Every March, Mayor David Mayer and Gloucester Township Council celebrate Women’s History Month by honoring outstanding women who make a difference in the community. The awards were presented to the recipients at the council meeting on March 25 at the Gloucester Township Municipal Building. Here are the 10 extraordinary women:
Allison Swack
Swack is a senior at Highland Regional High School. She was nominated by her principal, Lisa Owen. Swack is described by her leadership qualities and her willingness to help others. She was introduced by council Vice President Tracy Trotto, who described a recent conversation with Swack’s mother, who said, “She is the type of person to make sure everybody shines in her presence and she helps them succeed as well.”
As a senior, she is a representative for the Camden County best of class and leadership and is the president of the peer-to-peer mentoring group that teams junior and senior students with freshmen to help with the transition to high school. Upon graduation, she wants to start at Camden County College, hopefully to build her studies around nursing and eventually become involved in occupational therapy industrial design to make prosthetics.
Michelle Beck
Beck is a volunteer with Gloucester Township Police Department and was nominated by Corp. Jennifer McLaughlin. She is a graduate of the GTPD Citizens Police Academy, which allows her to volunteer with the police on a regular basis. She is also the architect of the Gloucester Township Coffee with a Cop program, which allows citizens to get to know police officers better in a natural environment in which there could be a positive experience for those who are not used to being around officers. Beck remains very active in her community and still participates in the Neighborhood Watch programs while being a full-time mother and wife.
Jo-Ann Nicholson
One word to describe Nicholson is selfless.
“It’s wonderful to see how much you are loved by our community,” said Scott Owens as he introduced her during the meeting.
She’s very active in the community by spending a lot of time working with community service organizations, helping strangers and always asking “what can I do to help out?” Nicholson is a 48-year resident of Gloucester Township, and many people believe she will be here another 48 years helping those in need. She’s volunteered her time working with organizations such as Toys for Tots, working at food shelters, and cooking and buying food for those less fortunate.
Fern Nanette Allen
Allen is an inspiring person for her community. She is an assistant pastor at her church in Glassboro and stays committed to being a good person at heart. Her work in the community is verified by the people who spend the most time around her, and they know how much good she does for the community.
“If you ever want to make a difference all you have to do is show love,” Allen said. “There are so many people that need just a touch of love. You have to learn how to love the unlovely sometimes and help those that don’t know how to help themselves.”
This is the philosophy and Allen lives by every day, and it has guided her to being one of the extraordinary women in the community.
Dorothy Morley
Morely is a South Jersey history buff who, if you ask her a question, she will give you the answer, but also give you the meaning behind the answer because she simply loves her work. Morely is a member of the historical committee and makes many contributions by giving her personal time and effort to enhance the committee’s efforts. She has raised money for various organizations and loves to go into detail on the history of the area at the Gabreil Daveis Tavern. One could say the tavern is her baby, as she takes such pristine care and enthusiastically decorates it during holidays.
Alessa Williams
Williams may be small in frame, but if you say it to her face she might just kick your butt. As a sophomore at Triton Regional High School, she’s already amassed accomplishments, such as being a skilled martial artist. She is trained in Taekwondo and achieved a third-degree black belt. She is also an accomplished kickboxer, for which she has trained for three years. Williams is also studied in Aikido, an art involving some throws and joint locks that are derived from Jujitsu and some throws and other techniques derived from Kenjutsu. In addition to all these accomplishments, Williams is scheduled to compete for the United States in the fourth Unified Taekwon-Do World Championships in Brazil this August. She’s done all this in addition to her schoolwork while being 15 years old.
Makayla Dempsey
Dempsey is a young woman who may get overlooked sometimes, but is putting the world on notice that she is a force to be reckoned with. She was crowned New Jersey’s first Little Miss Wheelchair this past November. Dempsey was nominated by Mayer for her vast amount of charity work and her foresight to think of others before herself. Dempsey is diagnosed with cerebral palsy, but she doesn’t let that stop her from living her life and doing what she can to help the community and others like herself by breaking stereotypes.
Abigail Buccilli
Buccilli is the 2019 Miss American Teenager. She has created a nonprofit organization called Beyond My Past, whose mission is to help children and teens, and even inspire adults, to move forward from their past, whether they struggle from learning disabilities, self-esteem issues or family instability such as foster care. They serve children and people who have been bullied and have overcome their personal fears. She spreads positive vibes in the community, which is why she is celebrated during this month.
Jennifer Mazzochi
Mazzochi is a special education teacher at Charles W. Lewis School. She’s been a teacher in this community for the past 18 years, having started at the age of 22. Her style of teaching and professionalism are what makes her worthy of adulation. She is known as “the queen of student engagement“ by her students. The environment she creates is exceptional beyond the standards of normal education, and she inspires her students and mentors them to be the best they can be and to go further.
“My passion is teaching, and I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to live my passion every day for the past 18 years in Gloucester Township. I will continue to go in with the same energy and excitement I do now every day moving forward,” said Mazzochi. “I love this town, I love this community, I’ve really built a home here.” Her motto is, “I teach to inspire because I love to learn every day.”
Dorsett Kelly
Kelly was born and raised in Southwest Philadelphia. She made her way to Gloucester Township in 1991 and has made a home here with her husband. In 2018, she was appointed to the zoning board in Gloucester Township. Her job is to make things better for the community, and she has not skipped out on that responsibility. Previously she served on the Black History and Women’s History Month committees and chose who should be honored for those two special ceremonies. However, she cannot be on the women’s committee this year because she was honored.
