Liberty Science Center, Hudson County Community College & Silverman Leaders Being Honored at Legends Ball

Each year, honorees are selected for their long-term commitment and outstanding contributions to the business, cultural and educational life of the region. The 2012 “legends” are Connie Claman, CFO of the Liberty Science Center (LSC); Dr. Glen Gabert, President of Hudson County Community College (HCCC); and Eric Silverman and Paul Silverman, owners of developing company SILVERMAN.
Claman manages and provides oversight of all the financial and operational resouces for LSC’s $20 million annual operating budget and long-range planning processes. She is also responsible for the center’s human resources operations. She has been working with LSC since 1990 (the center officially opened in 1993) and worked closely with its initial management team to create a hands-on science center to engage both children and adults. Claman is also credited with helping expand the center’s facility. Today, more than 600,000 students, teachers and parents visit the center, which is located by Liberty State Park.
Gabert recently celebrated his 20th year as the president of HCCC and has seen the school increase enrollments and partnerships and expand its facilities, with their most recent significant expansion being a new campus in Union City. He came to HCCC in 1992 and has seen at least 100,000 students come through the school’s doors; he’s hoping that plans to improve the Journal Square area can help boost the school and has big plans himself. HCCC is currently working on a multi-story library on Sip Avenue that be over 110,000 square feet and house reading rooms, a coffee shop, classrooms and even gallery space. Gabert says the library is set to open July 2014.
For over 30 years, Eric and Paul Silverman have been working to redevelop Downtown Jersey City. They began their efforts with the renovation of a dilapidated 15-unit apartment building in Paulus Hook in 1981. Since then, they’ve restored historic landmarks, pushed for the development of mixed-use buildings (including their crown jewel, Hamilton Square, a condominium building near Hamilton Park that is also home to restaurants, boutiques, a health club, Montessori school and more. They are also known for their investment in local micro-brewery New Jersey Beer Company (Paul became the company’s chairman in May) and investing in local cultural events like the Hamilton Park BBQ.
All four will be honored at the ball, which will be held tomorrow, Dec. 18, at 6 pm at LSC and will feature the New Jersey City University Jazz Ensemble. Students from HCCC and St. Peter’s University will also help host the event. For more information, click here.