Welcome New Members!

This quarter, we're excited to have four new members to spotlight! Please join us in welcoming Vivien Hardy, Brooke Luger, Patty O'Neill, and Diane Russo!

Vivien Hardy

A longtime resident of Summit, Vivien Hardy has made a positive impact in the community in a variety of ways. While her children were young, Vivien was an active member of the Junior League. During that time she was sent to represent the Junior League at a workshop training participants in the skills of leading groups and leading meetings. She then ran workshops teaching these skills to other Junior League members and non-profits. Throughout that time, Vivien served on multiple Junior League committees and, ultimately, as Vice President of Community Affairs. Called to use her skills internationally, she spent two years in the Peace Corps in Bolivia. Upon returning, getting married, and moving to Summit, Vivien was recruited to write a grant proposal to the State of New Jersey for an outreach project for Morris County Family Service. Her request was granted and she launched the project to train and hire paraprofessional outreach/social workers in Dover, NJ. Her career taking a new turn, a Junior League connection recruited her to work for Lee Hecht Harrison as a career coach and group trainer for people who had lost their jobs due to corporate downsizing at companies such as AT&T and New York Port of Authority. Rounding out her professional life, she worked at AT&T for 10 years, after which she retired. She is interested in getting back in to work that supports the local community including volunteering through her church and joining the Summit College Club.

Brooke Luger

Brooke Luger is founder of MBMedia, a digital marketing consulting team assisting small- and medium-sized businesses with their online presence from their website to their social media. She also works part-time at the Summit Speech School supporting their events and fundraising. She volunteers with Lasagna Love, baking and delivering lasagna dinners to local families in need; and Planned Parenthood for Action New Jersey, supporting education around safe sex throughout NJ. When not working or volunteering, Brooke can be found reading or playing with her young son. She was introduced to SCC through the Book Fair, while volunteering, and joined because she is passionate about removing boundaries to higher education for women throughout NJ and the country. Brooke recently moved to Summit from NYC with her husband, son, and three rowdy cats. They are expecting a baby girl in February 2026.

Patty O'Neill

Before becoming a teacher and, later, an elementary school principal in the South Orange/Maplewood school district, Patty O'Neill traveled the world as hospitality manager for the Waldorf Astoria and owned and ran a restaurant in New Orleans. She sees the link across these endeavors as "instilling knowledge," a passion she still pursues in retirement. Patty now lives in Summit and volunteers with Moms Helping Moms, focusing on their "Books for Babies" program; with the Pillar Care Continuum organization, which provides services for people with special needs; and with G.R.A.C.E. in Summit. Patty also works part time at Indigo--for the books, of course! She joined Summit College Club because she is "as passionate as you are to help advance equity and education for the girls and women of the world."

Diane Russo

Diane Russo is a recent empty-nester who is looking for new directions to keep her active and engaged. Throughout her career, she has held marketing, public policy, and strategic planning positions at AT&T, Lucent Technologies, and Merrill Lynch. Diane was introduced to the Summit College Club through the annual Book Fair. After learning more about the club’s educational directives and scholarship program, she felt that its goals were well aligned with her own. An avid cook and baker, Diane has become quite skilled at allergen-free cooking to accommodate her son’s extensive food allergies. Diane and her husband live in Mountainside, where she actively volunteers at her church and with local community organizations.

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We'd love to have you as part of the Summit College Club!

If you're interested in joining us as a member, check out our Membership Page for more information.