Six individuals who have proven through numerous accomplishments in their respective professional and personal backgrounds to be worthy of such recognition will join other prestigious residents in the Warren County Hall of Fame. They will officially be inducted at the 10th Annual Warren County Hall of Fame dinner on Saturday, Nov. 16, at Hawk Pointe Golf Club in Washington Township. 

The honorees are former freeholder Edward Smith; senior care professionals Tracy Fazzolari, CSA, and Anne Grogan, LSW;  youth sports volunteer Melville Kries, Sr.; and businessman/philanthropist John Johnson. Maximillian Spann, Sr. will also be honored posthumously. Spann was a real estate professional and supporter of services for populations with developmental disabilities. 

When inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Nov. 16 gala event, which includes entertainment and a silent auction, these outstanding individuals will join an elite group, which includes Marian Bredin, Dr. Marc Abo, Dr. James Goodwin, Norman Worth, Terrance “Terry” Lee, Garabed ”Chuck” Haytaian, Norman Beatty, Christopher Maier, Dr. Barbara-Jayne Lewthwaite, Mattar Mattar, Bruce Schott, Richard Maguire, Therese “Terry” Steinhardt, Ned Bolcar, Col. Clinton Pagano, Frank Van Horn, Douglas Steinhardt, Edward Rossi, Nancy Brown, Helene Meissner, Kathleen Halpin and Sal Simonetti, among others. 

Here are brief bios on each of this year’s honorees: 

Edward J. Smith 

First elected as a freeholder in 2012, Edward served as Director of the three-member board three terms. Elected officials, county employees, and citizens who have crossed paths with Smith have noted that he always worked tirelessly on issues of importance to the community at-large, and accomplished much during his career. Edward, who had also served as the Chief of Staff for State Sen. Michael Doherty, spearheaded passage of the first voter-approved bonding resolution by any county in the state, allowing Warren County citizens a more direct say in the level of their future public indebtedness. He also pushed for the successful sale of the County-owned nursing home, saving millions of dollars and creating a tax ratable while still providing important services for county residents. During his tenure, the County opened a new County Library Headquarters and a state-of-the-art County Library Branch, aided in Warren County Community College’s expansion, facilitated the expansion of Warren County’s landfill, kept Warren County’s budget balanced, and significantly reduced County debt.

He was named Freeholder of the Year by the New Jersey Conference of Mayors in 2016 and the Maurice Fitzgibbons Freeholder of the Year by the New Jersey Association of Counties (NJAC) in 2018, and received the Good Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America in 2016. Warren County Community College dedicated the Edward J. and Eileen Smith Drone Lab, named for him and his wife, as he was an advocate for establishing the drone program at the college, seeing it as an opportunity to train residents for jobs of the future.

Tracy Lyn Fazzolari Carroll

Tracy is a Certified Senior Advisor and has over 35 years of client assurance, customer relation, and business management experience, leading her to become the owner of Home Instead Senior Care, serving the Hunterdon & Warren County communities. Tracy is a passionate advocate for seniors’ CHOICE to “age in place.” Tracy is a voting member of the HHSSA-Home Care Association of America, whose members strive to educate the public, promote legislation, education, and advocacy to develop standards of care for properly licensed agencies. She is very active in the community. Tracy has served on the Washington BID and she partners with local organizations throughout Warren and Hunterdon counties. She offers a scholarship to college bound seniors at Warren Hills Regional High School and sponsors women from Walter Hoving Home to attend retreats. She is a patron of Warren County Habitat for Humanity and provides lunches for teens working with Hope in the Hills of Warren. Tracy has demonstrated time and time again her professionalism and generosity towards the individuals and non-profit organizations of Warren County. 

Melville Kries, Sr. 

Melville graduated from Washington High School in 1949. After graduation, he attended Churchman’s Business School and after college, he owned a local sporting goods store in Washington. He also worked for Smith Motors for 52 years. It is his commitment and dedication to the youth of Washington however that gives people pause. He has served as a youth sports coach in a variety of settings throughout the years. He coached Little League baseball for 32 years and was an integral part of the organization of youth football in Washington, where he served as a coach for six decades. He currently serves on the Board as Treasurer. He has been a member of the Washington Recreation Commission since its creation. Part of his role on the Commission was the planning of Meadow Breeze Park, considered an elite community park by any standards. He is a lifetime resident of the county, supporting many of his 13 grandchildren’s participation in Washington sports programs. Melville also served in the United States Navy in Korea.  His dedication to youth sports resonates in the fact that he continues to participate in youth sports organizations at the age of 88.  

John Johnson 

John Johnson of John Johnson Auto Group in Budd Lake and Washington has been a huge supporter of non-profit organizations for many years, in Warren County and elsewhere. He doesn’t make a big deal out of it, though; he prefers to have the attention on the non-profits, not him or his business. Most recently, he donated a car to DASACC that has been raffled off, with all proceeds going to that organization. He also supports many community events run by the Hackettstown and Washington BIDs. As a business, John Johnson Auto Group is well-known for its honesty and integrity.  John Johnson himself is recognized as one of the area’s leading businessmen.  

Anne Grogan 

Anne, the long-time head of Geriatrics at St. Luke’s, has devoted herself to making things better for elderly patients. She started the Geriatric Assessment Program at Warren Hospital over 30 years ago, and she has spoken to hundreds of senior organizations over the years. She also started the adult medical daycare at Warren, providing a place for elder residents to stay during the day while their families and caregivers worked. She is known and respected by every organization dealing with Seniors in Warren County. Her entire career has been dedicated to creating and implementing programs to benefit seniors and counseling the “sandwich generation” as they navigate the eldercare maze. In 2017, she opened her own private practice, working directly with older adults and their caregivers. Anne’s services are now available to families as a geriatric case manager to assess the needs of the older relative and develop a game plan to help the older person “age in place.” In addition to being a Licensed Social Worker in PA and NJ, Anne holds certifications in elder law, bioethics and public health, and a faculty fellowship in geriatric education.

Maximillian “Max” Spann, Sr. 

Maximillian ”Max” Spann, Sr. attended both Delbarton School and Bernardsville High School, graduating from high school in 1947. After earning his bachelor’s degree from the School of Agriculture at Rutgers University, Max served proudly in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. His youth was spent in Oldwick, where his family imported cows from the Isle of Jersey, starting a passion that would last his lifetime. Following his discharge from the Army, he acquired a herd of Jersey cattle and opened Spann Jersey Farm. There he ran his own creamery and milk delivery route. He later sold his dairy operation and eventually became a real estate broker. He grew his business into one of the most respected real estate firms in the state. Max is credited with the innovation of marketing real estate at auction and his firm is now one of the largest of its kind in the nation. Max also devoted his efforts to many charities and his church. He was an active supporter of the pioneer movement for establishing homes in the community for the developmentally disabled population. While serving on the boards of ARC of Somerset County, the ARC of Warren County, and the ARC of New Jersey, he was pivotal in the founding of summer camps for the developmentally disabled. 

The Warren County Hall of Fame dinner, presented by the Warren County Community College Foundation, is open to the public.  Tables may be reserved. Proceeds from the event benefit students in need, as well as special programs at the college. 

The establishment of the Warren County Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Warren County Community College Foundation, creates a forum for honoring Warren County’s finest in an array of fields. The Hall of Fame itself is set up at Warren County Community College, where the public is invited to see it. For tickets to the recognition dinner, sponsorship opportunities, journal ads, and any other information, please call 908-835-2334 or email samir@warren.edu.

Photo, by Cathy Miller, left to right, Edward J. Smith, Anne Grogan, Melville Kries, Sr., Tracy Lyn Fazzolari Carroll, and John Johnson.