Bernards Township Democratic Committee Chair, Nancy D'Andrea, recipient of the Spirit of Somerset Award for Civic Improvement

Bernards Township Democratic Committee Chair, Nancy D’Andrea, received the Spirit of Somerset Award

Bernards Township Democratic Committee (BTDC) Chair, Nancy D’Andrea, was the recipient of the 2017 Spirit of Somerset Award for Civic Improvement

BRIDGEWATER, New Jersey, September 27, 2017 – On Wednesday evening, Nancy D’Andrea, chair of the Bernards Township Democratic Committee, was the recipient of the Spirit of Somerset Award for Civic Improvement and was honored at the Spirit of Somerset Annual Awards Dinner hosted at the Raritan Valley Country Club.
D’Andrea was a driving force behind the reorganization of the Bernards Township Democratic Committee. Within two months of attending the Women’s March on Washington, D.C., D’Andrea worked to re-establish the municipal Democratic committee and to endorse two Democratic candidates for the Bernards Township Committee, Sally Booth and Joan Bannan Harris.
“When I met Nancy in February, she had already taken the initiative to meet with Margaret Schaffer, chair of the Somerset County Democratic Committee,” said Catherine Santaiti, secretary of the BTDC. “Nancy then guided a few of us to help reestablish the Bernards Township Democratic Committee, which had been inactive for quite some time. Nancy reenergized and mobilized the Democrats in town who want to be represented in our local township committee.”
After re-establishing the BTDC, D’Andrea was elected as chair of the committee, and continues her work to reinvigorate local civics. Since relaunching in March, the BTDC has spurred more than 400 people to get involved as it sponsored local community programs such as Charter Day, the Municipal Alliance Against Substance Abuse Twilight Challenge 5K and the Basking Ridge Indian Community’s Dandiya event, and honored our current and past service members by marching in the township’s Memorial Day Parade. D’Andrea is dedicated to bringing our community together and solving local issues with transparency, balance, and compassion.
In response to receiving the award, D’Andrea stated, “I am honored to receive this award on behalf of all of the Bernards Township women and men who have stepped up to support and join the Bernards Township Democratic Committee. There were many supporters from the beginning--many who even said, ‘I thought I was the only Democrat in town’--and I was pleased to assure them that they were not alone and together we could work toward a more balanced local government. I am very proud to be honored for civic improvement, especially as I see more and more residents engaging in our local politics. This is essential for democracy.”
The Spirit of Somerset Awards brings together representatives from the business, education, arts, health and nonprofit communities in a celebration of Somerset County’s achievements, and recognizes the finest citizens in our community who make our county a better place to live and work. The Spirit of Somerset John Graf Memorial Award recipient was John Sanford, former mayor of Branchburg. The Spirit of Somerset Award recipients also included: athletics and recreation, Jeff Vanderbeek; business, Sarah Walker and Eva Turbiner of the Zufall Health Center; civic improvement, Jeff Gould of the Rotary of Montgomery/ Rocky Hill; culture and heritage, Tulsi Maharjin of the Somerset County Cultural Diversity Coalition; education, Dr. Tim Purnell, former Superintendent of Somerville Schools; government, Freeholder Peter Palmer and Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli; health/ wellness, Anthony Cava of RWJUH Somerset; volunteerism, George Jarvis of the Rotary of Montgomery/ Rocky Hill; and youth services, Matt Tarentino, former Summit police officer and native of Somerville.
The Spirit of Somerset Awards Dinner benefits the Pathways to Parenting and Strengthening Families programs of Somerset Treatment Services, a non-profit treatment and counseling center serving Somerset County and surrounding communities. For over 45 years Somerset Treatment Services has provided quality services to individuals and families in need of addiction treatment, HIV and psychiatric services and other services. The Pathways to Parenting program is an intensive treatment program for opiate-addicted women with children who are involved with or at risk of involvement with DCP&P (DYFS). The Strengthening Families Program is an evidenced-based program that has been shown to improve family management and to reduce substance abuse or the onset of substance abuse.

Paid for by Bernards Township Democratic Committee, P.O. Box 78, Liberty Corner, NJ 07938