet the Burlington County Woman of the Week for March 15, Jasmine Poole!
During Jasmine's entire life of service, she has been a role model to the younger generation. The wellbeing of children is paramount to her, and she has made it her life’s work to inspire them to reach towards their life's purpose. She has earned her first Degree in English from The University of Saint Elizabeth. Followed by pursuing her Master’s Degree in Public Administration currently from Rutgers University. She has written five published books. Four of which are children’s books. She is the author of the entitled: GO PLAY, I AM ENOUGH, BRIDGING BLACK & BLUE, YOUR BODY IS YOUR TEMPLE, and VOICE BENEATH THE SURFACE. Currently she is working on a book called (We Rise) which is inspired by the women in her community.
While pursuing the alternate route towards becoming the first educator in her family she has worked continuously to overcome all of the hardships of becoming a certified New Jersey educator. She is a motivational speaker and teacher. Jasmine has also offered instruction and spiritual teaching as an active Youth Ministry Coordinator for the Pemberton United Methodist Church.
She constantly continues to keep abreast of the ever-changing trends in education and community in her educational excellence through professional development and training. Additionally, she is the head varsity girls’ basketball coach at her hometown alma mater Pemberton Township High School. She is currently working towards building a community center that will provide services to all of Burlington County veterans, senior citizens, youth grades k 12, at risk youth, single parents, immigrants, homeless, disabled, sports clubs, county outreach leaders.
In 2018, Jasmine founded the community nonprofit organization Jesus People Elite Enterprise (JPELITE). After doing so Jasmine facilitated a variety of community empowerment workshop events on some of the following topics: Anti Bullying, Scared Straight, Women's Empowerment, and Peace On The Streets Community Day, and Community Health Weekly Workout. Jasmine is a member of the NAACP.
Meet the Burlington County Woman of the Week for March 8, Dani Cargill!
Dani Cargill is a resident of Willingboro Township and is the President of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Epsilon Zeta Sigma Alumnae Chapter. Dani earned her bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University in Staten Island, NY and she went on to earn her Master’s Degree in Publishing at Rosemont College in Bryn Mawr, PA. Dani believes in serving her community, especially the youth. Her sorority was founded by 7 young school teachers who were passionate about educating children to contribute towards a better society. The sorority’s motto is “Greater Service, Greater Progress”. These values hold true today within each member of sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. a global service driven sorority.
The Epsilon Zeta Sigma Chapter serves the Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties to bring education and resources to needy communities especially women and children. Like their Facebook page Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc Epsilon Zeta Sigma Chapter to see the latest on what the chapter is up to and how local residents can benefit from their programming and outreach.
Meet the Burlington County Woman of the Week for March 1, Kate Forte!
Kate Forte grew up in Cinnaminson and has always been passionate about the outdoors. She graduated from Salisbury University and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, where she received two Bachelor’s Degrees in Biology and Environmental Science. While at Salisbury, she interned at a small zoo as a conservation educator. It was there that she realized she wanted to be educating the public on environmental topics as a career.