NJCU Council on Hispanic Affairs To Honor Three Visionary Leaders At 30th Anniversary Gala On Oct. 16

JERSEY CITY, N.J., Sept. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- New Jersey City University's Council on Hispanic Affairs (CHA) will celebrate its 30^th anniversary and honor an international corporation and two distinguished alumni on Thursday, October 16, 2014 at Maritime Park in Jersey City, beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Three special awards will be presented at the 30^th Anniversary CHA Gala:

• Goya Foods, Inc., based in Jersey City, will be honored with the CHA Corporate Citizenship Award.
• Carlos Beato '84 M.S.H.S., Chief Executive Officer of Bon Secours New York Health System, will receive the CHA Corporate Alumnus Award.
• The Hon. Jose Linares '75, United States District Judge, District of New Jersey, will be honored with the CHA Alumni Leadership Award for Public Service.

"NJCU is honored to salute Goya Foods, an international corporation that is a community-minded neighbor, a generous friend to NJCU, and an advocate for higher education," Dr. Sue Henderson, NJCU president, said. 

"We are so proud of Mr. Beato and Judge Linares, two outstanding alumni who are remarkable men, distinguished leaders in their professional fields, and dedicated members of the NJCU family. 

"All three award recipients show us that much can be accomplished with hard work, determination, and clear vision. The honorees value education at all levels and are committed to helping others achieve a higher education and then successful, meaningful careers," she added.

Proceeds from the CHA 30^th Anniversary Gala will benefit student scholarships and programs at NJCU.  Leaders in the fields of business and industry, health care, education, public service, and the non-profit community will be among the guests celebrating the three honorees at the Gala.

For further information about the NJCU CHA 30^th Anniversary Gala call 201-200-3250 or visit www.njcu.edu/cha30gala.

Goya Foods, Inc.

Founded in 1936, Goya is America's largest Hispanic-owned food company and the premier source for authentic Latin cuisine. 

Goya Foods supports cultural programs, scholarships and activities that benefit families and children throughout the world.  Goya actively engages with social and civic organizations, as well as local food banks and relief efforts, on charitable endeavors that promote and sustain community wellness and the advancement of the Hispanic culture.

Carlos Beato

Since April 2013, Mr. Beato has served as chief executive officer for Bon Secours New York Health System (BSNY) in Riverdale, New York.  BSNY, based in Marriottsville, Maryland, is a $3.4 billion dollar not-for-profit Catholic health system that owns, manages or joint ventures 19 acute care, five long term care, four assisted living, six retirement communities/senior housing, 14 home care and hospice services, and other facilities, primarily on the East Coast.

Mr. Beato has 25 years of senior-level clinical, management, and business development experience in both for-profit, not-for-profit, and faith-based organizations including assisted living, skilled nursing, home care and post-acute rehab.  He previously served United Methodist Homes of New Jersey as Corporate Director of Clinical Services.  He also ran his own consulting firm for 15 years. Clients included hospitals, nursing homes, homecare, hospices, and assisted living, including several Bon Secours ministries.

Mr. Beato holds a master of science in healthcare administration from NJCU and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Excelsior College in Albany, New York.   He lives in New Jersey with his wife of 40 years.

The Hon. Jose Linares

Judge Linares presently sits as a Federal Court Judge for the District of New Jersey in Newark.  He is the first Hispanic to hold that position in the Newark Vicinage and the second foreign born individual to be a Federal District Court Judge in New Jersey's history.  During his tenure on the Federal Bench, the Judge has presided on numerous high profile and legally complex cases and has written and published numerous legal opinions. 

Judge Linares' judicial career began when he was appointed to the Essex County Superior Court Bench on December 13, 2000 by the then Governor of New Jersey, the Honorable Christine Todd Whitman.  He was nominated to the Federal District Court Bench for the District of New Jersey by President George W. Bush on August 8, 2002 and commissioned by the President on December 3, 2002.

Born in Havana, Cuba, he is the oldest of five sons.  The Linares family fled Castro's Cuba in 1966.  At that time, Judge Linares was 12 years old.  The family's migration to the United States took them through Spain where they lived for approximately seven months. The Linares Family arrived in the United States in August of 1966 and settled in Newark, New Jersey where all five children were raised.

Judge Linares attended Immaculate Conception High School in Montclair, New Jersey and subsequently attended New Jersey City University (then known as Jersey City State College), graduating in 1975 with a bachelor of arts degree in political science.  He went on to attend Temple University Law School where he excelled as a student, making the Dean's List the first semester.  In 2013, Judge Linares received NJCU's Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Judge Linares' began his legal career as an investigating attorney for the New York City Department of Investigation.  Subsequently he became an associate with the private law firm of Horowitz, Bross & Sinnins in Newark, New Jersey, where he honed his skills as a litigator in both civil and criminal matters.  In 1982, the Judge established his own law firm in Bloomfield, New Jersey.  During his years as an attorney, the Judge also served on many professional committees and lectured extensively to law students and lawyers. 

A Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, Judge Linares is a past president of the New Jersey Hispanic Bar Association and the Bloomfield Lawyer's Club, and a past vice chair of the Essex County Bench-Bar Committee.  The Judge has received numerous awards including the Essex County Bar Association Civil Trial Attorney Achievement Award and the Seton Hall Law School Latino Students Role Model Award.

NJCU's Council on Hispanic Affairs

The Council on Hispanic Affairs is a University-wide organization with membership open to all NJCU students, faculty, and staff.  CHA strives to engage the University community in the stewardship of education, leadership and culture through Hispanic representation and interest in NJCU, which is a Hispanic Serving Institution.  The Council supports increased visibility and opportunities for Hispanics in the NJCU University community; achievement of life-long academic and professional success; and partnership in collaboration with the Jersey City Community and beyond to advance the mission and vision of NJCU.

The CHA 30^th Anniversary Gala will benefit student scholarships and programs at NJCU.

ABOUT NJCU

Situated in the midst of bustling Jersey City, the New Jersey City University campus is a place to think and grow by interacting with professors and classmates who come from countries worldwide. As one of the most diverse college campuses in the country, NJCU's global perspective touches every facet of life and learning. Some 54 nations are represented in the student body.  Within this stimulating environment, NJCU students prepare for success by engaging in rigorous applied-learning experiences that include laboratory experiments, performances, exhibitions, and cooperative education internships. 

The University offers 43 undergraduate degree programs, 27 master's degree programs, and two doctoral programs. NJCU is a four-year, public university with a student population of more than 8,400 undergraduate and graduate students.  About 35 percent of NJCU's undergraduate population is Hispanic.

Ellen Wayman-Gordon
Assistant Vice President for University Advancement-
Public Information and Community Relations
(201)200-3426  [email protected]

SOURCE New Jersey City University