Eastern Bergen County, New Jersey - The Community Chest of Eastern Bergen County announces the recipients of its eighth annual High School Young Women's Leadership Program's awards. The recipients were presented their awards at the 2025 Young Women's Leadership Award Ceremony on May 19 at the historic Elizabeth Cady Stanton House in Tenafly, New Jersey. During the ceremony, guest speaker Christina Wanas, Vice President and Branch Manager at Provident Bank’s Englewood branch, discussed her experiences growing up and the career path she followed to her current position, as Vice President and Branch Manager of the Provident Bank Branch in Englewood.

The 2025 award recipients demonstrated leadership, compassion, innovation and the courage of their convictions in the community. Chloey Cho, a resident of Englewood Cliffs and a 2025 graduate of Bergen County Academies, received the Young Women’s Senior Leadership Award and a $5,000 award. This fall, Cho plans to attend the University of California-Los Angeles to major in musicology. As the founder of Solis and Luna Arts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting mental health awareness through music therapy, she aims to integrate music therapy into more Medicaid programs. Additionally, she wants to help patients receive music therapy and create more opportunities for music therapists to work and earn a living. Ultimately, Cho seeks to enhance the accessibility of music therapy and explore further the scientific research that supports its benefits.

The Young Women’s Senior Leadership Award runner up, Mussia Poltorak, was recognized with a $2,000 award. Poltorak, a 2025 graduate of The Frisch School and a Bergenfield resident, plans to enroll at Yale University. Afterward, she would like to attend law school and possibly work for a nonprofit agency that supports women.

Two juniors were recognized for their leadership, with each receiving a $1,000 award. The 2025 Young Women's Leadership Junior Award recipients are: Lila Sora Bae, a student at Cresskill High School, and Caitlin Liau from Tenafly, a student at Academy of Holy Angels. As part of their award, they will participate in an internship with a nonprofit organization.

"This year, The Community Chest received an outstanding range of applications for these leadership awards. Each applicant demonstrated exceptional talents and a commitment to social justice causes. During this time of great change, leaders need to be creative and flexible and able to manage people well,” said Dr. Shelly Wimpfheimer, Executive Director, The Community Chest.      

A team of readers, representing different fields in the community, reviewed each application. These ConnectOne Bank readers participated and reviewed the applications:  Majda Ahmed, Veronica Alonzo, Allison Barrett-Bader, Michele Bell, Jennifer Braga, Gabriela Cabreja, Danielle Flaherty,  Zoe Kaloedas, Biljana Matevska, Kirsten Micco, Vanessa Nesheiwat, Sally Pettit, Brooke Rutkowski, Rori Sagal, Olivia Salazar-Picinich, and Kim Sayther.

Several members from the community also volunteered to review the applications. They included Fran Eiss, Vered Feiwus, Lisa Levinthal, Jacqueline McLeod, Rita Rodin, Karen Schaefer, Audrey Winter Kahn, and Melanie Zingler. They were joined by these volunteers from The Community Chest of Eastern Bergen County’s Board of Managers: Amie AbuRustum, Marsha Campbell-Young, Vicki Sidrow, Ellen Skowronski, and Dekyi Tsotsong.

Leadership Awards

The awards program celebrated the leadership the three "Elizabeths" from Bergen County demonstrated throughout their lives. Elizabeth Cutter Morrow of Englewood became the founding board chair and president of The Community Chest during the Great Depression 92 years ago. Elisabeth Morrow Morgan, daughter of Elizabeth Cutter Morrow and the founder of the Elisabeth Morrow School, grew up in Englewood. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a Tenafly resident for several years, became an internationally recognized leader in the suffragette movement.

About The Community Chest

Founded in 1933, The Community Chest, a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization headquartered in Englewood, New Jersey, has supported local not-for-profit agencies for 92 years. The Chest leads initiatives and supports nonprofits that make our communities stronger and benefit people in need in eastern Bergen County. Each year, The Chest raises funds and allocates them to agencies demonstrating the capacity to provide services to local citizens. The organization also provides coordinating and planning services in its communities, serving as a bridge between agencies and organizations and investing in the stability and quality of the service network.

The Community Chest's Board of Managers is comprised of community leaders dedicated to improving the lives of neighbors in need. People interested in being considered for board membership may contact Executive Director Dr. Shelly Wimpfheimer at (201) 568-7474.  For further information about The Chest, visit www.thecommunitychestebc.org/ or contact (201) 568-7474.