2005 Distinguished Citizens Honorees

Kenneth T. Neilson 
Joseph R. Nothwang
Debra M. Perry
Tom Purves

March 5th 2005
Rockleigh Country Club
Rockleigh, New Jersey

Kenneth T. Neilson

Kenneth T. Neilson has served as president of Hudson United Bancorp and Hudson United Bank since September 1989. He was named chairman of the Board in 1996. Prior to joining Hudson United, Mr. Neilson was with The Summit Bancorporation and American National Bank. He is past chairman of both the NJ Bankers Association and the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce. He is currently a member of the Executive Committee and Convention Committee of the NJ Bankers Association, the Nominating Committee of the Northern NJ Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and the Board of Governors of the Ramapo College Foundation. In addition, he is active with Habitat for Humanity.

Joseph R. Nothwang

Joseph R. Nothwang is executive vice president of the Hertz Corporation and president of Vehicle Rental and Leasing for the Americas and Pacific. Mr. Nothwang is based at Hertz Worldwide Headquarters. He has held a variety of top management positions since joining the Hertz Corporation in 1976, including division vice president for its West Central Region, based in Denver, CO. Mr. Nothwang serves as vice-chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Northern NJ Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, co-chairs the Parents Council at Skidmore College, and is a member of the Executive Committee of the Ramapo College Foundation’s Board of Governors

Tom Purves

Tom Purves, chairman and CEO of BMW US Holding Corp., is responsible for the BMW Group’s sales and marketing activities for BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce in North and South America. He joined BMW in 1985 and has served in a variety of management positions including managing director of BMW Great Britain Ltd. Prior to his arrival in the US, he was a Rover board member, overseeing the global sales and marketing for Land Rover, MINI, MG, and Rover brands. Mr. Purves began his automotive career with Rolls-Royce Ltd. Car Division. Automotive News named Mr. Purves an “Automotive All Star.” He is chairman of the board of directors of the Automotive Youth Educational Systems Inc. (AYES).

Debra M. Perry ‘85

Debra M. Perry, Esq, a 1985 graduate of Ramapo College, is a partner at McCarter & English, LLP. Her practice focuses primarily in the areas of pharmaceutical products liability litigation and the coordination of mass tort products liability litigation. She also specializes in appellate practice in the state and federal courts.
Ms. Perry regularly appears in state and federal courts around the nation, addressing issues involving scientific and medical causation, exposure, the application of statutes of limitations and damages. She has been involved in the development of national litigation strategies for the defense of product liability claims in both the mass tort and pharmaceutical products liability context. Ms. Perry regularly appears in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, Probate Part, specializing in complex guardianship and estate matters.