EASTERN BERGEN COUNTY, N.J. (May 2025) — The Community Chest of Eastern Bergen County has announced the recipients of its eighth annual High School Young Women’s Leadership Program awards. The honorees were recognized at the 2025 Young Women’s Leadership Award Ceremony, held May 19 at the historic Elizabeth Cady Stanton House in Tenafly.
Guest speaker Christina Wanas, vice president and branch manager of Provident Bank’s Englewood branch, shared her personal story and career journey, offering encouragement and insight to the young leaders in attendance.
The 2025 award recipients were honored for demonstrating leadership, compassion, innovation, and the courage of their convictions in the community.
Chloey Cho, of Englewood Cliffs and a 2025 graduate of Bergen County Academies, received the Young Women’s Senior Leadership Award and a $5,000 prize. She plans to attend the University of California–Los Angeles to study musicology. As the founder of Solis and Luna Arts, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting mental health awareness through music therapy, Cho hopes to expand access to therapy through Medicaid programs and create more opportunities for professional music therapists. Ultimately, she aims to advance both access and scientific research in the field.
Mussia Poltorak, of Bergenfield and a 2025 graduate of The Frisch School, was named Senior Leadership Award runner-up and received a $2,000 award. She plans to attend Yale University, then pursue law school and hopes to work with a nonprofit that supports women.
Two juniors were also recognized with Young Women’s Leadership Junior Awards, each receiving $1,000 and the opportunity to participate in a nonprofit internship. Honorees include Lila Sora Bae, a student at Cresskill High School, and Caitlin Liau of Tenafly, a student at Academy of the Holy Angels.
“This year, The Community Chest received an outstanding range of applications for these leadership awards,” said Dr. Shelly Wimpfheimer, executive director of The Community Chest. “Each applicant demonstrated exceptional talents and a commitment to social justice causes. During this time of great change, leaders need to be creative, flexible, and able to manage people well.”
A team of readers from the community and ConnectOne Bank reviewed each application. Volunteer readers from ConnectOne Bank included: Majda Ahmed, Veronica Alonzo, Allison Barrett-Bader, Michele Bell, Jennifer Braga, Gabriela Cabreja, Danielle Flaherty, Zoe Kaloedas, Biljana Matevska, Kirsten Micco, Vanessa Nesheiwat, Sally Pettit, Brooke Rutkowski, Rori Sagal, Olivia Salazar-Picinich, and Kim Sayther.
Additional community members who volunteered as readers included: Fran Eiss, Vered Feiwus, Lisa Levinthal, Jacqueline McLeod, Rita Rodin, Karen Schaefer, Audrey Winter Kahn, and Melanie Zingler. They were joined by volunteers from The Community Chest’s Board of Managers: Amie AbuRustum, Marsha Campbell-Young, Vicki Sidrow, Ellen Skowronski, and Dekyi Tsotsong.
Honoring a Legacy of Leadership
The awards program draws inspiration from three influential women from Bergen County named Elizabeth:
- Elizabeth Cutter Morrow of Englewood, founding board chair and president of The Community Chest during the Great Depression.
- Elisabeth Morrow Morgan, her daughter, founder of The Elisabeth Morrow School.
- Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a Tenafly resident and internationally recognized leader in the suffrage movement.
About The Community Chest
Founded in 1933, The Community Chest is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization based in Englewood that has supported local not-for-profit agencies for over 92 years. The Chest raises and distributes funds annually to community-based organizations serving people in need across eastern Bergen County. It also provides coordination, planning, and capacity-building services to strengthen the local network of care.
The Board of Managers is composed of civic leaders committed to improving the lives of neighbors in need.
To learn more, or to inquire about board membership, contact Executive Director Dr. Shelly Wimpfheimer at (201) 568-7474.
Visit www.thecommunitychestebc.org or call for more information. Stay connected on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
— Via Joyce Luhrs/Luhrs & Associates