Twp Resident Audrey LaPenta Receives Woodbridge Civic Award

Long time Woodbridge resident Audrey LaPenta was given the Jack J. Fay Jr. Civic Award for public service by the Town Council, who bestowed the award on LaPenta with a unanimous vote.

LaPenta and her husband Frank, along with her children and grandchildren, showed up to receive the award at a special ceremony before Tuesday's council meeting.

"I was born in Pennsylvania, but I've lived in Woodbridge 50 years," said LaPenta, who has served in a wide variety of private and public positions over the decades.

A registered nurse, LaPenta was declared a "Woman of Excellence" by the Middlesex County Commission on the Status of Women. Both she and her husband serve asco-chairs of the Woodbridge Township Historical Association and were responsible for the restoration of the Woodbridge Soldier and Sailor Monument on the triangle in front of Town Hall. She was also a chairwoman of the Woodbridge Township 325th Anniversary Committee and is a member of Woodbridge River Watch.

Former Governor Christie Whitman appointed LaPenta as a commissioner to the Woodbridge Housing Authority. During her tenure there, LaPenta oversaw the construction of a new administration building and a learning center.

The Jack J. Fay Jr. Award is given annually to a Woodbridge resident who embodies civic virtues in both the public and private arenas. The honoree must have lived in Woodbridge Township for at least ten years, held elected or appointed office, and served as a volunteer in community and/or social activities.

Previous honorees include: John J. Fay, Jr. (2000);  Terry Glinn (2001); Reverend Jack Dunlap (2002);  Jack Hila (2003);  Robert Sobieski (2004);  Ernest Neal (2005);  Diane Pitz (2006);  Thomas Cornell (2007);  Philip Peck (2008);  former Assemblyman Ernest Oros (2009);  and New Jersey labor leader Samuel DuPree (2010).