Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr., center, presents the ‘Stellas della Contea di Essex,’ or Stars of Essex County, award to Bloomfield native Kristen Gengaro and Ralph A. LaRossa.
NEWARK, NJ — Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. hosted the 2022 Essex County Italian American Heritage Month celebration on Friday, Oct. 21, in the Essex County Martin Luther King Jr. Justice Building in Newark. During the event, DiVincenzo recognized Ralph A. LaRossa, president and CEO of Public Service Enterprise Group Inc., and Kristen Gengaro, president of CDM New York, as “Stellas della Contea di Essex,” or Stars of Essex County. The honor recognizes them for their commitment to improving the lives of all residents and their community involvement.
“Our celebration is an opportunity to recognize the contributions that Italian-Americans have made to the history and culture of Essex County. Today, we are honoring two proud Italian Americans who have positively impacted our world and our county,” DiVincenzo said. “Ralph LaRossa and Kristen Gengaro each have made an impact on their communities and have continuously improved the quality of life for our residents.”
In addition to being president and CEO of PSEG, LaRossa is a member of the PSEG board of directors and chairperson of the PSE&G board. He will become chairperson of the PSEG board on Jan. 1, 2023. Previously LaRossa was chief operating officer of PSEG from January 2020 until September 2022, and president and COO of PSEG Power from June 2017 until September 2022. He joined PSE&G in 1985 as an associate engineer and advanced through a variety of management positions in the utility’s gas and electric operations.
LaRossa is chairperson of Choose New Jersey, an economic development agency in Newark, and serves on its board. He is a member of the board for Montclair State University and the Electric Sector Coordinating Council, an honorary trustee of the Liberty Science Center, past chairperson of the American Gas Association, and past member of the board for the New Jersey Utilities Association and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.
“There are a few times in life when things really come together and today is one of those days,” LaRossa said. “PSE&G is proud to have our company based in Essex County.”
As president of CDM New York, an advertising agency in the health care sector, Gengaro is responsible for providing overall leadership for internal teams, clients and the external marketplace. She has a Bachelor of Arts in biology and a Bachelor of Science in history of science in medicine from Yale University.
During her 18-year career, Gengaro’s brand leadership experience ranges from launching first-in-class products and marketing in specialty categories to positioning late-entrant products and exploring differentiation for parity agents. Gengaro is personally and professionally committed to organizations that sustain the promise of improved health for individuals, families and the larger community. She is involved in numerous alumni committees and charitable organizations and is especially proud of her work in Rwanda with Komera, a nonprofit dedicated to building self-confident women through education, community and sport.
“It is an incredible honor to be here. My softball career ended a long time ago, but there are important lessons I learned from all those wins and losses; I remember the generosity of my coaches and the friendships that were formed,” Gengaro said. “I remember being this scrappy kid from Bloomfield and thank everyone for helping me achieve my dreams.”
Essex County honors two Italian Americans as Stars of Essex County added by Editor on
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