Chamber honors women

Deborah Berry-Toon, executive director of Project Self-Sufficiency, was named Woman of the Year at the Sussex County Chamber of Commerce’s first Inspiring Women Awards.

The awards were presented at a luncheon June 12 at Perona Farms in Andover Township.

Other winners:

• Rising to the Top Award: Detective Sgt. Judy Torres of the Newton Police Department.

• Mentorship Excellence Award: Laura Ferri of Laura Ferri Growth Co. in Newton.

• Championing Change Award: Lauren Krol of Thorlabs in Newton.

• Bright Future Award: Bridget Dudziec of Katie’s House in Hampton Township.

Berry-Toon was recognized “as a remarkable role model who has shown Sussex County what passion, dedication, hard work and drive can accomplish.”

“She has broken glass ceilings, advanced women’s leadership in our region, and paved the way for other women and girls to follow in her footsteps and become the leaders of tomorrow,” according to the chamber.

She joined Project Self-Sufficiency 39 years ago, when it was a two-person agency operating out of a closet at Sussex County Vocational-Technical School in Sparta.

Today, the nonprofit organization serves thousands of people from a four-building campus in Newton.

Torres was hired as Newton’s first full-time female police officer in 2018 after working at the Edna Mahan Correction Facility for Women.

In 2022, she joined the Detective Bureau as school and community liaison detective, leading spearheading community initiatives such as “Coffee with a Cop,” “Walk to School” and lectures for criminal justice students at Sussex County Community College.

Last November, she was named acting detective sergeant, overseeing a team of detectives, supervising criminal investigations and managing the school resource officer program. In February, she was sworn in as a detective sergeant.

Ferri, a master certified life and business coach, has guided hundreds of people in finding their voice, refining their vision, and building the mindset and systems needed to thrive in life and business, according to the chamber.

She provides one-on-one coaching, works with community-based programs, and has a podcast and blog, “My Inner Struggle.”

Krol, human resources manager at Thorlabs, also has served as vice president of membership for the local chapter of Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

In addition, she is on the board of Ginnie’s House, a child advocacy center in Newton.

Dudziec is activity coordinator for Katie’s House, where she plans and manages weekly events for more than 40 people with intellectual disabilities.

She has organized a toy drive for cancer patients at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson each year since 2017, when she was 15 years old.