Page 12 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • December 5, 2012 Area College board appointee worked in Waldwick Bergen County Executive Kathleen A. Donovan recently announced four appointees to the Bergen Community College Board of Trustees. The executive’s new appointees are Anthony Miller of Mahwah and Dr. Jo-Anne Mecca of Leonia. For reappointment, she nominated E. Carter Corriston and Michael Neglia. All appointments are for four-year terms. Miller formerly served as the deputy superintendent of schools for the Bergen County Vocational-Technical School District during his 31-year tenure in the county vocational school system. He retired in 2006 after serving as the board secretary for the Waldwick Board of Education. Donovan said Miller’s “extensive experience and knowledge of the county vocational high school system will help develop closer, more synergistic ties between the vocational system and the county college, which is a goal of my administration. In addition, his experience in education administration will help BCC continue to adjust to the fiscal efficiencies that have been implemented over the past two years.” She added, “All these candidates possess the skills and experience I want to ensure that the college is running efficiently and is fulfilling its mission to the people of Bergen County.” Dr. Mecca is a professional educator and currently serves as director of the Center for Teacher Preparation and Partnerships at New Jersey City University in Jersey City. She holds a doctorate degree in adult learning and leadership from Columbia University Teacher’s College and master’s degree in counseling from New Jersey City University. Donovan said Dr. Mecca “has outstanding academic credentials and will provide board leadership in the critical area of assisting education and continuing education opportunities for adults.” Corriston is an Englewood Cliffs resident and an attorney and senior principal/president of Breslin & Breslin of Hackensack. Corriston, who currently serves as the chairman of the College Board, has been praised by Donovan for his role in steering the college through a leadership transition that led to the hiring of new college president Dr. B. Kaye Walter. Corriston was first appointed to the board in 1993 and served as its chairman from 1997 to 2004. He resumed the chairmanship in 2008, continuing in that role to the present. “The transition to new leadership was critical for the institution and I commend Mr. Corriston for the professionalism and integrity he brought to the process,” said Donovan. “He has worked closely with me and my administration to create transparency and accountability at Bergen Community College and restored the college to its mission.” Neglia, an engineer and president of Neglia Engineering Associates of Lyndhurst, is being re-nominated, said Donovan, for his “outstanding job as chairman of the College Construction Committee during a period when substantial investments were made in the college’s infrastructure.” Neglia is a certified municipal engineer and professional planner and has served on the College Board since 2007. Donovan has also written to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie strongly urging him to reappoint Phil Ciarco to the board. Ciarco, who serves as chairman of the Strategic Planning and Issues Committee, is a gubernatorial appointment. “Phil Ciarco has been a tireless advocate for the college and its students; we need him,” Donovan said. Celebrate the birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven by attending a concert of his music at the historic Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saddle River, located at 96 East Allendale Road. This concert, set for Sunday, Dec. 16 at 5 p.m., will feature Beethoven’s works and adaptations of his works for piano, voice, organ, and bells. Performers will include the husband and wife team of Anna and Dmitri Shelest, who were first prize winners in the prestigious, internationally known Bradshaw and Buono Piano Competition, which included performances at Carnegie Hall. Last year, marked Anna’s debuts at Alice Tully Hall and Stern Auditorium. The New York Times wrote, “Anna Shelest brought a fiery sensibility and warm touch to the piano solo opening of Beethoven’s ‘Choral Fantasy,’ whose theme evokes the famous melody of his Ninth Symphony, composed 16 years later.” Spend an evening with Beethoven in Saddle River Vocalists will include Dr. Edward Hedlund and Judy Smith. Hedlund’s stellar vocal career includes work with the Iowa Chamber Singers, the State Repertory Opera, the New Jersey State Opera, and the Metro Lyric Opera. He has performed as a soloist with the Ars Musica Choral. Currently, Hedlund sings with the Pro Arte Chorale and is a member of the Zion Choir. Smith has enjoyed singing in church choirs throughout her life, and with the Princeton Pro Musica under Frances Fowler Slade, and in the X Choir under Andrew Megill. This concert will also feature Zion Organist and Choral Director Susan Gadd. This will be her concert debut at Zion. Gadd will play Beethoven’s Symphony #3, (Eroica), second movement. The evening will be hosted by the eminent Cosmo Buono, artistic director of the Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition. He has performed in major capitals and festivals throughout the world, including New York’s Alice Tully Hall, Wigmore Hall in London, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and the Mostly Mozart Festival, all while creating a discography that includes Grammy-nominated recordings. Buono continues to direct the Bradshaw & Buono Conservatory and is a frequent collaborator with vocalists and instrumentalists for recitals. He is the chairman and CEO of Alexander & Buono International, the parent company of The Alexander & Buono Competitions, Alexander & Buono Artists, and The Alexander & Buono Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation he helped co-found in 2006, which raises money for scholarships and study grants through the ABC Gala held each year at Carnegie Hall.