Celebrating Business and Community Heroes with Hometown Heart - People Who Love Where They Live - Oct. 29, 2025
The 2025 Francis H. Sharp, Sr. Lifetime Achievement Award recipients are recently retired Bridgeton Chief of Police Michael Gaimari, Sr., and a husband and wife team Gregory and Bonnie Facemyer.
The 2025 Gary F. Simmerman Community Leadership Award recipients are Dorothy “Dotty” Robinson and the late Marlene Urban, who is being honored posthumously.
Business Hero Awards will be presented to Ocean First Bank, Garrison Tree Service, and County Line Nurseries. The recipients of the Community Hero Awards are The Margaret Winchester Enrichment Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Stephanie Gonzalez of Bridgeton UEZ, and Kay Delp and Rick Dawson, who will be recognized together for their community service.
Francis Sharp Sr. Lifetime Achievement Award: Michael Gaimari, Sr.
Retired Chief of Police, City of Bridgeton
To honor the memory of the late Francis H. Sharp, Sr. (Binks Sharp) who served his community with extraordinary dedication and integrity throughout his life, including a long, esteemed record of leadership of the Chamber and the community, the Chamber presents the Francis Sharp Lifetime Achievement Award annually.
Michael Gaimari, Sr. recently retired as Chief of Police of the City of Bridgeton, one of the most important and difficult jobs in any city. Gaimari served with distinction as the challenges faced by police departments grew and changed. The Chamber selected him for this lifetime achievement award based on a career and life of concern for and service to his community.
Michael A. Gaimari Sr. was born and raised in Hammonton, NJ and moved to Bridgeton in 1982 after graduating from Glassboro State College with a BA in Communications. He was recruited as a newspaper reporter for the Bridgeton Evening News by an editor who was also an adjunct professor at the college. He worked four years at the local paper attaining the position of city editor before moving on to the Daily Journal where he worked until joining the police department in December 1987 and graduating from the New Jersey State Police Academy Municipal Class 188 in April of the following year.
Officer Gaimari started his career in the department’s Patrol Division, moved to the Anti-Crime Team/Narcotics in 1991 and the Criminal Investigation Division as an assigned detective in 1993 where he found his niche working major crime cases including homicide, robbery, burglary, and sexual assault cases.
In 1998 he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and returned to patrol but was re-assigned to the department’s Training Unit the very next year. In 2001, Sgt. Gaimari was assigned to the Cumberland County Narcotics Task Force comprised of officers from law enforcement agencies throughout the county including the New Jersey State Police, FBI, DEA, and ATF. He served as Deputy Commander on the unit for three years before returning to the department’s Criminal Investigation Division and subsequently promoted to Lieutenant in 2004.
Detective Lieutenant Gaimari served as the CID commander for seven years before earning a promotion to the rank of Captain, executive officer of the department in 2011 by Mayor Albert Kelly who four years later appointed him Chief of Police on May 1, 2015.
The department underwent several major changes under his tenure as Chief of Police including a reorganization of duties and assignments, department policies and procedures, a dedication to community outreach activities such as PAL, Coffee with a Cop, Shop With a Cop, Police Youth Week, participation in the Cumberland County Positive Youth Development Council and CC Thrive and a number of other initiatives.
The Chief helped organize a statistical approach to law enforcement and crime prevention which also included enhancing the COMPSTAT approach with monthly supervisor statistical and crime solving meetings. Obtaining Body Worn Cameras several years prior to the state mandate and instituting a multi-layered command review of all use of force incidents involving all officers.
He initiated a change in the appearance of the department’s police vehicles and enhanced the vehicle fleet every year as Chief while also facilitating the vast equipment replacement project following a 2016 lightning strike that crippled the department.
During his tenure, the department suffered through the turmoil of two police-involved fatal shootings both of which the officers were exonerated, two more police officer deaths and a Covid epidemic that rocked the entire world in 2020.
He acknowledges the support of the Mayor and City Council, and the residents for the department and city getting through those times.
He earned five Unit Citations; three Exceptional Duty Medals, one Meritorious Service, and one Honorable Service award during his career in addition to Certificates of Appreciation from the DEA and the Southern Counties Narcotics Task Force Commanders Association. Atop the list of accomplishments, Retired Chief Gaimari notes placing those fine officers in positions within the department to ensure future success as of utmost importance.
Gaimari was active in the community beyond his police service. He joined the Bridgeton-Area Jaycees before joining the police department and helped organize the Greater Bridgeton Christmas Parade for a number of years. While serving on the PBA, he assisted in instituting the annual PBA 94 Golf Tournament and Deerfield Harvest Festival Cheesesteak Booth. Michael also served on the Hopewell Township Board of Education for 19 years, the last nine as Vice President before electing not to run for a seventh term in 2019.
Gaimari has been married to his wife Maria, who is employed by the State of New Jersey Judicial system, for 33 years and they have one son, Michael Jr., a 2018 graduate of Lasalle University, who lives and works in Philadelphia.
Francis Sharp Sr. Lifetime Achievement Award: Gregory and Bonnie Facemyer
Husband-Wife Team: Business Professionals and Community Leaders
Bonnie and Gregory Facemyer are co-recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award. This husband-wife team have given a lifetime of service to Bridgeton and Cumberland County.
Greg Facemyer has been a Certified Public Account for 50 years, with 40 of those years managing his own firm, Gregory Facemyer, CPA, where his experience, expertise, knowledge, and concern for his customers, built a well-respected successful accounting practice that serves all types of businesses, including non-profits like the Chamber for many years. The firm received a business award from the Chamber in the 1990’s.
Greg’s accounting accolades include a member of the American Institute of CPAs, New Jersey Society of CPAs, and a graduate of Rowan University (Summa Cum Laude).
Bonnie Facemyer worked beside her husband Greg in the Gregory Facemyer, CPA office for 40 years, serving as office manager. She is President of B&G Realty and attended Rutgers University. She has served the community in many ways, including serving as a Commissioner of the Cumberland County Tax Board for 12 years. Bonnie has also served on the Cumberland County Board of Elections and the Bridgeton-Cumberland Tourism Association. One of her passions has been leadership of the Cohanzick Zoological Society, serving 25 years as President. She has also been a foster mom to orphaned kittens and has been a member of the DL Club that provides fellowship and donations to various local charities.
Greg’s dedicated service to the community includes Hopewell Township Committee for 15 years, including servings as Deputy Mayor, and taking the lead for Hopewell and the region to seek better service from Verizon that helped bring broadband internet service to all of Hopewell.
Greg Facemyer also served on the Hopewell Planning Board three years including as Chairman, the Upper Deerfield Township Committee for three years, including serving as Mayor, and on the Upper Deerfield Planning Board for three years. He also was County of Cumberland Treasurer and Interim CFO for three years, Cumberland County Insurance Commission for three years, and on the Cumberland County Utilities Authority Board for five years.
Greg has served on the boards of Cumberland Mutual Insurance (serves as Audit Committee Chairman), Colonial Bank (served as Chairman), Cape Bank (served on Audit Committee), Inspira Health Network (served as Treasurer), Bridgeton Invitational Tournament (served as Treasurer), Bridgeton Recreation Commission, Bridgeton Industrial Commission, Red Cross, Woodland School (served as Treasurer), and Bridgeton Rotary Club (served as President and Treasurer).
Greg and Bonnie Facemyer have been publicly acknowledged for their years of service including Bonnie’s awards from Cohanzick Zoological Society Bench dedicated to her and a plaque from Cohanzick Zoological Society in 2018, and a proclamation from Bridgeton’s Mayor Albert Kelly for 25 years of unwavering support of Cohanzick Zoo. Greg has been recognized by Rotary International with the Paul Harris Award and has received the Bridgeton Sportsmen’s Corner Award.
To honor the memory of the late Gary F. Simmerman, who served the Chamber for 40 consecutive years in many leadership roles and was a leader in the business community and community in general throughout his life, the Chamber presents the leaders who exemplify Simmerman’s leadership. This year’s awards will be presented to two outstanding women who have been exemplary business and community leaders.
Gary F. Simmerman Community Leadership Award: Dorothy "Dotty" Robinson
Has provided a lifetime of business professionalism, heart-felt concern for people, and outstanding service to the community.
Dotty Robinson grew up in Stow Creek and is a 1960 graduate of Bridgeton High School. As a senior, she took a job that was a part of the curriculum of the Secretarial Class. She chose to work part-time for the Bridgeton Board of Education, working for the Secretary to the Board. Dotty showed extraordinary expertise and knowledge for a high school senior as well as a very good work ethic. This led to a job offer from her supervisor for a full-time job with the Board of Education before her senior year in high school concluded.
Dotty accepted the job and began a 41-year career with the Bridgeton Board of Education. As Dotty recalls, she never had to go for an interview or worry about getting a job after high school. Her future was in front of her and she was grateful and returned the favor with four decades of outstanding work. She began as an administrative assistant and when she retired, she was in charge of all purchasing for the school district.
Her work ethic and upbeat personality served her well in her career. Her supervisors spoke highly of her organizational skills, her outstanding audits, her high marks in performance reviews, and most importantly her ability to get along with all she worked with over the years. Amazingly Dotty worked under 14 business administrators and 8 superintendents and served as interim business administrator in 1988.
Dotty Robinson has given that same level of professionalism and concern for people in her post retirement employment and service to the community. She served as the part-time manager of Upper Deerfield Estates for many years after retirement from Bridgeton Public Schools, where she not only served the owners of the complex and its residents, but she went over and above her job to help the residents and her friends.
Dotty has served the community as a long-time parishioner and leader at Trinity United Methodist Church in Bridgeton where she has served as Financial Secretary, Chairwoman of the Church Board, and as a choir member. She has also been an active member of the Eastern Star and Cumberland County Soroptimist International.
Dotty Robinson’s service to the Chamber of Commerce began in 2007. She has served on the Board of Directors and as Chairwoman of the Chamber’s Membership Committee. Dotty’s dedicated service after her retirement to the Chamber has been so valuable and dedicated that the Chamber office often receives calls asking for Dotty because she does so much, they think she is an employee.
Her community service has won her acclaim from many organizations including City of Bridgeton, The Chamber of Commerce, and others. Nowhere does Dotty’s love for her community, her friends, and her family shine more than through the countless thoughtful and meaningful ways she helps her friends and neighbors. She does not seek public praise for this service but prefers to quietly go about the work her Lord commands when he says “love they neighbor as thy self.” The Chamber and all who know Dotty are blessed by her care and her service.
Business Hero Award: OceanFirst Bank
OceanFirst Bank, a strong supporter of the Chamber and the community, which traces its banking roots in our area to Young Men’s Savings and Loan Assoc, Colonial Bank, and Cape Bank, opened in 1902, with its founders belief in supporting and growing our local community.
OceanFirst Bank, a strong supporter of the Chamber and the community, which traces its banking roots in our area to Young Men’s Savings and Loan Assoc, Colonial Bank, and Cape Bank, opened in 1902, with its founders belief in supporting and growing our local community. Initially, the focus was helping neighbors realize the dream of owning a home. Now, more than a century later and stronger, the bank still helps fulfill those dreams and assists families, businesses, organizations, and governments with all of their financial needs during every stage of growth.
For over 120 years, OceanFirst Bank has been serving our communities and committed to helping our neighbors. OceanFirst Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:OCFC) was established in 1996 and was the first mutual to stock conversion to include the creation of a foundation. OceanFirst Foundation has been providing grants to assist non-profit organizations in our local markets for more than 25 years.
OceanFirst Bank is a $13.3 billion regional bank providing financial services throughout New Jersey and in the metropolitan markets of Philadelphia, New York, Greater Washington D.C. and Boston. They are one of the oldest community-based financial institutions headquartered in New Jersey.
The Bridgeton branch, located at 85 West Broad Street, has been proudly serving the community for more than 60 years. Bridgeton Branch Manager Tracy Jenkins serves on the Chamber Board of Directors and her entire branch team are committed to making a difference and actively participate in events that support the Bridgeton community year after year, and strives to provide the community with exceptional customer service along with OceanFirst Bank’s wide array of financial products and services designed to help our customers achieve their financial goals. Visit www.oceanfirst.com to learn more.
Business Hero Award: Garrison Tree Service
Through it all, Jeff’s greatest strength has been his resilience. He’s faced challenges and setbacks, but instead of letting them define him, he’s used them as fuel to move forward and continue helping those around him. His unwavering authenticity and dedication are the foundation of both his compan.y and his character
The Chamber presents its third Business Hero Award to Garrison Tree Service. Jeff Garrison began his journey in the tree care industry nearly two decades ago, quickly developing a deep passion for the work and the people it serves. In 2019, after years of experience, he made the bold decision to launch his own business, Garrison’s Tree Service. For the first few years, Jeff balanced his full-time job while running the company three days a week. By 2023, he fully committed to his dream, taking the leap to run the business full-time.
Since then, Garrison’s Tree Service has grown from a small operation to four dedicated crews serving multiple counties with residential, commercial, and emergency tree services. Under Jeff’s leadership, the company has earned a reputation for quality, reliability, and integrity.
Jeff’s vision extends beyond business success. He's passionate about giving back to the community that has supported him. Garrison’s Tree Service proudly sponsors numerous local initiatives, including baseball and softball teams, soccer programs, professional fishermen, motocross riders, and more.
Through it all, Jeff’s greatest strength has been his resilience. He’s faced challenges and setbacks, but instead of letting them define him, he’s used them as fuel to move forward and continue helping those around him. His unwavering authenticity and dedication are the foundation of both his company and his character.
The Chamber is pleased to recognize Garrison’s Tree Service as a Business Hero. His business exemplifies the spirit of entrepreneurship that has turned many local people’s dreams into business success stories serving Cumberland County and beyond. Their success strengthens our economy and our communities just as Jeff’s vision, his incredible employees, and loyal customers have led to his company’s recognition.
Business Hero Award: County Line Nurseries
From their hometown, this family-owned business blends tradition, innovation, and a steadfast commitment to customer satisfaction, into making County Line Nurseries a trusted name in the horticulture industry.
County Line Nurseries, owned by the Jules Perlstein family for two generations, will receive one of the Chamber’s Business Hero Awards. Their agricultural business closely mirrors the Chamber’s marketing slogan “Hometown Heart with Global Reach.” With over 400 acres of cultivated farmland in production in the area, County Line is deeply rooted in Cumberland County, but their reach extends nationwide, delivering high-quality plant material to job sites and garden centers across the country. At the heart of their operation is a multigenerational commitment to excellence, service, and horticultural expertise.
Jules Perlstein, the founder and President of County Line Nurseries, has been a driving force in the nursery industry for over 60 years. Born and raised in Deerfield Township, where the nursery now thrives, Jules earned a degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Delaware Valley College. He went on to teach the subject while pursuing his Master’s degree at Rutgers University. Combining academic insight with hands-on experience, Jules turned his passion into a thriving business and has long been recognized as a leader in producing top-quality plant material.
His dedication and love for the industry have been passed down to the next generation. His older daughter, Abby Perlstein O'Brien, brings a strong sense of design and customer service to the business. A graduate of Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Architecture, Abby is a Registered Architect in the State of New Jersey and a LEED Accredited Professional. Her background in architecture and construction enhances the nursery’s ability to serve landscape professionals with both aesthetic insight and technical understanding.
Deeply committed to her community, Abby has served on the Deerfield Township Committee for 10 years, including 5 years as Mayor, and also currently serves as Board President of Woodland Country Day School in Bridgeton, New Jersey and as Vice Chairwoman of the Cumberland Development Corporation.
Janice Perlstein Maxwell, Jules’ younger daughter, followed closely in her father's agricultural footsteps. She earned her degree in Plant Science from Cornell University and brings a wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience to the nursery’s operations. Janice manages the farm's supply business and helps maintain the field programs and compliance, and she also specializes in plant brokering, sourcing high-quality materials from across the country to meet clients’ needs at competitive prices.
In addition to her professional role, Janice is a certified yoga instructor, and on the board of a non-profit organization that sends girls to summer camp. Both experiences provide her with a reflective sense of bottom lines that contribute to the success of the business.
All three owners were born and raised in Cumberland County and are proud to continue growing County Line Nurseries and their families from their hometown. Together, they blend tradition, innovation, and a steadfast commitment to customer satisfaction, making County Line Nurseries a trusted name in the horticulture industry.
Community Hero Award: Margaret Winchester Enrichment Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired
The Center's success is based on the professional and caring work of its dedicated employees, volunteers, families, and the strength and tenacity of its clients.
In response to the Covid-19 epidemic in 2020, the Chamber created a new award category – Community Heroes – to recognize health and community heroes, who courageously served others and helped our area sustain itself in those difficult times. The recognition of community heroes continues in 2025 when we honor three individuals and one organization as Community Heroes.
The Margaret Winchester Enrichment Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Inc., will receive a Community Hero Award for its many years of dedicated service to improve the quality of life for the blind and visually impaired people of Cumberland County.
The program is free for participants and provides social, educational, physiological, psychosocial and recreational needs of the blind and visually impaired through a variety of activities and projects. The program provides services to visually impaired persons, assisting them in functioning more effectively and with confidence in their homes and community, with a long-range goal of self-sufficiency.
While the Center is funded in part by New Jersey Commission for the Blind, the Cumberland County Office on Aging and Disabled Supplemental Aging and Supportive Services grant funds, its success is based on the professional and caring work of its dedicated employees, volunteers, families, and the strength and tenacity of its clients. The Chamber is pleased to name the Margaret Winchester Center for the Enrichment of the Blind and Visually Impaired a community hero.
Community Hero Award: Stephanie Gonzalez
Stephanie’s leadership is rooted in compassion, resilience, and a deep belief in the power of community. She lives by the belief that “the sun shines for everyone” — or in her words, “el sol sale para todas” — a guiding principle that reflects her commitment to uplifting others and creating spaces where people and businesses can thrive.
Stephanie Gonzalez, the passionate community leader dedicated to service, empowerment, and economic growth as the Coordinator of the Bridgeton Urban Enterprise Zone will be recognized by the Chamber as a Community Hero.
With a background in psychology and business administration, she blends her understanding of people with her expertise in organizational development to create meaningful impact. She worked with the City of Los Angeles for 14 years, where she gained extensive experience in public service and community support. Today, she continues that mission as the Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) Coordinator for the City of Bridgeton and the State of New Jersey, helping small businesses grow, driving economic development, and fostering community revitalization.
Stephanie’s leadership is rooted in compassion, resilience, and a deep belief in the power of community. She lives by the belief that “the sun shines for everyone” — or in her words, “el sol sale para todas” — a guiding principle that reflects her commitment to uplifting others and creating spaces where people and businesses can thrive.
Beyond her professional work, Stephanie is deeply grounded in faith, family, and love. She is blessed with loving parents, a brother, her fiancé, three beautiful stepdaughters, and a large circle of family and friends — and she considers her community part of that family as well. With God’s guidance, she continues to share her love and light with everyone she meets.
She is grateful to work alongside her Bridgeton UEZ team — Business Administrator Kevin Rabago and Project Manager Heather Moran — and she speaks highly of amazing Mayor Albert Kelly of the Great City of Bridgeton, businesses, youth, community partners, and business owners within the UEZ, who keep her passion fueled every day. The Chamber acknowledges Stephanie’s service and dedication with this Community Hero award.
Community Hero Award: Kay Delp and Rick Dawson
Community heroes are people who show that they love where they live and that they care for others, in small but impactful ways. Kay Delp and Rick Dawson are being recognized as Community Heroes because of the quiet and persistent way that they serve our community.
The Chamber’s Community Heroes are not people or organizations that are well-known and do not always serve the community in highly visible ways. They are often people who show that they love where they live and that they care for others, in small but impactful ways. Kay Delp and Rick Dawson are being recognized as Community Heroes because of the quiet and persistent way that they serve our community.
On the corner of Commerce and Laurel Streets in downtown Bridgeton is a little park known as the Pocket Park. It does not even have its own name. Bridgeton Main Street Association was tasked with keeping the area clean and welcoming. That’s where Rick and Kay Delp stepped up. They have become caretakers for the park and they both take pride in their roles.
Once a month or more when needed, rain, snow, cold or brutally hot, you can see them working tirelessly cleaning up trash, cigarette butts, pulling weeds and raking. There is never a task they can’t handle including brandishing a chainsaw to clean up the trees in the area. They supply all their own supplies such as trash bags, leaf blowers, and rakes.
Kay Delp is the founder and director for Eastern Sky Co-Op in downtown Bridgeton, a non-profit organization that offers yoga classes and wellness and community benefit events. She is a retired school psychologist and a former business management executive. She is married to Dr. Michael Feinstein and they have 3 grown children and 3 black cats. Kay teaches yoga classes, gardens, cooks and travels extensively.
She has served with numerous volunteer organizations since she moved to Greenwich in 1990. They have included the Greenwich Twp. Planning Board, NJ Human Relations Council, Cumberland County Dept. of Corrections GED Program, Court Appointed Special Advocates of CGS(CASA), Services Empowering the Rights of Victims (CFS, Vineland), Bridgeton Main Street Association and Bright Future Collective. Recently, Kay has been working on becoming “retired” for real to give her more time to enjoy family and friends.
Rick Dawson grew up in Bridgeton, where he enjoyed Little League baseball, high school gymnastics, and his first jobs at Sam’s Men’s Shop and WT Grants. A proud member of Bridgeton High School’s Bicentennial Class of 1976, he went on to build a 40-year career at the Salem Nuclear Generating Station, serving in Operations and Technical Departments, as a union shop steward and executive board representative for IBEW Local 94, and as president of the Nuclear Federal Credit Union. He also worked on major reorganization initiatives with PSE&G, developed training programs, and later returned after retirement to support plant projects.
In his community, Rick has been an active volunteer with the Bridgeton Main Street Organization, helping with events and park clean-ups, and has served the City of Bridgeton as Chairman of both the Planning and Zoning Boards, as well as past Vice Chair of the Cumberland County Utilities Authority.
He is married to the Honorable Celeste Riley, County Clerk of Cumberland County, and is the proud father of five daughters and grandfather of seven.
The Chamber and our community are fortunate to have Community Heroes like Kay and Rick, such dedicated individuals in our community.
The public is invited to join the Chamber of Commerce at the Business and Heroes Celebration on Oct. 29, 2025 at The Grove at Centerton.
“Our Business and Community Heroes have stepped up in so many ways to boost our businesses and our neighborhoods. Our 2025 award recipients with their amazing accomplishments and community spirit, exemplify what we call hometown heart, and clearly are people who love where they live,” stated Randi Galan and Omarey Williams Co-chairs of the Hero Awards Celebration.
The public is invited to join the Chamber of Commerce at the Business and Heroes Celebration on Oct. 29, 2025 at The Grove at Centerton. Reservations, sponsorships and ads are available. For more information about the award recipients, the celebration, sponsorship opportunities, and reservations, call 856-455-1312 or visit www.tinyurl.com/BACCHero and www.baccnj.com/hero.
