RESOURCE - Amazon Web Services€¦ · 3 Wells Fargo Selects College as New Home to N.C. Wyeth Painting College Renews Partnership with SHRM to Offer Online SHRM Learning System®

SUPERHUMAN RESOURCEBette J. Francis ’95, ’99

INSIDE:> WELLS FARGO SELECTS COLLEGE TO

HOUSE N.C. WYETH PAINTING

> MARTINSON FAMILY FOUNDATION INVESTS IN COURSE DEVELOPMENT

> NEW OPEN COURSE OPTION CREATED

> GRANDE BALL 2013

> ALUMNI PROFILE: DOROTHY MORENO ’13

Invention is published quarterlyand is produced by the Office ofCommunications and the Officeof Institutional Marketing andPublications at Thomas Edison

State College.

DR. GEORGE A. PRUITTPresident

JOE GUZZARDOEditor

KAREN HUMEChief Marketing Officer

CHRIS MILLERArt Director

MEGAN GRANDILLIGraphic Designer

MEG FRANTZAssistant Director of

Marketing and Publications

KELLY SACCOMANNOLINDA SOLTIS

Contributing Editors

WINTER 2014What’s Inside

1 Message from the President

College News:2 � Partnership with Saylor Foundation Delivers New Pathway for Degree

� College Launches Master of Science in Homeland Security

3 � Wells Fargo Selects College as New Home to N.C. Wyeth Painting � College Renews Partnership with SHRM to Offer Online SHRM Learning System®

4 � College Named Top School for Military Students and Veterans � College Selected for Federal Scholarship Program

5 � Foundation Funds Development of Master’s Degree in IT � Martinson Family Foundation Grant Funds Investment in New Course Technology

6 Cover Story� Bette J. Francis ‘95, ‘99: Superhuman Resource

10 Feature � 2013 Grande Ball: An Evening in Tuscany

14 Alumni Profile� Dorothy Moreno ‘13

16 Class Notes� Alumni News

Cover Story: 6Superhuman Resource Bette J. Francis ‘95, ‘99

6

1434 10

MESSAGE F ROM THEPRES IDENT

Sincerely,

Dr. George A. PruittPresident

Dear Alumni, Students and Friends,Thomas Edison said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed inoveralls and looks like work.”

This issue of Invention celebrates one of our graduates who, like Edison, has neverbeen afraid of the work and achieved great professional success without a formalcollege education.

We are honored to tell you the story of Bette J. Francis ’95, ’99, vice president anddirector of Human Resources at Wilmington Trust Wealth Advisory Services, and amember of our School of Business and Management’s Advisory Committee. In thisissue, Francis recalls how the College helped her achieve the personal goal ofearning her college degree and shares her professional journey from learning aglobal company’s business from the ground up to becoming chair of the Society forHuman Resource Management Board of Directors.

Also in this issue, we meet Dorothy Moreno ‘13, who tells us how earning herBachelor of Science in Nursing degree has augmented her work as a volunteernurse in the Medical Reserve Corps and as a licensed medical electrologist with herown practice. She shares how the College removed the barriers that would haveotherwise prevented her from completing her goals.

We are also pleased to share photos from the Thomas Edison State CollegeFoundation’s 2013 Grande Ball, which raised a record $135,000 to benefit theCollege and honored three extraordinary people: Eileen Martinson, chief executiveofficer of Sparta Systems, and her husband, John Martinson, general partner andfounder of the Edison Venture Fund, who each received the 2013 Spirit of EdisonCommunity Leader Award; and Ernest Wooden Jr. ’06, ’07, president and CEO of theLos Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, recipient of the 2013 Spirit of EdisonDistinguished Alumnus Award.

Special thanks go out to the Foundation and to all of our sponsors, volunteers andguests that made the 2013 Grande Ball such a success.

We are honored to serve and work with individuals like those featured in this issue.

I hope you enjoy this edition of Invention.

INVENTION | WINTER 2014 1

COLLEGENEWS

Thomas Edison State College hasdeveloped a new pathway that allowsstudents to complete an Associate inScience in Business Administrationdegree by taking free, open, onlinecourses from the Saylor Foundation thatare aligned with the College’s priorlearning assessment program.

“In the past two years, there has beenmuch debate about how open, onlinecourses benefit students,” said MarcSinger, vice provost of the College’s Center for the Assessment of Learning.“Our program enables students to takehigh-quality open courses at no cost andthen apply what they learned in thoseopen courses by taking our assessments.This process allows them to earn credit

that can be applied to a degree programat Thomas Edison State College.”

Known as the Open Course option,students earn credit by either passing aTECEP® or other examination programaligned with a Saylor course orsuccessfully completing a portfolioassessment that documents they havegained the college-level knowledgealigned with the degree requirement.More than 20 Saylor courses are part ofthe Open Course option, as are theCollege’s new online prior learningassessment courses, PLA-100 and PLA-200.

The program is not limited to students interested in earning credits toward theAssociate in Science in BusinessAdministration degree, as students canapply credits through the program tomost bachelor’s degree programs at the College to satisfy general educationelective or free elective requirements.

“This is an interesting option for adultlearners who prefer to workindependently, enjoy credit-by-examprograms and are interested in priorlearning assessment,” said Dr. MichaelWilliams, dean of the School of Businessand Management. “This model offersstudents a more flexible, efficient way ofcompleting their associates degree thathas the potential of saving time andtuition dollars.”

For more information on the Open Courseoption, visit www.tesc.edu/opencourse.

Dr. Michael Williams, dean of the School of Business and Management at Thomas Edison State College.

Partnership with Saylor Foundation Delivers New Pathway for Degree

The Heavin School of Arts and Sciencesrecently launched a Master of Science inHomeland Security degree, which isdesigned for adults interested inleadership positions in the fields ofhomeland security and emergencypreparedness.

The 36-credit program is offeredcompletely online and focuses ondomestic and global issues in securityand developing competencies in theory,analysis, practice and policymaking.

“The curriculum examines lawenforcement, terrorism, intelligence,legal issues, emergency management,cybersecurity, biosecurity and publicadministration issues,” said Dr. Ann M.Mester, assistant dean of the Heavin

School of Arts and Sciences. “Ourgraduates will be prepared to guide andsupervise day-to-day operations andstrategic planning and other operationswhere decision making is critical.”

The program also enables students togain an in-depth understanding of theroles of technology, intelligence and lawin establishing protection policies andprocedures and in responding to andmitigating threats and disasters, whethernatural or anthropogenic.

The Master of Science in HomelandSecurity is designed to be completed in lessthan two years. For more information,contact the College at [email protected] visit www.tesc.edu/heavin.

College Launches Master ofScience in Homeland Security

OPE

N C

OU

RSES

MSHS

2 INVENTION | WINTER 2014

NEWSCOLLEGE

Wells Fargo decided to keep a famousN.C. Wyeth mural owned by the bank inTrenton by loaning it to Thomas EdisonState College.

The need for Wells Fargo to find a newhome for the mural, which depictsGeorge Washington’s visit throughTrenton on his way to his 1789 New Yorkpresidential inauguration, is necessitatedby the bank’s relocation of its 1 West StateStreet retail banking store to a newlocation that cannot accommodate thelarge painting.

“This mural is an important part ofTrenton history and it was always ourdesire to keep it in the city in a spacewhere people could continue to enjoy it,”said Brenda Ross-Dulan, Wells Fargo’sSouthern New Jersey regional president.“We are delighted that Thomas EdisonState College has agreed to prominently

display this mural at its West State Streetcampus.”

The oil on canvas mural, formally titled, “Reception to Washington on April 21,1789, at Trenton on his way to New Yorkto Assume the Duties of the Presidencyof the United States,” was commissionedin 1930 by First Mechanics National Bank(a legacy company of Wells Fargo) and,since then, has been on display at 1 WestState Street. The mural, which measuresapproximately 17 feet tall by 12 feet wide,was professionally moved and is nowlocated in the atrium of Thomas EdisonState College’s main entrance at 101 WestState Street and is easily accessible to thegeneral public.

“We are honored to house this historicwork of art and continue to make itavailable to residents and visitors ofTrenton and Mercer County,” said

Dr. George A. Pruitt, president of ThomasEdison State College. “It is fitting that themural is located so close to the site of theBattle of Trenton, where Washington ledthe Continental Army to a historic victorythat helped turned the tide of theAmerican Revolution.”

Wells Fargo Selects College asNew Home to N.C. Wyeth Painting

Thomas Edison State College recentlyrenewed its partnership with theSociety for Human ResourceManagement (SHRM) and is offeringthe online SHRM Learning System®, a12-week course that prepares humanresource practitioners to sit forprofessional certifications in the field.

The noncredit course, which is being offered jointly between the School ofBusiness and Management and theJohn S. Watson School of Public Serviceand Continuing Studies, preparesstudents for Human Resource CertificateInstitute (HRCI) exams for Professional inHuman Resources (PHR®) and SeniorProfessional in Human Resources(SPHR®) certification.

“The course is offered in a self-paced,

independent study format and offeredcompletely online, so it is structuredaround the unique needs of workingprofessionals,” said Dr. JosephYoungblood, dean of the John S. WatsonSchool of Public Service and ContinuingStudies. “We also see this as a positivestep for students interested in agraduate program.”

The College’s Master of Science inHuman Resources Management degreeprogram is aligned with the SHRMHuman Resource CurriculumGuidebook and Templates, which definethe minimum HR content areas that HRstudents should study at theundergraduate and graduate level.

“Both PHR® and SPHR® certifications arecritical to HR professionals interested in

professional growth,” said Dr. MichaelWilliams, dean of the School of Businessand Management. “Offering this programin an online format enables students tohone their skills and prepare for HRCIexaminations without sacrificing theirpersonal and professional obligations.”

The next course is scheduled for May 5.

To learn more, contact Williams [email protected] or (609) 984-1130,ext. 3202.

College Renews Partnership with SHRM to Offer Online SHRM Learning System®


Final adjustments are made as N.C. Wyeth's famousmural of George Washington visiting Trenton is liftedinto place in the great hall of Thomas Edison StateCollege’s Kelsey Building in Trenton.

Photo by John Thurber, vice president for

Public Affairs at Thomas Edison State College.

Thomas Edison State College haspartnered with the prominent radiationprotection firm Dade Moeller todevelop an online, noncredit course inradiation safety training.

The collaboration marks the first timethat the Dade Moeller TrainingAcademy’s Radiation Safety Officerclassroom-based course, which hasbeen taken by more than 2,500radiation safety officers over the past23 years, is being offered online to anational audience of adult learners. Thenew course is designed to preparestudents to meet mandated federaland state training requirements forradiation safety.

“The nexus between Dade Moeller’s expertise, experience and reputation inthe field of radiation safety and ThomasEdison State College’s leadership in theinnovative use of online courses foradults has resulted in a course that isboth rigorous and accessible, and we arecollectively proud to play an integral rolein our nation’s effort to ensure a well-trained nuclear workforce,” said Dr. Richard P. Coe, assistant dean in theSchool of Applied Science and Technol-ogy at Thomas Edison State College.

The course is being offered jointly by theCollege’s School of Applied Science andTechnology and John S. Watson Schoolof Public Service and ContinuingStudies.

In addition, the Collegehas created a newTECEP® exam thatprovides students who havecompletedeither theonline, noncreditcourse or DadeMoeller’s classroom-basedcourse with the opportunityto earn 3 credits that can be applied to an associate or bachelor’s degree at the College.

For more information, pleasevisit www.tesc.edu/rso.

College and Partner toDevelop Online Radiation Safety Training Course

Thomas Edison State College hasrecently been recognized as one of thetop institutions in the country in servingmembers of the U.S. military andveterans by two publications that rankinstitutions that serve military students.

The College was again named to MilitaryAdvanced Education magazine’s “Guideto Military-Friendly Colleges andUniversities.” The 2014 guide appearedin the magazine’s December 2013 issueand examines how institutions serveactive duty military, veterans, and their

spouses and dependents throughsupport services, flexibility, financialassistance and military culture.

“Thomas Edison State College hasbeen providing specialized educationalopportunities for our U.S. military and

veterans for more than 40 years,” saidDr. George A. Pruitt, president ofThomas Edison State College. “We areproud to have built our academicprograms around the unique needs ofthe brave men and women whoprotect our freedoms and enable

them to achieve their personal andprofessional goals.”

The College was also named to VictoryMedia’s 2014 "Military Friendly Schools®"list, which honors the top 20 percent ofinstitutions that are doing the most toembrace military service members,veterans and spouses and ensuring theirsuccess.

Learn more about programs for service members and veterans atwww.tesc.edu/military.

College Named Top School forMilitary Students and Veterans


COLLEGENEWS

We are proud to have built our academic programs around the unique needs of the brave men and

women who protect our freedoms and enable them to achieve their personal and professional goals.

> Dr. George A. Pruitt

Foundation Funds Developmentof Master’s Degree in IT

NEWSFOUNDAT I ON

MSIT


Martinson Family Foundation Grant Funds Investment in New Course Technology The Martinson Family Foundationrecently awarded a three-year, $450,000grant to the Thomas Edison StateCollege Foundation that will enable theCollege to leverage the latest video andmultimedia technologies to create moreinteractive courses.

The award will support the developmentof a media creation studio within the Col-lege’s Center for Learning and Technol-ogy and be used to acquire videoplatforms and programs to implementinteractive media into online courses. Inaddition, the funds will be used to createfour new courses in science, technology,engineering and math (STEM) subjects

and respond to the academic needs ofactive duty military students and veter-ans. Those courses are scheduled to be achemistry lab course, a physics labcourse, an industrial electronics courseand a course on microprocessors.

“As technology changes, so do theexpectations of our students,” saidMatthew Cooper, associate provost forthe Center for Learning and Technology.“This generous grant will enable us tocontinue to find innovative ways todeliver more interactive courses thatinfuse cutting-edge video techniques.”

The grant is timely and complementsthe acquisition and renovation of 102

West State Street to house the Center forLearning and Technology and the mediacreation studio.

“We are honored to receive this grantfrom the Martinson Family Foundation,which represents a significantinvestment in instructional technology,”said John P. Thurber, vice president forPublic Affairs. “This support makes itpossible for the College to respond tothe needs of our students and developthe programs and courses that enablethem to achieve their potential.”

The Thomas Edison State CollegeFoundation has awarded a grant to theSchool of Applied Science andTechnology to develop a new graduateprogram in Information Technology.

The $185,000 grant will fund thecreation of an online Master of Sciencein Information Technology (MSIT)degree program as well as a new area ofstudy in information technology thatwill be offered under the Master ofScience in Applied Science andTechnology degree program. Theprogram is being designed to preparestudents to develop, implement,operate and manage information systems in a variety of organizations.

“The development of the MSIT isconsistent with the College’s strategic

plan and its call for developing newgraduate programs that respond to theneeds of the global marketplace,” saidBrian Maloney, chair of the FoundationBoard of Directors. “We are excited aboutthis new program as the demand isgrowing for graduate programsdesigned to meet the needs of ITprofessionals.”

According to the National Center forEducation Statistics, the total number ofmaster’s degrees in informationtechnology conferred in the UnitedStates has grown by 162 percent from2008 to 2012. While the number ofdegrees conferred has grownsignificantly, the number of institutionsoffering programs has not, whichindicates an opportunity in the market.

“I am honored that the Foundationselected this project to be funded,” saidDr. John O. Aje, dean of the School ofApplied Science and Technology. “Ourgraduates will gain a broad technicalunderstanding of current and emergingtechnologies in the IT field, a high-levelknowledge of systems engineeringconcepts and a solid foundation in thetechnological basis of the Internet.”



SUPERHUMAN RESOURCEBette J. Francis ’95, ’99

>>>


Like Edison, Francis gained expertiseand knowledge on her own without anyformal collegiate training or education.While she is not an engineer or inventor,Francis has become an innovativeleader in the human resources (HR) field.

“For HR to be successful, you really haveto understand the customer and whatthey are looking for,” said Francis. “Then,you can discover the type of employeethe organization needs to be successful.”

One of the key milestones that helpedFrancis acquire her expertise came in1983, when she joined PENTAXPrecision Instrument Corporation a fewyears after it was established in NorthAmerica. She learned the business andthe corporation’s Japanese culturefrom the ground up.

“While the labor force was in the U.S., themanagement was in Japan. I needed tounderstand the Japanese culture in order

to present my ideas in an appropriateway,” recalled Francis, who stayed withthe company for 14 years. “Subtle differences were critical.”

This involved learning Japanese so shewas not reliant on a translator for hermany trips to Asia, Europe and through-out the United States, and becomingmore familiar with Japanese culture.

Francis ultimately designed thecompany’s first human resourcesprogram. Assisting her in this endeavorwas her membership in the Society forHuman Resource Management (SHRM),

BETTE J. FRANCIS HAS MORE IN COMMON WITHTHOMAS EDISON THAN SHE PROBABLY REALIZES.

“I was traveling a great deal with my job at the time and was also asingle parent, so an online programwas the only way I could accomplishit. Thomas Edison State Collegegave me an opportunity to besuccessful and achieve a goal.”

[ ]

SUPERHUMAN RESOURCE>>>

Photo courtesy of the Society of Human Resource Management / Bette Francis


where she networked with HRprofessionals and learned how certainstrategies performed at variouscompanies.

“One of the things crucial for me waslearning the business of the companyfirst, so the HR solutions I positioned tomanagement could determine theimpact to the business,” she said.

Since then, Francis has remained anactive member of SHRM, holdingleadership positions in the society’sNorth Jersey-Rockland Chapter, onseveral committees and serving asexecutive director of Garden StateCouncil. Recently, she was elected chairof the SHRM Board of Directors.

In her opening remarks at the SHRMLeadership Conference in November,Francis told the more than 600 attendeesto be persistent and innovative, andadvised them to never be afraid of work– themes commonly seen in Edison’swritings and popular quotes.

It is a long way from Pascack Hills HighSchool in Montvale, N.J., where Francisfirst considered becoming a hospitaladministrator. After graduating highschool, getting married and becoming amother, she started volunteering andworking in hospitals, where shediscovered a passion for humanresources and the relationship betweenbusinesses and their employees.

“Regardless of the profession, if peopleare not aligned with the organizationthey work for, the business is at risk.There needs to be a way for people tofeel good about the organization andfor the organization to achieve its goals,”

said Francis. “This is critical because if theorganization is not successful, peoplecan lose their jobs.”

During her tenure with PENTAX, sheenrolled at Thomas Edison State College.

“I was working with people withadvanced degrees and I was feelingpersonal pressure to earn a degree. Atthe time, I did not feel like not having

the degree was holding me back, but Iwanted it for myself,” said Francis. “It feltlike something that was unfinished.”

Francis, who completed her Associate inScience in Management degree in 1995and her Bachelor of Science in BusinessAdministration degree in 1999, learnedabout Thomas Edison State Collegethrough a contact at SHRM, who wasinvolved with developing the College’sfirst graduate program in humanresources.

“I was traveling a great deal with my jobat the time and was also a single parent,

so an online program was the only wayI could accomplish it,” recalled Francis.“Thomas Edison State College gave mean opportunity to be successful andachieve a goal.”

Following PENTAX, she took positions ofincreasing responsibility at a healthcarestartup known as Clarity HealthCorporation and Strategic Products andServices, a business partner of AVAYA,the global business communicationscompany.

Today, she is vice president and directorof Human Resources at Wilmington

Trust Wealth Advisory Services, aposition she has held since 2007.

“Wealth management is an industry thatfascinates me,” noted Francis. “It’s a verypersonal business and it’s all aboutrelationships. The organization has arelationship with the employee and theemployee has a relationship with theclient. We are all deeply involved.”

Reflecting on her role as chair of theSHRM board and its goals, Francis saidthe society and the board have aresponsibility to guide the future of theprofession.

“We need to help prepare our membersto meet the needs of the HR profession,from the time they are students untilthey ready for retirement,” she said. “Thisinvolves thinking broadly about wherebusinesses are going and what theneeds of businesses are today and whatthey might be tomorrow.”

Francis serves on the Advisory Councilof the School of Business andManagement at Thomas Edison StateCollege and has held adjunct facultypositions at Bergen Community Collegeand New York University’s Marketingand Management Institute and hasbeen a guest lecturer at the HoweSchool of Management Technology atStevens Institute of Technology and theFordham University School of Business.

“For HR to be successful, you really have to understand the customer and what

they are looking for. Then, you can discover the type of employee the organization

needs to be successful.” [ ]


Sponsors of the 2013 Grande Ball include: Wells Fargo (Silver Sponsor); Mr. and Mrs. John and Eileen Martinson(Band Sponsor); NJM Insurance Group (Dessert Sponsor); PNC Bank(Wine Sponsor); Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (CocktailReception Sponsor); Bunker Hill Consultation Centers (Silent AuctionSponsor); Capital Health (Décor Sponsor); Bank of America MerrillLynch and St. Francis Medical Center (Souvenir Journal Sponsors);Investors Bank; Mercer County Community College; Sparta Systems;Stark and Stark; and UBS (Corporate Sponsors); Nexus Properties(Corporate Patrons); Burlington County College and NAI Fennelly(Valet Parking Sponsors); The Bank of Princeton and Children’sSpecialized Hospital (Raffle Sponsors); Robert Wood JohnsonUniversity Hospital Hamilton (Photo Station Sponsor).

John Martinson and Eileen Martinson, who each received the Spirit of Edison CommunityLeader Award; Dr. George A. Pruitt; and Lauren Wooden, who accepted the Spirit of EdisonDistinguished Alumnus Award on behalf of her father, Ernest Wooden Jr ’06, ’07.

More than 220 guests helped the Thomas Edison StateCollege Foundation honor three outstanding individualsand raise money forThomas Edison StateCollege at its annualGrande Ball, which washeld at The War Memorialin Trenton, N.J., on Nov. 2.

The black tie gala eventraised more than $135,000for Thomas Edison StateCollege _ setting a recordfor the most money raisedat the annual event. TheFoundation honored threedistinguished individualsfor their accomplishmentsand support of the College. This year’s honoreesincluded:

> Eileen Martinson, chief executive officer of SpartaSystems, and her husband, John Martinson, general

partner and founder of the Edison Venture Fund, whoeach received the 2013 Spirit of Edison Community

Leader Award

> Ernest Wooden Jr. ’06,’07, president and CEO ofthe Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board,recipient of the 2013 Spiritof Edison DistinguishedAlumnus Award

“We are honored to recognize such extraordi-nary individuals and goodfriends,” said Dr. George A.Pruitt, president of ThomasEdison State College.“Eileen, John and Ernie

exemplify the commitment to innovation, concern forpublic good and spirit of excellence associated withThomas Edison State College and our namesake.”

2013 Grande BallAn Evening in Tuscany

omas Edison State College Foundation HonorsEileen and John Martinson, and Ernest Wooden Jr. ’06, ’07

INVENTION | FALL 2013 11

Eileen Martinson is the chiefexecutive officer of SpartaSystems, a leading providerof enterprise qualitymanagement software tothe life sciences, consumerproducts and electronicssectors. She is responsible forsetting the strategicdirection of Sparta andoversees the globaloperations. The company'sflagship product, TrackWise,

has more than 500,000 users with more than a 98 percentcustomer retention rate. Sparta was named the 2012 SoftwareCompany of the Year by the New Jersey Technology Council.

Prior to joining Sparta, Martinson was the chief operating officerof Allscripts, one of the foremost suppliers of clinical software,connectivity and information solutions that physicians and otherhealthcare stakeholders use to improve quality and reduce thecost of healthcare. She was responsible for more than 4,000global associates, more than $1 billion of annual revenue andthe development of a 20-plus product portfolio. She also ledProfessional Services, Customer Support, Offshore Centers,Outsourcing and SAAS Operations. Allscripts completed a $1.3billion merger with Eclipsys Corporation, expanding Allscripts’role into the hospital market.

Before joining Allscripts, Martinson served as executive vicepresident of Global Sales and Services of Misys plc, where sheplayed a key role in its turnaround and return to growth. Formerly,she was senior vice president of Oracle Consulting in NorthAmerica as well as senior vice president of Global Services atSiebel. Martinson has also held positions of senior vice president -Research at Gartner, an Accenture Partner, and executive vicepresident of Global Product Solutions and Delivery at Ariba. As theexecutive vice president of SAP America, Martinson helped growSAP America revenues to more than $1 billion in the mid-90s.

Martinson’s philanthropic activities include the Martinson FamilyFoundation that funds and guides more than 25 dedicatedprograms at major universities to advance K-12 instruction inscience, technology, engineering and math (STEM). She alsosupports USO Wounded Warriors, which provides nonmedical careand family assistance to severely injured service members, andserves as a director of the Thomas Edison State CollegeFoundation Board to further her support of STEM, veterans andonline learning. Martinson graduated summa cum laude from

Eileen Martinson2013 Spirit of EdisonCommunity Leader



Philadelphia University, where she is chair of the Board ofTrustees and a 2012 Innovation Medal recipient. She createdand funded a Philadelphia University Annuity Trust to helpsupport Capstone Projects in which cross-discipline teams ofengineers, designers and business majors come together tosolve business cases.

Martinson also serves on the Robert Wood Johnson UniversityHospital Hamilton Board of Directors and was named a 2013NJ Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year and one of the2013 Best 50 Women in Business by NJBIZ.

She resides in Newtown, Pa., with her husband, John. Theyhave six adult children and a grandson.

John Martinson has beena venture capitalist andsoftware industry leaderfor 36 years. In 1986,Martinson founded theEdison Venture Fund andcurrently serves as generalpartner. He is also anactive individual investorand philanthropist.

Edison Ventures investedmore than $1 billion in195 East Coast companies.

Martinson participated in 160 equity financings and iscurrently a director of five private companies where Edison isthe sole or lead investor. He specializes in software/servicesfor life science and education. Previously, Martinson served onboards of 53 companies and was a director of five tradeassociations and eight nonprofit organizations. In addition,Martinson has been a primary individual investor in 15 earlystage companies. Previously, he invested in 35 privatecompanies and 20 private equity partnerships and has madeinitial commitments for five first-time venture funds.

Martinson is past chairman of National Venture CapitalAssociation and served as chairman of PACT, a leading ventureand technology trade group in the Philadelphia area. He co-founded the New Jersey Technology Council and served as its chairman. In addition, Martinson headed the Mid-AtlanticVenture Fair and co-founded the New Jersey Venture Fair.

Martinson earned a Bachelor of Science in AeronauticalEngineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy. During hisservice career, he flew more than 500 combat missions andwas awarded Distinguished Flying Cross. He was selected as

the 18th Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Air ForceAcademy and serves on the academy's endowment board.Martinson received a Master of Science in Astronautics fromPurdue University and a Master of Business Administration(Beta Gamma Sigma) from Southern Illinois University andwas elected to the Southern Illinois University Hall of Fame.He has received honorary doctorates from Rider Universityand Rowan University.

The Martinson Family Foundation makes grants toeducational and charitable programs. Currently, thefoundation funds and advises innovative dedicated projectsat 15 colleges to improve K-12 instruction in mathematics,science, technology and engineering. These grantsencompass curriculum development, new teaching methodsand continuing education for classroom teachers. He hasserved on the Thomas Edison State College Foundation Boardof Directors and as a trustee for six universities.

Martinson was inducted into NJBIZ Hall of Fame and receivedthe NVCA Service Award for contributions to the venturecapital industry on a national level. The Greater PhiladelphiaVenture Group presented him with the Blair Thompson Awardto recognize his lifetime venture capital achievements. TheNew Jersey Institute of Technology honored Martinson withits first entrepreneur award. He has served as trustee of theNew Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame. The New JerseyTechnology Council named its annual EntrepreneurSupporter Award after Martinson. He was also honored byErnst & Young for earning the New Jersey Entrepreneur of theYear Lifetime Achievement.

Martinson resides in Newtown, Pa., with his wife, Eileen. Theyhave six adult children and a grandson. Martinson’s hobbiesinclude golf and collecting Thomas Edison memorabilia.

John Martinson2013 Spirit of EdisonCommunity Leader

Martinson Family DonatesEdison Collection to CollegeJohn and Eileen Martinson have donated theirpersonal collection of Thomas Alva Edison artifactsand memorabilia to the Thomas Edison State CollegeFoundation, one of the largest private collections ofEdison memorabilia in the country.

The collection contains more than 1,500 pieces andincludes framed advertisements and promotionalmaterials, signage, patents, artwork and severalproducts invented by Edison, including phonographs,mimeographs, an Ediphone, light bulbs, fans andseveral appliances.

The collection will be publically displayed in the school’sbuildings in Trenton, N.J. More information on thecollection will be featured in a future issue of Invention.

Eileen Martinson2013 Spirit of Edison Community Leader (continued)


A veteran hospitality industry executive, Ernest Wooden Jr. tookthe helm of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board inJanuary 2013 to oversee the global brand marketing andmeetings and convention sales strategy for one of the most visited and most famous destinations in the world – Los Angeles.

Wooden has spent his entirecareer in the hospitalityindustry, including more than adecade in senior leadershippositions in both global brandmanagement and operationswith Hilton Hotels Corporation.As executive vice president ofGlobal Brands for Hilton, basedin Beverly Hills, Calif., he led allworldwide branding initiativesfor the well-known hotelcorporation, working with3,000 properties in 80

countries. His operations role at Hilton as senior vice president -West included overseeing Hilton’s full-service hotels, whichincluded territories in Mexico, the Caribbean and across thewestern United States. In addition, Wooden has also worked withsuch top hospitality brands as Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, OmniHotels & Resorts, Doubletree by Hilton and Promus HotelCorporation. He has also been involved internationally with hotelvaluation, brand selection and investment analysis both as theexecutive vice president and senior managing director at AlagemCapital Group, a privately owned, diversified investment groupthat owns the world-famous Beverly Hilton Hotel and other high-profile properties, and as chief executive officer of CreativeConsulting, a company he founded in 2010.

Wooden plays a significant role in industry affairs as a member ofthe Board of Directors of the U.S. Travel Association (USTA). He isalso dedicated to civic and community affairs, sitting on theboards of the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commissionand the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce; Hotel Association ofLos Angeles; Executive Committee of the Central City Association;Board of Advisors of The Collins College of HospitalityManagement at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona;The Los Angeles Coalition; and the Thomas Edison State CollegeMBA Advisory Board. With a passion for global businessmanagement and understanding diverse cultures, Wooden iscurrently pursuing a doctorate (DBA) from the International Schoolof Management, Paris, France.

At Thomas Edison State College, Wooden earned his Bachelor ofScience in Business Administration degree in 2006 and his Masterof Science in Management degree in 2007. He has studiedinternational business on three continents with immersionexperiences in Paris, France, and Shanghai, China.

Ernest Wooden Jr. ’06,’072013 Spirit of EdisonDistinguished Alumnus

Degree

completion

was never

far from

Dorothy

Moreno’s

thoughts.

“I cannot recall a time when I wasnot thinking about going back tocollege to complete my degree,”noted Moreno, RN, BSN, a MedicalReserve Corps (MRC) volunteer anda licensed medical electrologist whomanages her own practice inMorristown, N.J.

Moreno said that she found thecustomary barriers to degreecompletion were removed once she discovered the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing’sBachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program.

“As a busy registered nurse returningfor a degree, I would not have hadthe time or inclination to takecourses all over again – which iswhat many schools I had consideredwere proposing,” said Moreno, whooften works 50 to 60 hours a week.“The College validated every credit Ihad already accumulated, whichwas very encouraging.”

Moreno, who completed her BSN in2013, said her course work anddiscussion board assignmentsprovided valuable theoreticalexposure to community diversityissues. The exposure, in turn, hasmapped to her real-worldexperience with a common publichealth dilemma: treatment centersand emergency shelters are notautomatic meccas for those affectedby a health emergency.

“In the wake of a natural or man-made disaster, experience hastaught me that you cannot counton everyone in the affected area towillingly show up at a clinic ortemporary treatment center,” shesaid. “There are various levels ofacceptance of medical treatment,and these levels often depend onthe affected population’s conditionsand cultural mores.”

In order to successfully reach victimsof a disaster or a potentialpandemic, Moreno said that sheputs herself in the place of theindividuals affected.

“As MRC volunteers, we have tounderstand how individuals in theimpacted community are viewingwhat we do,” she said. “We found, forinstance, that by visitingneighborhood churches todisseminate information andinteract with those living nearby, wewere more successful at connectingpeople to prevention or treatment.”

In her professional life, Morenoearned her diploma in nursing yearsearlier, but as time went on, she saidthat she felt the avenues for herreturn to higher education closing.

“Traditional classroom-basedprograms were definitely out.Thomas Edison State College’snursing program was not onlyaddressing who I am and my

background, but my goals andprofessional objectives,” she said.

For Moreno, those objectivesinclude one day teaching in theallied health field.

“Much of the substance of mycourses was timely and on target,and helped me in planning for afuture as a nurse educator,” she said.

Moreno admits that the thought ofonline learning terrified her at firstbut it forced her to become muchmore computer literate as well asenhance her time management andretention skills.

“The work in my coursesaugmented my professional life andI feel like I’m firing on all cylinders,”remarked Moreno. “I never thoughtthat I would be able to function inan online program or that it wouldever be fulfilling. I was wrong. It hasopened up my eyes to limitlessopportunities. Fellow onlinestudents, who are like-minded,spurred me on. The BSN programprepared me for the next stage _

graduate-level nursing.”


Alumni Profile

Dorothy Moreno, RN, BSN ’13

Topof the Mind“The work in my courses

augmented my professional life and I feel like I’m firing

on all cylinders.”[ ]


CLASS NOTES

Arthur J. Billiu Sr. BSBA ’89Arthur J. Billiu Sr., following nearly 22 years of militaryservice, went on to achieve the Tulane University 1990Dean’s List honor and one year of study for an MBA atLoyola University before ill health halted his studies. Billiuhad a minor stroke when Hurricane Katrina struck NewOrleans and was evacuated to Mississippi. He returned towork for the Louisiana Office of Public Health as anadministrator, building upon previous employment with theCity of New Orleans Employees’ Retirement System and theDA’s office, before leaving due to a heart attack in 2012.Since graduating from Thomas Edison State College, Billiuhas written a numerous short stories under the Choctawpen name, Whimpering Possum, including North St. PeterStreet, Lost Keys, Horrors of Rue Bourbon and Waiting for Katie.

Dr. Kimberlee Bethany Bonura BA ’98Dr. Kimberlee Bethany Bonura is a registered yoga teacherwho traces the start of her career to her mother’s poorhealth. In the late 1980s, Bonura’s mother was a U.S. Armymajor who had chronic pain following surgery and physicaltraining accidents. Advised by an Army physician to try yogafor stress and pain relief, she could find only one book onthe subject at the post bookstore; she shared it with herthen 12-year-old daughter and they started doing yogatogether. By age 19, Bonura was teaching yoga incommunity centers and gyms and, by her mid-20s, she hadcompleted multiple yoga teacher and fitness instructortraining courses and was teaching 20 to 30 yoga classes aweek. Bonura went on to earn a master’s degree and a PhDin educational psychology, with a research emphasis insport and exercise psychology, from Florida State University.Her doctoral dissertation, “The Impact of Yoga onPsychological Health in Older Adults,” won national awardsfrom the American Psychological Association (Division 47)and the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. Bonura isthe author of and featured lecturer in “How to Stay Fit as YouAge,” a new lecture series from The Great Courses(www.thegreatcourses.com). She is an active researcher,publishing in peer-reviewed journals and presenting atacademic conferences. Bonura also serves as a peerreviewer for journals including the Journal of Aging andPhysical Activity, The Journal of Alternative and ComplementaryMedicine and the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology. Shecurrently serves on the editorial board of the InternationalJournal of Yoga Therapy. For more information about Bonura,visit www.drkimberleebonura.com.

Manny Buendia AA ’82, BA ’87Manny Buendia recently published hisfirst novel, A Long Way From Havana, astory of a well-to-do Cuban familyforced into exile by Castro’s revolution.The family struggles with the suddenchange in financial and social statuswhile adapting to the strangeenvironment that awaits them in NewYork City's Spanish Harlem. It is a taleof obsession, despair and ultimatetriumph at a very high moral cost. The storyline encompassesthe early 1960s through the present. It will be available inearly 2014 from Amazon.com or directly from the publisher,Outskirts Press.

Alex Cooper AAS ’12, BA ‘12Alex Cooper was awarded two 2013Upper Midwest Emmy® Nominationsin August and received credit duringthe Regional Emmy Gala on Sept. 28,2013. Nominations included directorof “Fox 9 Morning News at 8AM”(Director - Newscast Nominee), andanother for a different newscast of “Fox9 Morning News at 8AM” (Director -APC Operator). This brings his total tofour nominations and one win. Cooper works atFOX 9 KMSP-TV in Eden Prairie, Minn., where he also lives.Following the completion of the AAS and BA degrees atThomas Edison State College, he is now midway through anMA in strategic communication management at ConcordiaUniversity in Saint Paul, Minn. Thomas Edison State Collegealumni are welcome to connect with him on LinkedIn atlinkedin.com/in/alexcooper.

Nancy Dick BA ’05Nancy Dick recently had herchildren’s book Santa Claus Clause:The Christmas Story publishedthrough Xlibris Corporation. Thebook, which is illustrated by Dick, isalso available on Amazon.com andbarnesandnoble.com. To learn moreabout the author and see otherbooks, visit nancydick.com.

Gene J. DiFilippo BA ’12Gene J. DiFilippo was sworn in aschief of police of the Edgewater ParkTownship Police Department on Jan. 4, 2014. DiFilippo, who has beena police officer for 20 years, noted,“The classes taken during my studies[at the College] provided interestingand useful information in my job asa police officer and supervisor.Having my degree also aided in mypromotion. Thank you Thomas Edison State College!(DiFilippo, left, Lt. Brett V. Evans, right)

Michael Dunlea BA ’03Michael Dunlea, a second grade teacher at Ocean AcresElementary School in Stafford Township, N.J., has beenselected as a Hope Street Group 2014 National TeacherFellow. He is one of only 13 educators nationwide to beinvited to participate in this fellowship program and is thisyear’s representative from New Jersey. The National TeacherFellowship program provides fellows, who are eitherclassroom teachers or instructional coaches, with rigoroustraining and the opportunity to network with teachersacross the country and to participate in nationalconversations. In addition to his work at Ocean AcresElementary School, Dunlea is the founder of StaffordTeachers and Residents Together START for HurricaneCleanup, for which he was awarded the Humanitarian of theYear Award by the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation. He was alsoselected as the Ocean County Teacher of the Year in 2011.

Kathleen A. Gluck BSN ’06Kathleen A. Gluck and her husband,Jeffrey, were recently promoted inrank to Lady Grand Officer andKnight Grand Officer, respectively, ofthe Equestrian Order of the HolySepulchre of Jerusalem, an ancientpapal nobiliary order of knighthoodestablished during the First Crusadein 1099, into which they wereinitially invested in 2006. Theceremony took place in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York City,on Nov. 23, presided over by His Eminence Timothy MichaelDolan, Cardinal Archbishop of New York and Grand Prior ofthe Eastern Lieutenancy of the Order. On Oct. 19, the couple

celebrated the 7th birthday of their daughter, FrancescaKathryn Mary Elizabeth, whom they had adopted fromGuatemala in June 2007. Gluck is a nursing administrativecoordinator at CarePoint Health–Hoboken UniversityMedical Center, Hoboken, N.J., and her husband is anattorney in private practice in North Bergen, N.J.

Amanda Lance BA ’11, MALS ’12Amanda Lance has completed her fourth commercial novel,Endangered Hearts, which will be published early 2014 and isthe first in a series. Lance writes young adult and new adultromances.

David Molaris BA ’91David Molaris, who translated the New Testament intoEnglish from The Greek New Testament, noted, “Needing to be in the ministry, I anticipate starting a seminary degreecurriculum with Global University in 2014.”

Allan E. Smith BSBA ’79Allan E. Smith noted that he received recognition andnumerous awards at former employers Campbell SoupCompany and ITT before becoming president of his owncompany, which he eventually sold.

Keep Us Posted! Please send your news to [email protected] and be sure to include your first and last name, youraddress, your preferred phone, the year yougraduated and what degree you earned.Updates can also be sent to: Thomas EdisonState College, Invention Editor, 101 W. State St.,Trenton, NJ 08608-1176; Fax: (609) 777-1894.

CLASS NOTES

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