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HALL OF DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI

NEW BRUNSWICK HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI have distinguished themselves in business, medicine, law, science, technology, education, government, entertainment, community service and numerous other fields of endeavor. They have made outstanding accomplishments and now we are paying tribute to them (one by one) through the “HALL OF DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI.”

Inductions to the Hall of Distinguished Alumni (HODA) are held annually at The New Brunswick Education Foundation Awards Gala. Each year, during this momentous occasion, eight (8) New Brunswick High School Alumni are honored for their distinguished achievements and receive a prestigious crystal award. Ultimately, framed photos along with bios of HODA honorees will be prominently displayed within a New Brunswick Public School District building.

THE 2007 HALL OF DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI INDUCTEES - Bios are below

JOAN MARINO BORNHEIMER
MALCOLM R. BUSCH, ESQ.
KATHY BARRETT CARTER
ALDRAGE B. COOPER
MERCEDES E. EBANKS,
JANE M. LEE, M.D.
FRANK P. LOMBARDO, JR.
ROBERT C. RAWLS

JOAN MARINO BORNHEIMER
In 1983, Joan Marino Bornheimer became the first female Principal of New Brunswick High School and was the Director of one of the largest English as a Second Language/Bilingual programs in the State of New Jersey before her retirement in September 2007. Joan is a product of the very school system which she has proudly served for the past 54 years. She received her elementary education at Lord Stirling School and Roosevelt Junior High School. She is honored this evening as an alumnus of New Brunswick High School’s Class of 1948.

Joan stayed close to home for her undergraduate work, attending Douglass College where she majored in Spanish and had minors in English and History. Graduate school led her to South Orange, New Jersey and Seton Hall University. At Seton Hall, she earned a Master of Arts degree in Educational Administration and Supervision. Her Post-graduate studies were in Bilingual/Bicultural and English as a Second Language Education at Rutgers University.

Joan’s teaching career began as a Reading and English teacher at Central School in Orange, New Jersey. But, once again, she was drawn back to her hometown. At New Brunswick High School she taught Spanish and did the same at Rutgers Preparatory School in the summer. When the United States Air Force was opening a base in Spain Mrs. Bornheimer taught Spanish at Camp Kilmer to officers who were working at the base.

At New Brunswick High School Joan’s duties went beyond teaching. She was the Department Head for Student Activities, Administrative Assistant to the Principal, Summer School Principal and currently within the school district, Director of Bilingual/English as a Second Language, Library and World Languages.

Some highlights of Joan’s professional associations include lifetime membership in the Parent Teacher Association, past chair of the English Language Learner Committee for the New Jersey Principals’ and Supervisors’ Association, Treasurer of the New Brunswick Leadership Association, past Treasurer of the State Association of the New Jersey Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages/ New Jersey Bilingual Education, Inc., New Brunswick Free Public Library Trustee representing the Superintendent of Schools, a member of the New Jersey Department of Education’s Bilingual/ESL Advisory Board and appointed by the Governor to serve on the World Language Board.

This biography would not be complete without the mention of special family members. In 1956, Joan married William E. Bornheimer. Their daughter Karen was born three years later. Karen married Mark Lukenda and Michael, Shane and Kaylin made Joan a grandmother. Her siblings are Mrs. Caroline M. Gotelli and former Redshaw Principal, Mr. Joseph G. Marino.

The New Brunswick Public School District has been a focal point of Joan Marino Bornheimer for a lifetime. It has not only been a part of her personal education but of her professional career for over half a century. For her commitment, example and leadership, she is honored this evening!



MALCOLM R. BUSCH, ESQ.
Malcolm Busch is a native of New Brunswick. He is a K – 12 product of the New Brunswick Public School system: Nathan Hale School, Roosevelt Junior High School, and the New Brunswick High School Class of 1951. He graduated from Rutgers College and went on to Yale Law School, graduating in 1958.

Upon graduation from law school, after a short tour of active duty in the U.S. Army Reserve, Malcolm joined his father and uncle in the New Brunswick (now North Brunswick) law firm, currently named Busch and Busch, LLP. His partners in the firm include his two brothers and two cousins, all products of the New Brunswick public school system. In the law practice, Malcolm’s areas of concentration are business transactions and estate planning and administration.

His long-term involvement in public service has been in New Brunswick. Malcolm has served as New Brunswick Assistant City Attorney and City Attorney (under former Mayor Aldrage Cooper, a co-honoree). In 1975, when New Brunswick Tomorrow (NBT) was being established, he became its initial legal counsel, a position that he still holds to date. Malcolm is pleased that NBT has afforded him the opportunity to play a role in the re-birth of the City.

For more than 30 years, Malcolm has served as the attorney for Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple in New Brunswick. In that capacity, he actively participated in the Temple’s decision to remain in the City and in its two major renovations and expansions, the most recent of which was completed about a year ago.

Additionally, he is the past-president of the Yale Law School Association of New Jersey and, over the years, particularly early in his professional career, has held volunteer positions in a number of charitable organizations.

He and his wife Barbara, a self employed interior designer, have three children, all of whom attended Woodrow Wilson Elementary School in New Brunswick. Matt and his wife, Julie Wood, live in Raleigh, NC, where Matt owns a café and a catering business. Karen, who is a school teacher, and her husband David Anolick, live in Morristown, NJ. Andy, who is a rabbi, and his wife, Rabbi Debra Pine, live in New Orleans, LA. Most importantly, they have five terrific grandchildren, Johanna, Rebecca, Ben, Melissa, and Ethan.

Malcolm professes to be an incorrigible news junkie, joke teller, and a frustrated golfer. He adds, “I am grateful that I have been able give back to the community that has been so good to me and my family. While I did not seek recognition as a member of the Hall of Distinguished Alumni, I do greatly appreciate it.”



KATHY BARRETT CARTER
Kathy Barrett Carter is a 1974 graduate of New Brunswick High School. She received a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from Howard University School of Journalism in Washington, D.C. in 1978. Two years later she received a Master's Degree in Political Science from Brown University in Providence, R.I.
She started her career in journalism at The Courier News in Bridgewater, NJ. Subsequently, Kathy has been at The Star Ledger for twenty-five years --- first as a reporter and now as an editorial writer. As a reporter working in the State House Bureau in Trenton, she covered the New Jersey Supreme Court along with legislative and political affairs. Kathy has written extensively about racial profiling, the death penalty, Megan's law, school funding, civil rights, divorce law and many other issues. Two years ago, she was asked to join The Star Ledger’s Editorial Board.
During her career, she has received numerous awards from the New Jersey Press Association. Kathy was named the "African American Journalist of the Year" by the Garden State Association of Black Journalists. Moreover, Jim Willse, the Editor of The Star Ledger, bestowed on her the "Dee Murphy Award," an award given out annually to a reporter at The Star Ledger for Excellence.
A former columnist for the New Jersey Law Journal, she has done freelance pieces on the state of historically black colleges and universities and black women and police brutality for Honey Magazine. Kathy has also written travel pieces for Odyssey Couleur, an upscale travel magazine for people of color.
You might find her on the dial as well. Kathy is a frequent guest on New Jersey Network's Reporters Roundtable, Inside Trenton, Caucus NJ and the Brian Lehrer Radio Show.
Kathy is a member of First Baptist Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, N.J, where she teaches Sunday School. This year she and her high school sweetheart, Bruce Carter, also a graduate of New Brunswick High School, Class of 1974, will celebrate 27 years of marriage. Together they have two sons --- Jason, a graduate of Georgetown University and Aaron, a graduate of Princeton University.

ALDRAGE B. COOPER, JR.
Aldrage Cooper graduated from New Brunswick High School in 1955. As a youngster, he excelled athletically and led the Zebras’ Basketball Team to a Group IV Central Jersey Championship.

Following high school, Al attended the University of Connecticut on a basketball scholarship. As a student athlete, he honed his leadership skills as Co-captain of the U. Conn. Men’s Basketball Team and earned All Yankee Conference for two consecutive years. Al graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1959 with a degree in Business Administration.

Al began his career at the Continental Insurance Company as an Underwriter. He then worked as a Manager of Customer Records and Billing with the New Jersey Bell Telephone Company and later as a Manager of Personnel with the Triangle Conduit and Cable Company.

In 1968, he joined Johnson & Johnson as Director of Public Affairs. Over the course of the next 32 years, Al exemplified outstanding leadership and service with the company until his retirement as Vice President of Corporate Affairs in 2000.

During his tenure at J&J, Al served as Chairman of the U.S.-South Africa Business Council as well as the U.S.-South Africa Bi-national Commission that was established by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and South Africa Deputy President Thabo Mbeki. Al also chaired the Minority Organization Task Force and was a member of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies Contributions Fund Committee, a group of senior executives who managed the corporation’s philanthropic initiatives.

Al has held many civic and community leadership positions, including Mayor of New Brunswick and City Council President, Vice President of the New Brunswick Board of Education, Vice President of the Urban League of Greater New Brunswick, and Past Master of the Progressive Lodge No. 17 F. & A.M. In addition, he served as a member of the Board of Trustees of Rutgers-The State University, member of the University of Connecticut Foundation Board Of Directors, member of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority appointed by Governor Brendan Byrne, and member of the New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing appointed by Governor Thomas Kean. Currently, Al serves on the Board of Directors for the New Brunswick Development Corporation and New Millennium Bank.

Some of the many honors that Al has received include the Middlesex County Bar Association Law Day Award, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Martin Luther King Jr. Award, and the NAACP of Greater New Brunswick Community Service Award. In May 1996, Al was inducted into The University of Connecticut School of Business Administration Hall of Fame, and in April 1997 he was inducted into The New Brunswick High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

Al and his wife Judith reside in Skillman, NJ. They have a married daughter Jill Hughes of Washington, D.C., and a married son Aldrage III of Basking Ridge, NJ.



MERCEDES E. EBANKS, PH.D.
Dr. Mercedes Erma Ebanks was born in Brooklyn, New York to Cuban immigrant parents. Her mother raised her and her two older brothers in New Brunswick, New Jersey. She attended Lincoln Elementary School and New Brunswick High School, where she graduated top of her class in 1990. She received several scholarships and attended Georgetown University, College of Arts and Sciences. She graduated in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Spanish. Dr. Ebanks pursued a Master of Education in Counseling Psychology at Howard University School of Education and completed her studies in 1995. Dr. Ebanks returned to Howard University in 1999 and received a doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology in 2005.

Dr. Ebanks has an extensive background in education and mental health services. She has worked with public and private schools, social service organizations, and the legal sector in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Prior to completion of her doctorate, Dr. Ebanks accepted a clinical internship at the Marcus Institute in Atlanta, Georgia to conduct research and apply behavior analysis to treat severe behavior disorders in a pediatric psychology treatment center. She has worked with renowned experts in the field. She returned to D.C. to expand her experience in evaluation and treatment of childhood psychopathology, evaluate learning disabilities, work with family structure, and address emotional disturbances.

Dr. Ebanks currently works as a D.C. Certified School Psychologist for the Columbus Educational Services. Dr. Ebanks has served as adjunct faculty at Prince George’s Community College, and is currently adjunct faculty at Howard University and Bowie State University. In addition, Dr. Ebanks is an independent clinical consultant and provides psycho educational and clinical evaluations to the youth and adults. She conducts individual and group therapy, parent trainings, and teacher workshops. Dr. Ebanks is bilingual and provides services in Spanish. Dr. Ebanks is a co-founder of The MECCA Group (Mental Health Education Careers Consulting Assessments), a psychological practice that provides services to individuals, families, schools and corporations. Dr. Ebanks serves on the Board of D.C. Psychological Association and is a member of American Psychological Association. She is currently pursing national and local states licensure as a Clinical Psychologist.

Dr. Ebanks has published an article on the effects of corrective feedback to treat destructive behavior. Her research interests include parent/caregiver-training programs, intervention techniques and reinforcement programs to motivate positive behaviors, and organizational restructuring to enhance productivity. She works to develop assessments and strategies to improve individual well-being, strengthen family dynamics, and develop group cohesiveness.

Dr. Ebanks is grateful to her parents Robert and Marcella Jean-Louis and appreciates the encouragement by her brothers, Lazaro and Jose Ebanks. She has always strived to set a good example for her niece, Jessica, and nephew, Lazaro Jr. Dr. Ebanks has been blessed with family and friends who have provided support and laughter throughout the years.



JANE M. LEE, M.D.
During her early years in New Brunswick, Jane Lee attended Lincoln, Roosevelt and A. Chester Redshaw Schools. She always possessed a passion for learning and later distinguished herself as Valedictorian of the New Brunswick High School Class of 1986.

Jane Lee went on to pursue a double major in biology and psychology at Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey where she again finished at the top of her graduating class in 1990. She then attended Medical School at the University of California - San Francisco, obtaining a Doctorate of Medicine in 1994.

Jane performed her internship at Harvard Medical School Beth Israel Hospital from 1994 to 1995. She then resumed studies at the University of California - San Francisco for her specialty training in Dermatology from 1995 to 1998.

After spending seven years in San Francisco combined with a year in Massachusetts, Jane returned home in 1998 to start a dermatology practice with her brother, Peter (also a New Brunswick High School alumnus). The Advanced Dermatology Center is located in Metuchen, New Jersey.

In 2001, Dr. Lee was named “Teacher of the Year” by the Family Practice Residency at John F. Kennedy Hospital in Edison, New Jersey. More recently, she was honored as one of the “Top Doctors in New Jersey,’ which was published in the November 2006 issue of New Jersey Monthly Magazine.

These days, Dr. Lee dedicates herself to caring for patients in her clinical practice, participates in clinical research, and encourages young people to pursue careers in medicine. She is affiliated with the New Jersey Dermatology Society and the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

Dr. Lee emphasizes that she is forever grateful for her experiences at New Brunswick High School. She especially acknowledges the inspiration, guidance, and support that she received from her “unforgettable teachers.”

She is steadfast in the words that her father shared with her years ago: “Do what you love, and everything else will follow.”


FRANK P. LOMBARDO, JR.
Frank Lombardo is President of Weather Works LLC, a private Meteorological Consulting firm located in Hackettstown, New Jersey. He was born in New Brunswick in 1954, the first in his family to be born in America and the youngest of eight siblings who had immigrated from Italy, along with his father, Francesco and Mother, Maria.

His interest in meteorology began at the age of 6 and he recalls Hurricane Donna moving up the east coast forcing schools to close in the middle of the day. The walk home, down Louis Street to Somerset Street was unforgettable as he and his older brother and sister maneuvered the storm’s power as well as falling trees. It was back then that he became obsessed with listening to WCTC and the on air forecasts that their meteorologists prepared, especially if they involved school closings. Frank’s interest in meteorology intensified after joining the Meteorology Club at New Brunswick High. After graduation from NBHS in 1972, Frank attended Kean University where he immediately continued to pursue his meteorological studies, becoming one of the first students to complete the newly developed meteorology curriculum. He also represented the college as Junior and Senior Class President. He later attended Texas Tech University to pursue his Masters studies, where he was involved in one of the nation’s first Tornado Chase Teams. He returned to New Jersey in 1978 when he joined ION Weather, and enrolled in additional graduate courses at Rutgers University.

Since the beginning of his professional work in the field of meteorology, Frank has instructed meteorology classes as an Adjunct Professor, prepared thousands of on-air weather reports for a number of Radio Stations including our very own, WCTC and WMGQ radio. His vast experience in the various aspects of meteorology including but not limited to reconstruction of weather and forensic expert court room testimony for the past 30 years has earned him the highest level of respect among government agencies, law firms, insurance companies and private businesses. His company, Weather Works prepares daily forecasts and provides consultation to many government agencies, including the City of New Brunswick, and Middlesex County Departments of Public Works. Frank has presented various topics of meteorology to many organizations across New Jersey and has taken part in National forums as well. He is a contributing editor to Snow Business Magazine.

Frank is one of only 600 meteorologists in the nation that the American Meteorological Society has designated as a Certified Consulting Meteorologist. He is a life long resident of New Jersey and currently runs a staff of ten meteorologists out of Weather Works’ headquarters in Hackettstown, New Jersey. He enjoys returning to New Brunswick and has participated in “Read Across America” programs at Redshaw School, and special events at the Lincoln School Annex.

Frank and his wife Ann Marie now make their home in Independence Township, NJ. Ann Marie is the Director of Special Services for the Tewksbury Township School District. They have two children, Francesco III who is an artist residing in West Virginia, and a daughter Katie working in Pharmaceutical advertising in Parsippany.


ROBERT C. RAWLS
Robert Rawls is a lifelong resident of the City of New Brunswick, graduating from New Brunswick High School in 1975. He continued his education at Winston-Salem State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology, with a Minor in Sociology. Following college, Robert initially worked as a Counselor for run away children and later provided counseling services for “at risk” inner-city youth.

In 1986, Robert chose a career with the New Brunswick Fire Department where he moved swiftly through the ranks being promoted to Deputy Chief in 1997. As Deputy Chief, his duties included Incident Management, Recruitment, Special Investigations, Public Relations, and Public Education. Then in July of 2006, Robert was elevated to the position of Fire Director ---- achieving his goal of one day leading the New Brunswick Fire Department.

Director Rawls has implemented a mandatory policy for the City’s firemen to conduct a community service project on a monthly basis. He takes great pride in coordinating and implementing numerous community and educational events each year.

As a member of the Vulcan Pioneers of New Brunswick, Robert distributes more than 600 toys annually to children throughout the City, including the local hospitals. He also serves in local soup kitchens at Ebenezer Baptist Church and the Elijah’s Promise. Within the New Brunswick Public School District, Robert participates in career day programs, speaks to children about fire prevention and safety, and serves as a mentor to high school students. He also renders his support to the Carter G. Woodson Awards Program at New Brunswick High School.

Additionally, Robert has contributed his time and resources to the New Brunswick Raiders Pop Warner Football Program, the Motorola Oratorical Contest, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Players’ Black College Tour Initiative. His most memorable moments were the two weeks he spent in South Africa conducting educational workshops for teenage youth at the Ethembeni School.

Robert is affiliated with several organizations, including NJ State Fire Chiefs Association, International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, and Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World.

Some of the many honors he has received include the Saint Barnabas Burn Center Medal of Valor for rescuing a Rutgers University student from a home fire in 1989, Sunbeam Temple #164 Community Service Award, NJ Chapter of the Winston-Salem State University Alumni Association Special Recognition Award, and the New Brunswick African American Heritage Committee Trail Blazer Award.

Robert is a member of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens and serves on the Sunday School Ministry. He is the proud father of two wonderful children, his son Robert, Jr. age 15 and daughter Talyah who is 4.