HAYLEY O’CONNOR IS BEING HONORED AT THE UNION TOWNSHIP CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 60TH ANNUAL DINNER DANCE & INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS AT THE GALLOPING HILL INN, UNION, NEW JERSEY ON APRIL 10, 2015. HAYLEY HAS BEEN SELECTED TO RECEIVE THE PRESTIGIOUS CHAMBER’S “YOU ARE THE CHAMBER” AWARD.
HAYLEY HAS ALWAYS BEEN EAGER TO CONTRIBUTE, PARTICIPATE AND EXCEL. THROUGHOUT GRADE SCHOOL, SHE CONSISTENTLY HELD HONOR ROLL, PARTICIPATED IN THEATER, TECH CREW, BAND, CHORUS, HELPED FOUND THE ADVENTURE CLUB, AND WAS EVEN PRESENTED WITH “THE SPIRIT AWARD” IN HER SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL. SHE WAS NEVER AFRAID TO STEP OUTSIDE OF HER COMFORT ZONE AND TRY SOMETHING NEW, AND, DESPITE HER TEENAGE INSECURITIES, HELD THE POSITION OF DRUM MAJOR IN THE MARCHING BAND IN HER SENIOR YEAR AS WELL.
IN 2004, HAYLEY ENROLLED AT KEAN UNIVERSITY WHERE SHE JOINED THETA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY AND HELD THE POSITIONS OF SOCIAL CHAIR AND ALUMNAE LIAISON. IT WAS AT KEAN WHERE HAYLEY CAME OUT OF HER SHELL AND TOOK A HUGE INTEREST IN SOCIAL ACTIVITIES, CAMPUS INVOLVEMENT, AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE. SHE ATTRIBUTES THIS LARGELY TO THE INCREDIBLE FRIENDS SHE MADE WHO PUSHED HER TO BE THE BEST SHE COULD POSSIBLY BE, EVEN IN HARD TIMES.
HAYLEY IS AN ENTHUSIASTIC GO-GETTER AND A PROBLEM SOLVER AND HAS BEEN SINCE SHE WAS A CHILD. NO CHALLENGE HAS BEEN TOO BIG AND NO OBSTACLE INSURMOUNTABLE; IF ONE THING DIDN’T WORK, THERE WAS ALWAYS A PLAN B. SHE IS PASSIONATE AND EXCITED ABOUT EVERY TASK SHE TAKES ON AND USES CREATIVE THINKING TO GET THE JOB DONE. THIS HOLDS ESPECIALLY TRUE REGARDING HER TIME WITH THE CHAMBER.
HAYLEY JOINED THE CHAMBER IN THE SPRING OF 2013, JUST THREE MONTHS INTO HER TIME AS THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR FOR ELECTRO-AMERICA, INC., AN IT FIRM WITH A 30 YEAR HISTORY HERE IN UNION. SHE WAS A MEMBER FOR JUST ONE YEAR BEFORE BEING ELECTED TO THE CHAMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS, A POSITION THAT SHE GRACIOUSLY ACCEPTED AND DOVE RIGHT INTO WITHOUT HESITATION.
ALTHOUGH HAYLEY HAS ONLY SERVED ON THE BOARD FOR ONE YEAR, SHE HAS DONE HER BEST TO TAKE ON NEW ROLES AND ACCEPT NEW CHALLENGES. SHE IS MOST PROUD OF HER WORK ON THE 2014 MAYOR’S DAY 5K, WHERE SHE INTRODUCED HER KNOWLEDGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA TO HELP PROMOTE THE EVENT AND DESIGNED THE T-SHIRT THAT WAS PRESENTED TO ALL PARTICIPANTS. HER WORK ON THE 2014 EVENT EARNED HER THE POSITION OF CO-CHAIR FOR THE 2015 MAYOR’S DAY 5K. IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, HAYLEY HAS CONTRIBUTED A GREAT AMOUNT OF HER TIME AND TALENT TO THE CHAMBER. HER ENTHUSIASM, CREATIVITY AND WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE EMBODIES ALL THE “YOU ARE THE CHAMBER” AWARD WAS DESIGNED TO HONOR. THE CHAMBER IS PROUD TO BESTOW THIS AWARD TO HER THIS EVENING.