Tracey Abby-White Elected To Chair Brookdale Community College Trustees
Tracey Abby-White was elected to lead the Brookdale Community College Board of Trustees for the 2019-2020 academic year at the Board’s annual reorganization meeting on November 27, according to an announcement by the college.
A resident of Atlantic Highlands, Abby-White has served on Brookdale’s Board for six years. She is a former Atlantic Highlands Councilwoman and served for seven years on the Henry Hudson Regional Board of Education. She began her career as a teacher in the Middletown school system before entering the corporate sector in finance and technology where she continues to excel. She replaces Dr. Carl Guzzo as Chairman.
Guzzo led the college through the difficult process of reform and reorganization after the scandal involving former president Peter Burnham. He is credited with restoring stability to the college and positioning Brookdale for an exciting future serving the students and communities of Monmouth County.
“We are committed to working with all members of the college community in exploring strategic initiatives for the advancement of Brookdale,” said Abby-White in the college’s announcement. “I want to thank Dr. Carl Guzzo, Jr. for his exemplary service as Chair for the last five years and because of his diligence and hard work, we have a solid foundation on which to build.”
In a phone interview with MMM, Abby-White said she intends to expand Brookdale’s involvement in the Monmouth County business community in order to give students more real world educational experiences and a resulting leg up in securing prosperous employment. She noted the school’s hospitality program partnering with area county clubs and an example of a successful program that can expanded.
Deputy Freeholder Director Lillian Burry, the liaison to Brookdale, said,”Dr. Guzo has done a very good job during a turbulent time at the college. Tracey has the motivation, enthusiasm and most importantly, the ability to lead the college forward into a new era. I look forward to supporting her efforts.”
Am sure Tracey will do a good job. Brookdale is arguably the best county college in the state. Just please, keep an eye on the accreditation. We need to keep it going strong!
A high ethical standard is appropriate for a place where impressionable students are developing their moral standards.
Removing the name of a known corrupt crooked politician from “Harry Larrison Hall” is a step that can not and should not be ignored by anyone that claims to support even average standards.
Our students, and county deserve to see action taken to show that ethical and moral standards do matter, and corruption and official misconduct are not part of that.
Change the name.
Unbelievable. Slowly, once more: there. would. NOT.even.be.a.Brookdale,without Mr Larrison’s vision. Period. Get off it, please, and try and have a happy holiday. Your “one hit wonder” is not healthy!
much more concerned that there was some question that there might be some issues with their accreditation credentials: hopefully, that is being addressed: it would certainly damage many people’s ability in trying to transfer to four-year schools, if their hard- earned credits became worthless!
I also hope that the faculty there isn’t, like many in other colleges and universities today, trying to fill the young heads with their personal liberal bent: too many are. Their job is to teach their subjects and teach kids critical thinking: in too many places today, we have diploma mills that turn out angry, ungrateful, clueless robots: Ocasio Cortez from NY, comes to mind!!
Dear “Here you go”-
The leadership of the County and Brookdale will never be taken seriously or trusted to make good decision if they stand by the decision to name a monument to a crook.
This is an important statement and public policy that must be corrected if ethical behavior is to be expected of past and future public servants and politicians. Larrison treated public tax dollars like party favors and gift baskets. Its not the model that should be memorialized by anyone with a sense of ethics or morals. Especially BCC students developing their character.
The building was corrupt from the beginning because Larrison insured contracts were given to his godson for its construction.
Steve they will be taken seriously because Brookdale is an outstanding education institution. Nationally ranked – often ranked in the top 50 out of over 3,000 community colleges.
Mr. Larrison died before he could have his day in court so we will never know the true story. However, what is known, that like Brookdale, Monmouth County is one of the best run county governments in the US and one of the best places to live and that the late freeholder had a lot to do with that. So as far as I am concerned as a life long resident, a taxpayer and a former student I have no issue with Larrison Hall.
Dear “Monmouth Girl” aka “anonymous”-
Your standards speak for themselves. If ethics don’t count in your life I’m guessing its a bit late to change your standards. The only hope I see is that you know enough to be ashamed of your positions because you remain anonymous. Are you of the many “friends and family” of Harry Larrison that he selected to do special favors for at the taxpayers expense? He took good care of the folks of his “friends and family” plan, but at the expense of everyone else.
that you apparently were left out of some job or favor, over the years. An awful lot of people who worked with and for that administration actually were qualified, loyal, hard- working, and grateful for opportunities to serve our county. Aka, earned their keep, did their jobs, and did them well. You frankly sound like a repetitious, petulant, jealous child, and am sad for your anger and negativity, when you are lucky to live in one of the still-better places in the country.
Dear “So sorry”-
Im old fashion. I do believe that government exists for a specific set of purposes and it should be “of the people, for the people, and by the people”.
You clearly see government as a tool for personal gain. Your ethics are different than mine, and I can sleep well with mine, and am not ashamed to put my name on this, unlike you. That makes a clear statement and draws a bright line between our characters. Your acceptance and encouragement of official corruption and misuse of office for personal gain is probably so ingrained in you that you can’t see it. I’ll say a prayer for your soul, and I’ll include Larrison’s “friends and family” that he benefited by stealing from Monmouth County taxpayers for.
always be so pure and perfect, as you cynically mis-characterize most public workers, by the sins of your suppositions of the very few. If you have lived to, say, middle age in NJ, without understanding that everything is political in life, that the world is basically divided into those in charge, and those who wish they were, and that everyone in public or private enterprise wants to work with people they are both comfortable with, and feel they can get good results from, as well as loyalty and friendship from, then I have to chalk you up to as to one who is just hopelessly naive, or simply does not get how the world really works. May all politicians of all stripes meet your very high standards, from now on: would be interested to know who, if any, human beings, are good enough for you and those very high “ standards!” Good luck with those postulates. One thing learned from over 40 years of observation and participation in various forms of government: “ Holier-than- thou” critics are often more scary/ wrong, than the regular, flawed human beings, who are just trying to get the jobs done right for the taxpayers…
Holding grudges for a long time is honestly, scientifically, quite bad for both physical and mental health: hope Santa brings some Rolaids or Tums, or some good counseling or health checkups for you, to help you feel/get better…
Dear “May you”- You insist on anonymity which clearly indicates you know deep down that you should be ashamed of your positions.
I’m proud to believe that honest public servants have and will exist in the future. Pointing our the horribly corrupt that are guilty of official misconduct in office is one way to promote that optimism.
Your repeated statements that you believe corruption is fine as long as you personally get something out of it provides a great contrast. I did say a prayer for your soul, and I do recognize that even Jack the Ripper had a mother that loved him. That’s not what should get a crooked politician’s name on a monument even when the contractor/godson that Larrison chose to build it became a freeholder director to manage Larrison’s corruption going forward.
You have no right to pre-suppose anything about anyone’s life or soul, unless God’s second name is “ Steve Adams.”.. By the way, it is not a monument- it is a building. That would not be there weren’t for the one individual you continue to malign. Enough with the grudges and personal attacks: try and grab some holiday spirit and mercy!!
The man built Brookdale for Chrissakes. Whether he got a couple of friends hired in some civil service positions or pocketed a few extra bucks on the side is immaterial. Leave the monument as is.
Dear “Show some”-
You should proof read your words before you publish them for the world to see your unethical and immoral standards for public officials. You come right out and say its OK to “pocket a few extra bucks” from the taxpayers. I don’t think its OK. I think its a crime and immoral.
Pocketing millions for his “friends and family” is outright big time crooked, but the amount is not really the question, its the standards we expect from public officials, and the standards current public officials set for memorializing crooks.
The BCC Trustees and the Freeholders can acknowledge the prior mistake and move to fix it, of become part of the mistake for the history books. This issue will NEVER go away until someone of character steps up and corrects the injustice.
I prefer some corrupt Republicans to ALL corrupt Dems any day of the week.
know who to contact, should there ever be any, say, vandalism? You’re plain scary, dude..
Dear “f you steve” aka anonymous aka chicken-
I think you made my point that any corruption and official misconduct is too much of it. When it appears by the dump truck load as in Larrison’s specific case, it should not be transformed into an alter of respect, honor, or recognition.
I am a Republican and more specifically a conservative that believes the best government is small, limited, and well run for specific constitutional purposes. That doesn’t include graft, corruption, or transferring millions of taxpayer dollars to friends and family through a corrupt County bidding and construction scheme.
Its in the R party’s best interest to fix this problem, and thereby deny this issue to the D candidates that can make a huge issue of the edifice to immoral corruption; which would cause serious damage to the R brand in Monmouth County.
even say “fuck”? What kind of prude, sanctimonious, small-minded coward are you? It looks like you have tons of friends among the Republican base, lol. Leave the anon digs as well; “Steve Adams” doesn’t exactly narrow it down does it? Either link your shit to your Facebook account or kindly get fucked, “chicken”.
don’t even want a Facebook or Twitter or other nosy social media platform, ever consider that? And wow, seriously, consider seeing a personal physician or counselor, soon, to help you deal with some obvious and unhealthy anger issues..