04 Nov ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO HOSTS ESSEX COUNTY ITALIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION Newark Schools Assistant Superintendent Carolyn Granato And O’Toole Scrivo Managing Partner Thomas P. Scrivo Honored as ‘Stellas della Contea di Essex
Published on November 4, 2024
Newark, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. hosted the 2024 Essex County Italian American Heritage Month celebration on Friday, November 1st in the Essex County Martin Luther King, Jr. Justice Building. During the cultural event, DiVincenzo recognized Carolyn Ciccone-Granato, Assistant Superintendent of the Newark Board of Education, and Thomas P. Scrivo, Managing Partner of the O’Toole Scrivo law firm, as “Stellas della Contea di Essex” (Stars of Essex County). The honor recognizes them for their commitment to improving the lives of all residents and their community involvement.
“Our celebration is an opportunity to recognize the contributions that Italian Americans have made to the history and culture of Essex County. Today, we are honoring two proud Italian Americans who have positively impacted our world and our County,” DiVincenzo said. “Carolyn Granato and Thomas Scrivo each have made an impact on their communities and have continuously improved the quality of life for our residents,” he added.
Carolyn Granato has dedicated 34 years of service to educating Newark’s youth and integrating support programs for students to set them up for long term academic success. Her career in education began at Oliver Street School, where she taught 3rd, 4th, 7th, and 8th grade and later became the ELA Staff Developer of the school.
She pivoted her career in education to the administrative side and quickly ascended through the ranks. Her first administrative role was as Vice Principal of Dr. William H. Horton Elementary School and, soon after, she became the Principal of McKinley Elementary School, where she served for 18 years. In 2016, Granato was asked to lead the Office of Special Education as Executive Director. Her experience in Special Education provided her the necessary skills for her current role as Assistant Superintendent of Student Support Services for the Newark Board of Education. As Assistant Superintendent, she oversees the implementation of support programs and resources for special needs students, which greatly improve the chances of success academically and beyond.
Granato has been recognized for her excellence in both leadership as an administrative professional, as well as her service to children’s education in her years as an elementary and middle school educator. In 2005, she was awarded the City of Newark Resolution for Heroic Leadership. In 2009, she received the Outstanding Educator Award by the Benedetto Croce Organization. In 2013, she was recognized by the CHAD Foundation for her work in special education and was included in their Annual Report for outstanding practices in special education.
“This is so humbling and means so much because it comes people who I admire so much. There are two things in my life that I am especially proud of, and those are being an Italian American and working as an educator,” Ciccone-Granato said.
Thomas P. Scrivo is an accomplished trial lawyer and a trusted advisor to businesses, governmental entities, and individuals. He is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney and previously served as Chief Counsel to Governor Chris Christie from 2015 to 2017. He led the Governor’s legislative initiatives, supervised gubernatorial appointments, and oversaw New Jersey’s Executive Branch, including all state departments and authorities.
He has vast experience in the public sector, having served as municipal attorney to several New Jersey municipalities and as special counsel to governmental entities in a wide array of litigated matters. He is the author of the New Jersey Local Government Deskbook, a leading government treatise updated annually.
Scrivo also has remained involved in many boards and organizations within Essex County. He is a past President of the Essex County Bar Association, former Trustee of the New Jersey State Bar Association, and current Trustee of the Association of the Federal Bar of the State of New Jersey. He is the current Chair of the Seton Hall Law School Board of Visitors. He has served as an adjunct professor at Seton Hall University School of Law, where he taught State and Local Government. He has been a member of the New Jersey Supreme Court’s District V-B Ethics Committee. Chief Justice Stuart Rabner appointed Scrivo as Vice Chair of the Supreme Court of New Jersey’s Working Group on Ethical Issues Involving Metadata in Electronic Documents. He served on the Essex County College Board of Trustees for 15 years. Thomas has also dedicated his time towards philanthropy for Essex County. He served as Chair of the Essex County Heart Walk, which raised more than $500,000 for the American Heart Association.
“I am deeply touched by this recognition and even more humbled looking at the previous recipients. I am thrilled to accept this from Joe DiVincenzo because he is making sure that our Italian heritage does not become a faded memory,” Scrivo said.
The Essex County Italian Heritage Celebration is part of a yearlong series of programs initiated by County Executive DiVincenzo to raise awareness about and celebrate the diversity of Essex County.