Rep. Mikie Sherrill Honors Parsippany Residents, Workers As 2021 Heroes

PARSIPPANY, NJ — The pandemic raged on, but many Parsippany residents and employees kept pushing. Rep. Mikie Sherrill opened nominations to the public to honor members of New Jersey's 11th Congressional District as 2021 heroes.

"This was an opportunity to remind our everyday heroes — teachers, healthcare providers, first responders, family members, volunteers or others who have impacted another person's life in a positive way — that our community is incredibly grateful for all of their work," Sherrill said.

Here were the nominees affiliated with Parsippany:

Adam Rudolph, tractor truck driver, Lake Hiawatha

Nominated by his girlfriend, Rosalyn Blake

“When the pandemic hit In March 2020 Adam was one of the few truckers left working at his company. He works locally specifically NJ, NY & PA. He was working 14-16 hour days making deliveries that included medicine and PPE. There is a shortage of truckers nowadays and I truly think my trucker made a huge difference in the State of NJ during extraordinarily difficult and scary times. The State (including its constituents) doesn’t know they depended on Adam so much & he’s never even asked for recognition. He does his job, goes above and beyond & loves what he does. He deserves so much more than recognition but I love that we can start here.”

Narisa Pongklang, tailor and owner of Lingerie and Bridal by Lisa, Lake Hiawatha

Nominated by her husband, Stew A. Fried

“During the pandemic our business was not allowed to do business. That did not stop Narisa from going to work every day. She started making masks and donating them to the local ambulance squad, Hospitals, friends, family and customers. Eventually she was contacted by friends and family that wanted to help pay for the material to make the masks. To date she has donated well over a thousand masks to our community.”

Shala Gagliardi, constituent services manager for Rep. Mikie Sherrill, Parsippany

Nominated by constituent Jigar Shukla

“After hearing my story of being a US immigrant for 20 years without getting to my permanent residence, Shala and her office worked on my case tirelessly to push my case through Texas and Nebraska service centers. While it’s still work in progress, I’m confident that my case will get the attention it deserves soon.”

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