Chester School District Business Administrator Receives NJASBO Distinguished Service Award

Chester School District Business Administrator (BA)/Board Secretary and Bernardsville resident Mary Jane Canose recently was honored by the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials (NJASBO) with a 2015 Distinguished Service Award for her long-term, continuous exemplary service.

As part of the award, Canose had the honor of presenting a $1,000 scholarship from NJASBO to the Educational Foundation of the Chesters. Canose chose the organization because, as the BA for a Kindergarten through eighth-grade school district, she felt the foundation would be able to help many children instead of just one. “The foundation does a lot of really good and innovative projects in our school, like if a teacher has an idea for a pilot program that will benefit a lot of students,” said Canose.

Among just six Distinguished Service Awardees statewide, Canose has served as BA/Board Secretary for Chester School District since 2005. Prior to that, she served in the same position for the Harding Township School District, after being promoted from Assistant to the Business Administrator.

In nominating Canose for the Distinguished Service Award, Christina Van Woert, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools at Chester School District, said, “I have been continually impressed by her hard work, dedication, attention to detail and energy on behalf of the Chester Board of Education. We have counted ourselves very fortunate to work with a professional of Mrs. Canose’s caliber… she takes great pride in her work and understands how essential proper financial management is to running an effective school district.”

As BA/Board Secretary at Chester, Canose completed a $21 million construction and energy project, created multiple shared services agreements with Chester Township, established senior transportation service for residents of Chester Borough and Chester Township, created and facilitated a Technology/Communications Committee, and established and currently manages the district’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Canose has served as the President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary of Morris County ASBO, as well as Chair of the NJASBO Editorial Review Committee. She has presented at NJASBO’s annual conference in June and at NJASBO workshops, conducted New Jersey School Business Administrator new member orientation training, presented at Morris County School Business Administrator meetings, and runs the Morris County ASBO website and Facebook page. In addition, for ten consecutive years, Canose was awarded the ASBO International Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting. She is President of ERIC-West, a sub-fund of the New Jersey School Insurance Group.

Canose received an associate’s degree in Applied Science from County College of Morris and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Kean University. Canose is a vestry member of St. Bernard’s Episcopal Church in Bernardsville where she annually co-chairs a food drive for Grace’s Kitchen in Plainfield. She also is a member of the Open Space Committee for the Borough of Bernardsville. Canose sponsors a Haitian child through Compassion International and a child from Mozambique through World Vision International.

Canose and her husband, Gregory, have two children, Joseph and Daniel.