Wendel Thomas - President
Joining the board in 2017, Wendel moves from a year as Vice President to President in 2022. Wendel has been active in various community organizations and a long-time member of FOBH. Born on the island of Dominica in the Caribbean and moved to St Croix in the United States Virgin Islands when he was nine. On St Croix he enjoyed being part of 4-H club, the Upward Bound program at the University of the Virgin Islands, my high school French Club and the Quiz Bowl. After high school, Wendel attended Rutgers University majoring in Urban Planning. At Rutgers, he met many who would be very close friends and professional colleagues. Rutgers under President Edward J. Bloustein was a place to exercise your First Amendment rights for he was a scholar in that field. Many students, faculty, and administrators were demanding that the Board of Governors divest from companies doing business with the apartheid South Africa. Nelson Mandela was still a prisoner. The events surrounding this led to my political awakening. After Rutgers Wendel worked as a GED instructor at the Edison Job Corps, sold encyclopedias and tried his hand in manufacturing. During his time in manufacturing, he started shifting to recruiting and helped manage an employment agency in New Brunswick. This later led to an opportunity to work for the State of New Jersey as an employment interviewer, later working with the mass layoff unit where he did presentations, workshops and group counseling regarding utilization of labor market data to find employment. He has been married for over 23 years and his wife has two teenagers. Raising children affords Joan and he the opportunity to find new and interesting activities. They love fruit picking, attending outdoor concerts, the beach, visiting museums, travel, attending book signings and going to concerts. One of the activities their girls tried and really enjoyed was sailing with the Friends of Belmar Harbor. They have done it for 4 summers. Their daughters enjoy winter sport with Thrillseekers Ski group. Many parents from this group have been interested and some had their children participate through FOBH’s sailing program. He hopes his participation on the board can lead to some collaboration between the two groups. Both groups are very interested in the expansion of the enjoyment of their respective activities.
Executive Board of Trustees
Richard Allen - Vice President
A highly regarded leader in education, Rich has been principal of several New Jersey High Schools and has started several education-related businesses. He is currently an adjunct professor at Monmouth University. Rich served as FOBH Vice President from 2017 to 2019, and is returning to the role in 2022 where his experience in leadership and creative organizational talents will be integral to the organization's growth.
Paul Mucciarone - Secretary
Originally from the Atlantic City area, Paul Mucciarone attended the U.S. Naval Academy, and subsequently spent 20 years in the Navy serving in many positions of leadership such as ship’s engineering officer, engineering instructor, and serving as the assistance department head of the Naval Science Department at the U.S Merchant Marine Academy. After retiring from the Navy, he worked as a consultant for a few years, before joining the faculty of the Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST) on Sandy Hook as a Naval Science Instructor. While at MAST Paul taught sailing to Navy Junior ROTC cadets as part of a summer leadership development program in Newport, RI, and served as the advisor to the MAST sailing team. In 2011, Paul was appointed to his current position as the principal of the Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science in Neptune, NJ and plays an active role in the development of his students. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, a Master of Arts degree in International Relations from Salve Regina University in Newport, RI, and a Master of Science Degree in Marine Science from the State University of New York in Stony Brook, NY. Paul is married and has two adult daughters. During the raising of his children, Paul became very involved in youth competitive swimming including coaching for over eleven years at the Peddie Aquatic Association. Paul joined the FOBH Board of Trustees in 2018.
Marian Zuchowski - Treasurer
A retired para-legal and member of the Senior US Olympic volleyball team, Marian Zuchowski is a life-long resident of New Jersey. She grew up in Nutley, NJ alongside her older brother, and graduated from Spring Garden Elementary School in Nutley and Nutley High School. She then enrolled in the Monmouth College (now University) program in paralegal studies and, immediately upon graduation in 1986, was hired “on the spot” by Schneider Freiberger, P.C., a Red Bank, NJ criminal defense legal firm. She spent her entire professional career with Schneider Freiberger, until her recent retirement. Marian’s love of the water began on her brother’s sailboat, with the family enjoying a or two every year sailing the Caribbean. Her involvement with FOBH began when she enrolled her great grandson in the junior sailing program when he was 8 years old. During those summers, Marian volunteered at FOBH picnics and other events. Marian is an active competitor in volleyball with the National Senior Games Association and has participated in national competitions all over the US and in the world senior games in Utah. In addition, she enjoys skiing, golf, and pickleball. A summer resident of Lake Como, NJ since 1999, she became a year-round resident in 2005.