Hudson County Community College Foundation 21st Annual Holiday Gala Celebration, a Success!
January 2, 2019
Proceeds from the Americana-themed fundraiser will benefit deserving students; Barbara and William Netchert received the 2018 Distinguished Community Service Award.
January 2, 2019, Jersey City, NJ – The Board of Directors of the Hudson County Community College (HCCC) Foundation hosted its Annual Holiday Gala on Wednesday, December 5. The event was held in the College’s Culinary Conference Center at 161 Newkirk Street in Jersey City. Proceeds from the event – over $175,000 – will provide scholarships for deserving students.
This year marked the 21st anniversary of the fundraiser, and the theme was “Americana.” Guests toured the program kitchens of the HCCC Culinary Arts Institute (CAI) and enjoyed hors d’oeuvres, main dishes, side dishes, and desserts representing various regions of the USA. All of the delicious cuisine was prepared by the College’s Culinary Arts Institute (CAI) chefs/instructors and students, and served by CAI students. The HCCC CAI program – which is ranked among the top ten culinary programs in the U.S. – is one of only two programs in the region accredited by the American Culinary Federation Accrediting Commission.
One of the evening’s highlights was the presentation of the Hudson County Community College Foundation 2018 Distinguished Community Service Award to Barbara and William Netchert. Mr. Netchert is an attorney with the firm of Netchert, Dineen & Hillman and serves as General Counsel for the Hudson County Improvement Authority. A member of HCCC Board of Trustees since 2003, he has been Chairman of the Board since 2005, and has been instrumental in the College’s incredible growth. An integral part of the county and the College, Ms. Netchert served as Hudson County Clerk for more than 10 years. She was also Director of Jersey City Housing, Economic Development and Commerce, and Executive Director of the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency.
The Hudson County Community College Foundation is a nonprofit 501 (C) 3 corporation giving tax-exempt status to contributors. Since the Foundation was established in 1997, it has provided over $3 million in scholarships. The HCCC Foundation also established the Foundation Art Collection eleven years ago to coincide with the initiation of the College’s Fine Arts studies program. Presently, the Collection includes over 1,200 paintings, lithographs, photographs, sculptures, and other works by nationally acclaimed artists that are displayed throughout all the buildings on the College’s Journal Square and North Hudson Campuses. The Foundation also hosts a series of lectures that feature prominent artists and art authorities and scholars, and are open to the general public.