ASBURY PARK, N.J. - s4story -- Mercy Center, a nonprofit dedicated to ending generational poverty in the greater Asbury Park area, is pleased to announce the appointment of Sea Girt resident Laurence M. Downes as chairman of its board and to welcome two trustees and team of new officers.

A retired CEO and chairman of New Jersey Resources and New Jersey Natural Gas, Downes has served on the board for five years. He succeeds retiring board chair Mary Catherine Cuff, who led the trustees for three years. Cuff is a former acting New Jersey Supreme Court justice and served eight years on the nonprofit board.

"Mercy Center is grateful for the honorable Cuff's stewardship during a time of spiraling growth at our food pantry, increased need for social services and rising enrollment at Sisters Academy of New Jersey, our middle school for girls," said Executive Director and former Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno. "We are pleased to welcome Larry Downes as our new chairman. He brings great vision and strong leadership to our organization."

Downes, who steps into his new role after serving as the board's vice chair, treasurer, and co-chair of the finance committee, said he looks forward to steering Mercy Center into its next chapter. "It's an honor to work with Kim, her dedicated team, and our outstanding board as we embark on a transformative capital campaign. Together, we can create a space that reflects our caring values and supports the people in our community who need us most," Downes said.

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Joining the board are in-coming trustees Suzanne Heidelberger of Monmouth Beach and Kevin Higgins, a resident of Red Bank. They were both elected to serve three-year terms.

Heidelberger, who splits her time between the Jersey Shore and New York, is a partner with Real Edge Advisors, a real estate consultancy based in New York, and is an adjunct professor at New York University's Shack Institute of Real Estate.

Higgins is a senior product and business development manager at K. Shaw Construction in Monmouth Beach.

"The addition of our two outstanding trustees strengthens our board during a time of exciting growth," Guadagno said. They bring valuable expertise, fresh perspective, and a shared commitment to our mission to end the cycle of poverty," Guadagno said.

The nonprofit also named the following trustees as officers:

• Vice Chair Elaine Rocha, Asbury Park, senior insurance and financial services executive  
• Treasurer Miriam Tort, Rumson, a nonprofit founder
• Secretary Rosemary Jeffries, Wall, executive director of All-Africa Conference and former president of Georgian Court University.  

Outgoing board trustees in addition to Justice Cuff are Eugene Garb and Richard Jursca, both Holmdel residents, and Nicole Berry of Fair Haven. Garb was on the board for 10 years, while Berry served eight years and Jursca served seven.

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"We thank our outgoing board members for their extraordinary commitment. Their leadership helped us grow stronger, dream bigger, and serve more people. We are better because of their time with us, and we wish them continued success," Guadagno said.

For more information about Mercy Center's programs and services offered to the community, visit its website, www.MercyCenterNJ.org.

About Mercy Center
Mercy Center, founded by the Sisters of Mercy, is a nonprofit charitable organization working to break the cycle of generational poverty in the greater Asbury Park area. Our food pantry nourishes families, caring programs and services help stabilize them, and our Sisters Academy provides a quality education to put an end to the cycle of poverty, one child, one family at a time. See our mission in motion. To donate, volunteer or learn more about how we empower, enrich, and educate the people we serve, visit www.MercyCenterNJ.