Robert L. Benecke

Consultant Robert L. Benecke, of Benecke Economics, is an economic development expert, financial strategist and economist.  He advises development companies, investors and government entities in every aspect of development and redevelopment.  This includes performing economic impact analysis, project management, financing projects and bringing a development or redevelopment project to completion.

Bob holds Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Public Finance from
Fordham University is a New Jersey Certified Officer and has a certificate in Human Relations Law.  He was previously the City Manager and Chief Financial Officer for the City of Englewood NJ.  He has authored textbooks covering a wide spectrum of public finance and taught finance, management, statistics and economics at many colleges, including Rutgers University, Ramapo College, Upsala College and Mercy College.

Vincent Bottino, Jr.
Big Apple Sports Palace and Restaurant

Vincent Bottino, Jr. was born and raised in Bayonne. He and his wife, Antoinette, attended #7 and #12 grammar schools, and Bayonne High School. The Big Apple is a family business founded by Vincent Bottino, Sr., and has been on Broadway in Bayonne for over 25 years. When Vincent Bottino, Jr., and Antoinette took over the establishment, they expanded the facility and added on a restaurant and tiki bar. Currently, Mr. and Mrs. Bottino reside in Bayonne with their three children: Stacy, Melissa, and Vincent.

Scott Daly

Scott was born on February 25, 1975 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  He arrived in Bayonne when he was five years old.  He attended Washington School and graduated from Bayonne High School.  Scott also attended Bergen Technical and Science High School.  There he study Culinary Arts.  After high school, he enlisted in the United States Army Reserve and served for eight years.  During that time, he also worked in the pool and spa industry.  Currently, Scott is employed by the world's greatest delicatessen, Benanti's Italian Import Delicatessen

Aida Figueroa

Aida Figueroa is a lifelong resident of Bayonne. She attended Philip G. Vroom grammar school and Bayonne High School. Formerly from the corporate telecommunication industry, Aida is now co-owner of Pastime Hobbies & Miniatures, a local retail hobby and doll house shop established in 2003. Aida serves on the Bayonne Town Center Board of Directors since 2006. When required Aida assists the Executive Director and Executive Assistant with special events. She is a big proponent for a clean, inviting and entertaining city.

William J. Finnerty, Esq.

William J. Finnerty, Esq. is general counsel to the Bayonne Town Center. Bill is a member of the firm of Hughes & Finnerty, P.C. He is a graduate of Seton Hall University receiving his Bachelor of Science in Accounting in 1964 and graduated from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1967. Following his graduation, Bill was an Assistant Prosecutor for Hudson County from 1967 to 1972. His stint in the Prosecutor’s Office was interrupted by his service in the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1970. Bill and his partner, John J. Hughes, formed their law firm in 1977.

Bill was a charter member of the Board of Directors of Bayonne Economic Development Corporation. He has been general counsel of BEDC since 1989.

Bill is married to the former Rosemary Derise and has two children, Colleen and Patrick.

Bernie Golomb
Vice Chairperson

Bernie Golomb was born March 7, 1945 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in the former Soviet Union. He came to America in 1949 and lived in New York City until 1952, when he arrived in sunny Bayonne, New Jersey. At eight years of age, Mr. Golomb started working in his father’s local dry goods store. From 1965-1967, he studied mathematics at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel, and romance languages at the Alliance Francaise in the Sorbonne, Paris, France. Mr. Golomb ran a successful vending machine business (five hundred machines in five counties) from 1970-1975. In 1977, Mr. Golomb turned the family’s costume jewelry business into a fine jewelry store (Paris Bergman Jewelers) with the help of his wife, Ann. By 1983, there were over a dozen stores, including locations in New York City, Hoboken, Staten Island, Rhode Island and San Francisco. Mr. Golomb’s wife, Ann, still manages the family business, Aaron’s Gold, at 520 Broadway, in Bayonne. Currently, Mr. Golomb is in the telecommunications business with offices in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, and New York City.

John Halecky

John Halecky was elected Council Member At-Large in 1990, and became Council President. He changed from at-large to Second Ward Council Member in 1994.  He was re-elected in 1998.  He is a member of the Cable TV Committee, the Blue Ribbon Award Committee for Bayonne High School, and an alternate commissioner of the Bayonne Municipal Utilities Authority.  He is the council representative for the Town Center Management Corporation, Special Improvement District and the Municipal Alliance for a Drug Free Bayonne.

Halecky has served four terms on the Board of School Estimate.  A former member and chairman of the Rent Control Board, member of the Board of Trustees of the Bayonne Economic Development Corporation, he was honorary co-chairman of the city's 125th Anniversary Committee, as well as the Mayor's Committee for Americans with Disabilities Act.
Councilman Halecky is president of Hudacko's Pharmacy, past president of St. Joseph's Holy Name Society, past vice commander of Monsignor Adzima Post 621 C.W.V. and past vice president of Bayonne Uptown Merchants Association

Married to the former Geraldine Hudacko, a third grade teacher at Bailey School, the couple has two children: Lauren Dellabella married to Michael, and Peter Halecky is wed to Deirdre.  The are grandparents to Alexander, Hannah, Benjamin, and Emma.

Ruben Henriquez

Ruben Henriquez, owner and founder of Wise Hearing, graduated from Monclair State University with a Bachelor of Science degree. Mr. Henriquez is an Audioprosthologist and Board Certified Hearing Instrument Specialist. He is commited to long standing goals for better quality and availability of education for the profession involved in hearing health care and delivery.

Mr. Henriquez is a Hearing health professional who has met the highest standards in order to serve the hearing impaired and is also a member in good standing of the International Hearing Society and the New Jersey Association of Hearing Health Professionals.

Bozena Linowski
European Day Spa
 
Ms. Linowski received extensive cosmetology and esthetics training at The School for Beauty Professionals in Krakow, Poland, and went on to earn a Masters Degree from Krakow’s famed Academy of Physical Education.

She began her spa industry career working at the most prestigious spas in Manhattan while continuing to add to her knowledge and skills by attending post-graduate seminars conducted by renowned organizations such as GM Collin, Dr Murad, Yonka, Phytomer, Dominance, and Pevonia Botanica.

In search of new rejuvenating treatments for her clients that would go beyond her extensive education in skin care, Ms. Linowski  also studied Microdermabrasion, Lymphatic Drainage, Endermologie, Make Up Artistry, Reflexology, and Reiki.

Her extraordinary business sense and commitment to bringing the highest quality professional beauty service to her community led her to establish European Day Spa Inc. in Bayonne NJ in 1999. After several expansions Miss Linowski and her staff of 30 mostly European-trained employees-- committed to continuing education--provide all the latest, cutting edge skin and body care services in her 4,000 sq feet state-of-the-art facility.
Ms Linowski travels extensively to Hong Kong, Hunan and other Chinese destinations as a consultant and educator for Athena Beauty of China. She also serves as an educator for Italy’s exclusive skin care company, Tuttestetica.

Alice K. Lotosky
Secretary & Historian
Bayonne Community Bank

After twenty-one years as a scientist at Block Drug Company, Ms. Lotosky changed careers to become the Community Relations Director at Bayonne Community Bank, a part-time opportunity that eventually bloomed into a full-time position. She currently holds the position of Personal Assistant to the president and vice president of the bank. In addition to her duties at BCB, she is a very active member of the community, serving as a commissioner on the Bayonne Planning Board for 5 years, a trustee and secretary for the Bayonne Community Museum, and is a founding member of the Bayonne Historical Society. Ms. Lotosky serves on the Bayonne Town Center’s Christmas Lights Committee, Image Committee, and is the creator of the “Bring Back Your Memories Walking Tour”.

Patricia A. Murphy
Chairperson
Gormley, LoRe & Murphy Insurance Agency

Patricia A. Murphy, a lifelong resident of Bayonne, is co-owner of Gormley, LoRe & Murphy Insurance Agency, a women-owned business. Gormley, LoRe & Murphy Insurance Agency has dedicated themselves to serving the City of Bayonne and the State of New Jersey for over 25 years. Ms. Murphy is a member of Professional Insurance Agents and is very active in community affairs. She currently holds office on the Executive Board of the Bayonne Chamber of Commerce, chaired the nominating committee for the Greater Essex and Hudson County Girl Scout Council, and sat on the Board of Directors for two terms. Ms. Murphy is also a member of the Master Planning Board for the City of Bayonne, and has actively raised funds for such organizations as Bayonne Medical Center and Kiwanis, and has conducted phone-a-thons on behalf of Women Rising. Aside from her busy schedule, Patricia is very interested in gourmet cooking, which is greatly appreciated by her family and friends. Her husband, Jack, is a retired Fire Lieutenant of the Bayonne Fire Department, and they are very proud of their two daughters, Melissa Murphy and Alison Bender.

Maria Provenzano-Upenieks
Herbert's Army & Navy

Maria was born and raised in Bayonne and continues to live here. She graduated from St. Mary's School & Bayonne High School. She started working at Herbert's Army & Navy in 1974 and bought the business in 2004. She and her husband, Skip, continue to work there to this day. They also own Herbert's Uniform store next door to their origingal business. Maria attended St. Peter's College and earned her N.J. Real Estate License & she also attended N.Y. Institute of Electrology and holds a CPE (Certified Professional Electrolysis). She is a member of AEA and EANJ and has been a BTC Board Member since October 2008. She is also a member of the National Association of Women Business Ownres (NAWBO)

Management Team:

Mary Divock
Executive Director

Mary Divock attended the Fashion Institute of Technology and Farleigh Dickinson University. She was a Dress Buyer for Lane Bryant in New York City and a Men's Department Manager for Bamberger's in Livingston, New Jersey. In 1982 after their son was born, Mary joined her husband Arthur, who grew up in Bayonne, to own and operate the Klothes Kloset. After Arthur's passing away in 1993, Mary continued to operate their business till March 2007.

In the year 2007, Mary became the Executive Director of the Bayonne Town Center. She became a Board Member in 1998, Vice Chairperson in 1999 and Chairperson 2004. She is the Vice Chairperson of the Urban Enterprise Zone Board; a member of the Chamber of Commerce, a member of the City's Development Team, a member of the Planning Board Technical Review Committee and was a member of Steering Committee for the Redevelopment of the Broadway Corridor.

Mary has been actively promoting the Facade Grant Program for the district, updates the Web Site and publishes "The Tattler" newsletter to keep members informed. She also implements the many promotions through out the year such as "Movies under the Stars", Classic Car Shows and the Holidays Promotions.

Megan Januska
Executive Assistant

Megan has been with the Bayonne Town Center since November 2004.  In her time here she has helped create new promotions and events.  Megan attends all of the events to ensure that everything is running smoothly.  She also works with the City’s Recreation Department to create new events such as the Annual Mini-Golf Tournament and the Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest.

She also creates all the publications distributed by the Town Center, including the Tattler and all the promotional fliers for all of our events and promotions.  She then hand-distributes all of these materials to all of our merchants to keep them up to date on all the Bayonne Town Center is working on.

She works closely with the City’s Zoning Officer and well-known architect Walter Chatham to ensure the Design Guidelines are being followed by new and existing businesses when they update their façade and signage.

Growing up in Bayonne, Megan attended John M. Bailey School from kindergarten through 8th grade.  She enrolled in a small private high school from which she graduated in 1998.  She then majored in Commercial Writing at Pensacola Christian College in Pensacola, FL from 1998-2002.  After graduation, she taught Language Arts to grades 7-10 at New Life Christian School in Dunellen, NJ until June 2004.