Staats Brokaw Award

Staats Brokaw Memorial
Entrepreneurial Spirit Award - 2008

The Clinton Business Group has selected one graduating senior from each of Hunterdon County's five high schools as finalists for the organization's first ever Staats Brokaw Memorial Entrepreneurial Spirit Award. All five finalists have been invited to attend the local networking group's May 17th awards breakfast. To be considered, each finalist submitted a 350 to 500 word essay and each will receive $100.00, for the effort. The grand prize winner will be announced at the breakfast meeting and will receive an additional $500.00. The awards will be presented by Louise Brokaw and the Staats Brokaw Memorial Entrepreneurial Spirit Award committee.

J. Staats Brokaw, III

In alphabetical order, the five finalists are:

Emma Harrison (South Hunterdon High School)
Erik Higbee (Voorhees High School)
Kevin Huang (Hunterdon Central High School)
Mark Letenzi (Delaware Valley High School)
Christian Weisenbacher (North Hunterdon High School)

Emma Harrison

Erik Higbee

          Kevin Huang

The award is named in honor of beloved CBG founding member Staats Brokaw who was born in Somerville, NJ. J. Staats Brokaw, III grew up in Bridgewater, graduating from Bridgewater-Raritan High School, then studying civil engineering at Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, where he received his BS and MS degrees. He moved to Hunterdon County in 1973 and lived in Clinton Township until his death from colon cancer at the age of 57. Staats' "entrepreneurial spirit" developed early when, as a boy, he raised rabbits for sale to Ortho Pharmaceuticals in addition to holding a paper route. As an adult, he began his career as a civil engineer working for other companies and became licensed as a professional engineer in several states. He started his own engineering firm in 1987.

Perhaps Staats' best attribute in his professional as well as personal life was the ability to say "yes". He saw challenges rather than problems and found ways to make things work rather than discarding ideas as too difficult or impossible. The first winners of the Clinton Business Group's Staats Brokaw Entrepreneurial Scholarship exhibit that same positive, can-do attitude toward their projects.

Founded in 1998, The Clinton Business Group is a non-profit corporation composed of forty professionals, business owners and decision makers from the Greater Clinton Area. Networking, business development and community service are key elements. New members must be voted in and only one of any business category is permitted. The CBG meets at 8 am, every other Thursday, at The Old River House Restaurant, 51 Main Street, Clinton. Each meeting features two speakers from the group. Meetings adjourn at 9am. For more information, visit www.clintonbusinessgroup.org or call (908) 303-3310.