MORRIS COUNTY, N.J. — The Morris County Advisory Committee on Women is accepting nominations for its seventh annual “Seeds of Change” Volunteer Award, which will be presented in March 2026 to a woman who has demonstrated a commitment to community service and inspired other women throughout Morris County.
Nominations must be submitted online by Jan. 15, 2026, using the official nomination form, committee officials said.
The “Seeds of Change” Volunteer Award honors women who uplift and empower others, including those who volunteer at the grassroots level within their communities. The award was inspired by the late state Sen. Leanna Brown, a trailblazer in Morris County and New Jersey politics who died in 2016.
Brown served on the Chatham Borough Council from 1969 to 1972 and later became the first woman elected to the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders, now known as the Board of County Commissioners. She was named board director in 1976 and served as president of the New Jersey Association of Counties in 1978.
In 1983, Brown became the first Republican woman elected to the New Jersey Senate. A strong advocate for women’s causes, she mentored women pursuing public service and played a key role in establishing the Morris County Advisory Committee on Women.
The award was first presented in April 2018 and has been given annually except in 2020 and 2021, when it was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Past recipients of the “Seeds of Change” Volunteer Award include Lila Bernstein of Mendham Township in 2018, Phyllis Chanda of Flanders in 2019, Mary Ledyard of Rockaway Borough in 2022, Alice Cutler of Morristown in 2023, Debby Seme of Martinsville in 2024, and Ginger Vukas of Randolph Township in 2025.
While not required, preference may be given to nominees whose volunteer efforts align with the advisory committee’s current areas of focus, including housing and homelessness, human trafficking, incarcerated women, women in the military, female veterans and other issues impacting women.
For additional information, residents may contact Anna Marie Hess at ahess@co.morris.nj.us by Jan. 12, 2026. The award recipient will be notified after the nomination deadline and invited to attend the Seeds of Change Award ceremony during a public meeting of the Morris County Board of County Commissioners in March 2026.
