Four Outstanding Hillsborough Women to be Honored Friday

Hillsborough, NJ -- These four township women are truly amazing and that's why they were chosen as the 2016 Outstanding Women in Somerset County award winners.

Lois Bennett, Paulette Brown, Hillarie Scannelli and Dr. Laurene Wolf all from Hillsborough will be honored at an awards dinner on March 18 at The Imperia in Franklin.

“We have many women in Somerset County doing amazing things every day,” Somerset County Freeholder Director Patricia Walsh, liaison to the county Commission on the Status of Women said. “It is most appropriate that during Women's History Month, we take the time to publicly recognize them and say thank you.”

Here is why these women were chosen:

Lois Bennett: Social Service

Lois Bennett of Hillsborough is the founder and executive director of Feeding Hands, an organization that provides approximately 120,000 pounds of food to those in need each year. She has worked to develop a network of support among individuals, churches and businesses for Feeding Hands, and to address the issue of poverty in an environment of dignity, empathy and connection.

A former CPA, Lois left corporate life to take care of her children, two of whom had serious health conditions. During that time, she recognized the importance of bringing awareness and help to those in need.

She is currently on the board of the Zarephath Health Center, an innovative free clinic providing healthcare to the under-insured and uninsured.

Lois lives in Hillsborough and is a member of Mount Bethel Baptist Church in Warren.

Paulette Brown: Journalism/Media/Law

Paulette Brown of Hillsborough is the president of the American Bar Association. She has been recognized by the National Law Journal as one of "The 50 Most Influential Minority Lawyers in America” and by the New Jersey Law Journal as one of the “prominent women and minority attorneys in the State of New Jersey."

Paulette has repeatedly been named as a New Jersey Super Lawyer and by U.S. News as one of the Best Lawyers in America in the area of commercial litigation. She has served as in-house counsel to a number of Fortune 500 companies and as a municipal court judge.

Paulette is currently a partner at Locke Lord LLP, where she co-chairs the firm-wide Diversity & Inclusion Committee. She is a co-author of "Visible Invisibility: Women of Color in Law Firms.”

Paulette earned her juris doctorate at Seton Hall University School of Law and her bachelor of arts degree at Howard University.

Hillarie Scannelli: Sports

An entrepreneur and fitness guru, Hillarie Scannelli of Hillsborough is the owner of !MPACT Training, a facility that teaches health, wellness and fitness to adults, teens and children. !MPACT Training runs free events for firefighters and provides discounted educational programs for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, as well as fitness camps for children.

Hillarie donates her time to the Hillsborough High School football team, as well as the track and field teams, to educate them on sports nutrition and its effect on their performance and confidence.

Hillarie serves on the board of a local charity, Steps Together. Hillarie travels throughout the country building a team of coaches that she mentors and educates.

Since 2005, Hillarie has provided sports nutritional counseling to NFL Combine athletes from U.S. colleges, helping athletes meet their goals leading up to the draft.

Dr. Laurene Wolf: Medicine

Dr. Laurene Wolf of Hillsborough is a practicing orthodontist. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine as valedictorian, and completed her residency at the University of Washington in Seattle.

She is past president of the Central Dental Society of New Jersey and a diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics. Dr. Wolf and her team are actively involved and committed to community service and charitable causes.

In 2008, Dr. Wolf established Giving Smiles Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports the local community. Dr. Wolf’s Giving Smiles Foundation awarded scholarships for high school students, and donated money for the local charity Steps Together that assists families facing medical crises.

The Giving Smiles essay contest encouraged local children to write about community service they were personally involved in, and donations were made to charities of the winner’s choices.

(Photos provided: From top left to bottom right - Lois Bennett, Paulette Brown, Hillarie Scannelli and Dr. Laurene Wolf)