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Business Partners of the Year: Atlantic County
2010—ICON Hospitality
Michael Charlton is the President and CEO of ICON Hospitality, the parent company of Galloway Township's Gourmet Italian Cuisine restaurant, Gourmet Liquors retail store, Luscious & Sweet gourmet bakery and the Carriage House, an upscale banquet facility. Mr. Charlton has been a tireless supporter of the Atlantic County Institute of Technology, opening the doors of the Carriage House to host the annual ACTI Daffodil Dinner, and many ACTl-graduates have worked in his businesses. Mr. Charlton took a risk in a part of Atlantic County where no restaurateur had ventured before on such a large scale and made it pay off in a way that changed the entire landscape of the area. In addition to his many charities and community participation, Mr. Charlton serves on the Board of the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. He is a former Kiwanis Man of the Year and received the Business Advocate for Education Award and the ACIT Award of Excellence.
2009—Atlantic City Hotel Lodging Association
Since the first academy of the Atlantic County Institute of Technology opened in 2000, the Atlantic City Hotel Lodging Association has partnered with with the school. The organization has provided scholarships to culinary and hospitality students each year since the partnership began. In addition, the Chief Excutive, Howard Bacharach as been a member of the advisory board for the past three years. Before him, two presidents of ACHLA have served as chairman and member of our advisory board. ACHLA has helped obtain student internships with several casinos and hotels in Atlantic City and still continues its support through participation in the school's annnual fundraiser, the Daffodil Dinner. Their involvement has contributed greatly to the success of the Academy of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management.
2007—AtlantiCare
AtlantiCare, a leading provider of healthcare in the Atlantic County area, provides many opportunities for students of the Atlantic County Institute of Technology. Hospital representatives have served on the advisory board of the district's Academy of Health, Science and Medicine since its inception three years ago, as well as on the practical nursing advisory board. AtlantiCare provides opportunities for academy students and medical assistant students who participate in job shadowing and internship programs. Close to 200 ACIT students visit their facilities each year. AtlantiCare also provides clinical opportunities at their two facilities for the ACIT practical nursing students in addition to presenting a monetary award to a student at graduation. They have generously donated specialized equipment such as defibrillators to the school for use by the students. In addition, they willingly participate in school activities whenever called upon to do so.
2006—Shore Memorial Hospital
Atlantic County Institute of Technology (ACIT) and Shore Memorial Hospital have enjoyed a long and successful partnership. For more than 16 years, the hospital has provided learning experience opportunities for nursing students. The personnel, nurses, aids, technicians, and physicians have been very helpful and gracious to the students and the instructors. These learning experiences include working in the Emergency Room, Intensive/Coronary Care Unit, Telemetry Unit, Operating Room, Same Day Surgery Unit, Recovery Room, Endoscopy, Special Procedures Unit, Radiology, Cancer Center, Dialysis Units, IV/Ambulatory Care Unit, Cardiac Rehab, Pulmonary Rehab, and the Enterostomal Team. The nurses and other health care professionals make the students feel like part of the health care team and include them in as many activities as possible. Representatives from the hospital also serve on the ACIT Academy Advisory Board and helped form the Academy of Health Science and Medicine. Each year they provide job-shadowing and internship opportunities for the students in that academy.