Respect Award Honoree

Building A Legacy of Community Leaders

2018

Bernadette P. McPherson Esq.

Director of Outreach, Millennium Strategies

Bernadette P. McPherson, Esq. is the Director of Outreach at Millennium Strategies, LLC, one of NJ largest grants consulting firms based in Morristown, NJ. She was Chairwoman of the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders (2005-06), serving three terms (2003-2011) on the legislative body of NJ’s largest county. She was a Councilwoman (1999) then Mayor of the Borough of Rutherford (2000-2007). 

McPherson recently served on Governor Phil Murphy’s Transition Team and is an New Jersey Delegate to the Democratic National Committee, appointed by NJ State Chairman John Currie.  She’s currently the District 36 Legislative Chair for the Democratic Committee of Bergen County and the Director of Outreach for Pascrell for Congress. She continues to advocate and support Democratic candidates at all levels of government as a member of Rutherford’s Municipal County Committee and Women Empowered Democratic Organization (WEDO) of Bergen County. A former Adjunct Professor at Felician University, she proudly serves on its Arts and Sciences Advisory Board. 

McPherson received her B.A. in Political Science and English Magna Cum Laude from LaSalle University and her J.D. from Temple University in Philadelphia, where she grew up. She is married to fellow lawyer, David McPherson, and mother of Bernadette, Molly, David J., and Thomas, and grandmother to Liam, Finn, and (to be determined August 2018!). In addition to her duties at Millennium Strategies, she is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Law and Police Science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

David A. McPherson Esq.

Waters, McPherson, McNeill, PC

Mr. McPherson has been associated with the Waters, McPherson, McNeill, P.C law firm since 1986. His legal activities have focused on real estate development, environmental law and utility law practice. Clients to whom he has provided services include Atlantic Realty Development, Hudson County Improvement Authority, New Meadowlands Stadium, LLC, Passaic Valley Water Commission, Vornado Realty Trust, Walt Disney Company, Bergen County Utilities Authority, Global Terminal and Container Services, LLC, United Water Resources, and Hartz Mountain Industries.

In addition, Mr. McPherson has represented clients in connection with municipal and county bond offerings in various capacities, including bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel, trustee’s counsel and general counsel to the issuing authority. Clients he has represented include Bergen County Utilities Authority, Joint Meeting of Union and Essex Counties, Passaic County Improvement Authority, TD Bank (formerly Commerce Bank), NW Financial, Powell Capital Markets, PNC Capital Markets, and Wachovia Bank.

2017

Bob Feury, Jr. 

Chief Executive officer, Allied building products corp.

2016

JEFFREY R. GURAL

CHAIRMAN, NEWMARK, GRUBB, KNIGHT, FRANK

2015

Anthony Labozzetta

President & CEO, Sussex Bank

2014

new York giants

2013

FRANK PEZZOLLA JR.

frank's gmc trucks

2012

Alfred f. kelly jr.

president & ceo - NY/NJ 2014 super bowl host company

2011

Philip j. ciarco iii

president, cricket management llc

2010

geri ryan

college president