Local Resident to be Honored with The Scholarship Fund’s Annual Award

The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children (SFIC) is delighted to honor June M. Inderwies with the Vitae Discimus Award — “We teach by our lives”— at its 31st Annual Dinner at The Park Savoy in Florham Park on Tuesday, May 19, 2015.

June Inderwies is Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Newark-headquartered Gibbons P.C., one of the nation’s top 200 law firms. Both the firm and Ms. Inderwies have been long-time supporters of SFIC. In commenting on this recognition, Patrick C. Dunican Jr., Chairman and Managing Director of Gibbons P.C., stated, “I am proud to serve as Dinner Co-Chair for an event that not only will honor my colleague, June Inderwies, but also will raise funds to help provide inner-city children with the opportunity to obtain a quality education that will prepare them for a brighter future.”

Ms. Inderwies holds the highest non-attorney position at Gibbons, with primary responsibility for both facilities operation and personnel management for more than 400 employees in five offices and four states. She oversees “Gibbons Cares,” the firm’s charitable outreach platform that garners annual donations of more than $1 million annually as well as extensive volunteer service in support of the communities where the firm has an office. In addition, Ms. Inderwies serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees for Christ the King Prep in Newark. She was honored in 2011 by NJBIZ as one the Best 50 Women in Business. 

The Scholarship Fund Board of Trustees also will honor Joan and Joseph McSweeny with the Archbishop Gerety Award, in recognition of their generosity and unwavering dedication to Catholic education. Joseph J. Oakes, III, Dinner Co-Chair, said, “Presenting this award to Joan and Joe takes on a special meaning since it allows SFIC to recognize two of our most generous donors, a couple who has done so much for the students of the Archdiocese of Newark.”  

For many years Joan and Joe McSweeny have been very active parishioners at St. Gabriel’s in Saddle River. Mr. McSweeny, who recently retired from Marsh & McLennan Companies, serves on the Newark Archdiocesan Finance Committee. He is also a past Grand Knight of Council 11889 of the Knights of Columbus. Mrs. McSweeny is a retired special education teacher who taught at Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Park Ridge. The couple was honored in 2011 with the Aquinas Medal from St. Thomas Aquinas College.

The Scholarship Fund’s Annual Dinner celebrates the Scholarship Fund’s past, present and future and the importance of Catholic education to inner-city students in the Archdiocese of Newark. Since 1983, The Scholarship Fund has provided more than $35 million in tuition assistance to over 45,000 students in grades K to 12 attending private and parochial schools in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union Counties.

The evening will begin at 6:00 p.m. with a cocktail hour and silent auction, followed by dinner at 7:00 p.m. The awards ceremony concludes the evening. Nancy Ward, Verizon Fios News 1 morning anchor, will be the Master of Ceremonies for the night. 

Please support The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children with your attendance, donation or advertisement in the SFIC Dinner Journal. Additional information about the dinner may be obtained from Gerry O’Connor, Executive Director, at (973) 497-4287 or by contacting oconnoge@rcan.org. To learn more about the Scholarship Fund for Inner -City Children, please visit www.sficnj.org or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.