[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5692]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  IN HONOR OF THE 14TH ANNUAL WALTER AND LEAH RAND SCHOLARSHIP DINNER

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. DONALD NORCROSS

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 28, 2015

  Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 14th Annual 
Walter and Leah Rand Scholarship Dinner and to recognize this year's 
honorees, J. Mark Baiada, Louis Cappelli, Jr., and Thomas A. 
Isekenegbe.
  Founded in the year 2000 in honor of former New Jersey State Senator 
Walter Rand's legacy of public service, the Walter Rand Institute for 
Public Affairs at Rutgers University serves as a research and public 
service center at the Camden campus. Each year, the institute awards 
members of the community whose tireless efforts improve the quality of 
life for South Jersey with the Walter and Leah Rand South Jerseyan of 
the Year Award.
  The private sector honoree, J. Mark Baiada--an alumnus of Rutgers 
University--is the president and founder of Bayada Home Health Care. 
Bayada Home Health care is a health care company, located in 
Moorestown, that employs nurses from throughout the state and provides 
outstanding health services to South Jersey. Mark has already expanded 
his company to over twenty-five states, offering the same high quality 
health care to people beyond New Jersey's borders.
  This year's public sector honoree, Freeholder Director Louis 
Cappelli, Jr., has brought his keen legal mind and innovative ideas to 
a lifetime of public service. As a resident of Collingswood, New 
Jersey, Louis has been a dedicated servant of his community. He began 
by serving on the Collingswood School Board and was later elected to 
the Collingswood Board of Commissioners, where he played an 
instrumental role in revitalizing the town. Louis was first elected to 
the Freeholder Board in 2003 and has since worked to transform county 
government, delivering services more efficiently to constituents while 
reducing the costs of doing so.
  The non-profit sector honoree, Dr. Thomas Isekenegbe, is the 
president of Cumberland County College, and has used his knowledge of 
higher education to increase enrollment and graduation rates at the 
college. Coming to America in 1981 from a small village in Nigeria, 
Thomas' passion for education and helping minorities succeed in higher 
education has been an inspiration. At Cumberland, Thomas has provided 
leadership for increasing enrollment, developing new academic programs, 
revising courses for a seamless transfer to four-year universities, and 
developing learning communities that lead to student success.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. J. Mark Baiada, Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, 
Jr., and Dr. Thomas A. Isekenegbe are the sort of inspirational and 
dedicated leaders that South Jersey needs and is proud to recognize. I 
join with the Walter and Leah Rand Institute for Public Affairs in 
honoring their talents and accomplishments that have made South Jersey 
an even better place to live.

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