Branchburg Mayor To Receive 2020 Millicent Fenwick Award

Press release from the Federation of Republican Women:

May 5 2020

BRANCHBURG TOWNSHIP, NJ - The Somerset County Federation of Republican Women is pleased to announce the Honorable Anna Columbus as the recipient of the 2020 Millicent Fenwick Award. Ms. Columbus will be presented with this prestigious award at a dinner in her honor on October 21. This award, granted for Distinguished Public Service, is presented annually as it acknowledges and recognizes those women who have dedicated their lives to outstanding public service to others. This award also reflects the Federation’s intent to ensure that the achievements of women like Anna Columbus are recorded in history.

Millicent Fenwick, the award’s namesake, was a special person in New Jersey and in Congressional history. Always a class act, she was an effective leader in New Jersey and in Congress and became known for her work and the unique person she was. Her famous motto, “be useful,” shows that Anna’s lifetime of public service mirrors Congresswoman Fenwick’s perseverance, including dedication to family, self-reliance, industriousness, strong work ethic, free enterprise, capitalism, volunteerism, good character, and stalwart Republican principles that respect freedom from intrusive government.

Anna Columbus, Mayor of Branchburg in 2019 and Township Committee member since August 2015, exemplifies and epitomizes Republican ideals and is a role model for women.

Born in New York City and at the tender age of four, her family moved to New Jersey when her Dad became employed at Johns Manville. Her family resided in the Bradley Gardens section of Bridgewater until her move to Branchburg in the early 80’s. She proclaims that her family is everything and “Family First” is her motto. A dedicated and loving Mother to her cherished her son, Joey, who passed away in June 10, 2017. Joey has two beautiful children, Christina and Joey, these 2 grandchildren are the loves of Anna’s life and they make her proud every day. Her partner, Tom and her sister, JoAnn are her sounding board and her brother, Sheriff Frank Provenzano, is her political mentor; Frank refers to her as the family matriarch.

Anna has been active with the Somerset County Republican party since 2001. She spent many hours campaigning door to door, phone banking, distributing mailers, and assisting with events. Anna served as joint coordinator for “Women for Chris Christie,” maintaining two call centers and organizing phone banks and walking campaigns.

Anna is a longtime member of the Somerset County Federation of Republican Women, where she has held many roles. She served as President for three years, Treasurer, and Chair of membership, legislative breakfasts, and the Millicent Fenwick event. Anna is known for her wonderful parties at her home, hosting holiday events, fundraisers, and debate-watch parties to successfully get Republicans elected.

Since 2015 in her role on the Township Committee, Anna has worked tirelessly for the residents of Branchburg. Her accomplishments include renovation of the Station House in Neshanic Station, creation of a 100% handicap accessible playground, and lighting for tennis and basketball courts. Anna originated a food truck festival with the local Rotary club, attracting more than 6,000 people to enjoy this community event. She negotiated with the State of New Jersey for the construction of the new Railroad Bridge serving Branchburg and initiated the resurgence of the Open Space initiative to build a walking trail along the beautiful rivers. Anna serves on the Planning Board and as township liaison to the Parks and Recreation Committee, the Historic Commission, and the Open Space Committee.

Apart from her roles in government and the Republican Party, Anna has had a very successful career in financial services. She owns her own business, “Anna P. Columbus Financial Services Group,” serving as an investment account representative responsible for recommending products to suit clients’ financial-medical needs. Anna also serves as the manager for the Atrium Condominium Association since 1997, as a notary public, and is a licensed financial agent in New Jersey and Florida.

Anna worked at the Prudential Insurance Company where she served in various roles. Her career at Prudential was a progressive and successful one. Her first role, as administrative assistant, and through hard work and dedication, Anna quickly earned positions with increased responsibility as she was eventually promoted to Office Manager. In her desire to change paths, Anna moved to the sales division. Anna’s success in sales was recognized in 1968 with the Award of Excellence and Ring of Champions, ranking 81 out of 20,000 salespersons. She received the same awards in 1987 and added the “Million Dollar Round Table” award where she was recognized as the leading agent in the Eastern home office, finishing 46 out of 20,000 agents and #1 in the Eastern home office. The next decade brought continued recognition for Anna as each year she received the Million Dollar Round Table Award, a recognition earned by the top 1% in financial sales all over the world.

Earlier in her life, Anna served as a member of the evening Somerville Women’s Club, raising money for Make-a-Wish and other charities.

We congratulate Anna and invite the community to her Award Ceremony Dinner to be held at the Bridgewater Manor on Wednesday, October 21, 2020. An addition to the evening will include a scholarship to be awarded to a deserving RVCC female student through our Rose McConnell Scholarship Fund. Cocktails at 5:30 PM and Program at 7:00 PM. Tickets are $85 and should be purchased in advance. Checks should be made payable to “SCFRW” and mailed to Marti Kalko, 84 Rock Road East, Greenbrook, NJ 08812. Opportunities for event sponsorships and ad journal advertising are available. Questions? Email scfrw2012@gmail.com

The Somerset County Federation’s mission is to energize Republican women by giving them the tools, the contacts, and exposure to the political process that will enable and empower them to command any position of leadership they choose. There is no better time for women to significantly influence the New Jersey political scene, and no better place than Somerset County. The time to move forward is now. https://www.facebook.com/somco...

This press release was produced by the Federation of Republican Women. The views expressed here are the author’s own.