Atlantic City Weekly

The Top 40 Under 40 Review Committee collaborated to review all nominations, select the 40 honorees and compile this feature while planning a special event to honor the 40 later this month at the MIXX nightclub at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. The committee consisted of Atlantic City Weekly staffers and members of the Greater Atlantic City Jaycees -- Junior Chamber of Commerce.

From the Jaycees: Liz Miller Galantino (past president), John Gibboni (treasurer/member), Nick Russo III (member) and Colleen Dougherty (member).

From AC Weekly: Bill Beck, Kathy Heery, Jeff Schwachter and Lew Steiner.
Editorial interns KC Vander Does and Christopher Teja also contributed to this project.

Dr. David Angelastro
Medical Director, Shore Memorial Hospital
Dr. Angelastro is the medical director of Shore Memorial Hospital's Emergency Department. He has been an emergency medicine physician with Shore Memorial since 1998. Dr. Angelastro is an instructor for basic life support (BLS) and advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) classes for the American Heart Association. He volunteers with the Upper Township Boy Scouts and is an assistant baseball coach with Upper Township Little League Recreational Sports. In 2007, he received the Shore Memorial Health Foundation's Guardian Angel award, which gives grateful patients and family members the opportunity to recognize a special caregiver for his/her commitment to providing outstanding patient care. Dr. Angelastro is a graduate of La Salle University and Jefferson Medical College. He is a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians and is board-certified in emergency medicine by the American Board of Emergency Medicine. He lives in Upper Township with his wife and two children.

Colin G. Bell
Assistant Atlantic County Prosecutor
Colin is a lifelong Atlantic County resident. After graduating from Oakcrest High School, Colin obtained his undergraduate and law degrees, both cum laude, from American University. During law school, Colin received the prestigious Newman Prize for Trial Advocacy and was a member of the Mock Trial Honor Society. Following law school, Colin clerked for Superior Court Judge Michael Donio during the 2005-06 term. Colin then obtained his current position with the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office. Since joining the office, Colin has successfully tried several narcotics cases and prosecuted numerous other high-profile matters. He is active in the Bar Association and was recently elected secretary of the N.J. Assistant Prosecutors' Association. Colin is active in the community, serving as coach of the Oakcrest Mock Trial Team and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Holocaust Resource Center at Stockton College. He resides with his wife, fellow Top 40 honoree, Sarah Beth Johnson.

Barbara Bermel
Catering Sales Manager, The Palm - Atlantic City
Barbara's commitment to quality, customer service and upholding superior standards makes her an excellent asset to The Palm in Atlantic City. Barbara joined The Palm family as catering sales manager prior to its opening in January 2005 and continues to be an intricate part of the restaurant's management team. Barbara is an active member of the Chamber of Commerce, Atlantic City Hotel and Lodging Association, MBCA and Concierge Association. She also works as a marketing partner with the ACCVA. Since joining The Palm, Barbara has been responsible for countless private events and assisting in numerous fundraisers and community activities. For the past three years, Barbara has been an integral part of the planning process for The Palm's Movers, Shakers and Difference Makers luncheon, responsible for raising more than $200,000 to benefit Gilda's Club. Aside from Barbara's community contributions, she is a welcome female presence in a male dominated restaurant industry.

Clint Beyers
Director, Barbarito and Beyers Preschools' Learning and Caring Centers
Clint was presented the Philadelphia Police Department's highest and most prestigious citizen award for heroism on Dec. 5, 2007. The U.S. Congress and FBI, as well as Atlantic County and Hamilton Township, presented similar heroism awards to him. These awards were the result of Clint courageously assisting a Philadelphia female police officer who was being brutally attacked and assaulted. Additionally, Clint apprehended the attacker. Clint has worked within his family business in creating and managing unique childcare facilities in casinos, school districts, colleges and malls. Clint has worked as a Division 1 police officer and physical education teacher, in addition to volunteer work coaching sports. He is a graduate of Cape May County Police Academy and the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. Clint and his brother Bill are the sons of Dr. William P. Beyers and Janice Barbarito-Beyers of Mays Landing.

Dr. Suzanna Brown
Veterinarian, Best Friends Veterinary Hospital
A lifelong resident of Atlantic County, Dr. Brown graduated from Richard Stockton College in 1998, and Iowa State College of Veterinary Medicine in 2003. She was following in the footsteps of her grandfather, Dr. Sterling Brown Sr., of Northfield, and became a doctor -- not for people, but for animals. After practicing locally for a number of years, she opened her own business, Best Friends Veterinary Hospital, in Mays Landing. Her philosophy has been to provide the best service available, with individualized patient care. Since 2004, Dr. Brown has expanded her services to other parts of the world, such as Mexico, rural Appalachia, and certain parts of the Caribbean. She travels two to three times a year to these places to provide free medical and surgical services in communities where available veterinary care is limited or completely nonexistent.

Michael Bruckler
Media Relations Manager, Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority
A lifelong resident of the area, Mike has worked in the tourism industry for more than 15 years. He joined the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority (ACCVA) as a media relations manager in 2004. For the ACCVA he writes a monthly column for Casino Connection magazine and serves on the Atlantic City Airshow Committee. He is responsible for coordinating the publicity of the airshow each year, which has reached an audience of more than 15 million since 2006. Mike resides in Smithville with his wife, Jennifer, and is a committee member of the Smithville homeowners' association. As an avid supporter of wildlife conservation, his yard has been certified as a wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. He is also a long supporter of The Nature Conservancy and the Arbor Day Foundation, as well as the Delaware Valley Siberian Husky Rescue and the Humane Society of the United States.

Mike Campo
Director of Event Services, SMG - Atlantic City
Convention Center
Born in Atlantic City, Mike is a lifelong southern New Jersey resident whose talent in baseball has carried him to several sports venues across the country. A student-athlete and 2000 graduate of Penn State, Mike spent five seasons playing minor league baseball for the Anaheim Angels, Oakland Athletics and Boston Red Sox organizations. In 2004, Mike joined SMG as an event manager. He has been promoted twice to his current position as director of event services. Mike is responsible for ensuring the flawless operation of events ranging from small meetings to massive public shows such as the Classic Car and Power Boat shows. He enjoys instructing local children and coaches on the fundamentals of baseball, has organized donations to the Atlantic City Boys and Girls Club and assisted in the delivery of show-related food product to the Atlantic City Rescue Mission. Mike currently resides in Absecon with his wife, Colleen, and their new baby boy, Dominic.

Chris Carminucci
President, Atlantic City Surf
With a wealth of experience on and off the field, Chris is one of minor-league baseball's top young executives. The native of Westchester County, N.Y., joined the Atlantic City Surf baseball club in 2007 as its field manager, and led the area's only professional sports team to a 59-41 record and a playoff berth. For his efforts, he was named the Can-Am League's Manager of the Year. For 2008, with the franchise experiencing increased fan support, community involvement and sponsorship, Chris has stepped off the field to concentrate on his role as club president. He is also spearheading the club's association with Ventnor-based FACES, a charity dedicated to increasing autism awareness. The Surf will hold both a preseason golf tournament and a "Strike Out Autism Night" during their July 26 game to benefit the organization. When not at the ballpark, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife, Lauren, and daughters, Emma and Kate.

Dr. Heather Clark
Dentist, Heather M. Clark D.M.D. and Associates
Dr. Clark graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in 1997. At graduation, she received the award for Most Outstanding Student in the field of restorative dentistry, crown and bridge. Previously, Clark graduated from Mainland Regional High School and attended Rutgers University. Dr. Clark presents programs at local schools each February for Children's Dental Health Month. She served on the Northfield Board of Education from 2001 to 2003, and was a judge for the Northfield Community School Science Fair. She is a member of the Red Door Society at Gilda's Club and has also opened up her office to programs with local girl-scout troops, to teach them about careers in dentistry. Dr. Clark has owned her own dental practice since 1998. It offers a warm, caring environment and provides the highest level of family and cosmetic dentistry. Dr. Clark lives in Northfield with her husband, Scott Sherwood, and daughter, Sophie.

Jorge F. Coombs, Esquire
Attorney, Jorge F. Coombs, Esq. Law Office
Jorge emigrated from Santiago, Chile, to New Jersey in 1981, and hasn't stopped making big moves since. He received his BA in political science from Rutgers and then went on to graduate from the Rutgers School of Law - Camden in 1998. Today, he is first vice-president of the Hispanic Alliance of Atlantic County, a non-profit organization that advocates for the economic, cultural and civic advancement in the Hispanic community. In 2007, he was recognized by the organization with the H.A.A.C. "Nuestro Pueblo" Service Award for his timely public seminars on immigration and educational issues. Just recently, Jorge was chosen to serve as a member of the AtlantiCare Behavioral Health Board. He has also found time to coach GTAA and Atlantic United youth soccer. When he's not out and about, he concentrates his private practice in Linwood. Jorge lives in Smithville with his wife, Erica, and their four kids.

Kevin Costello
Teacher, Oakcrest High School
After graduating from Oakcrest High School and West Chester University, Kevin began teaching in 1996 as the health specialist for the Millville School District. There he helped implement a staff wellness program, and worked with various health organizations such as Assist, Rebel, March of Dimes, and the American Health Association. In 1998, he came back to Oakcrest, where he currently teaches health and physical education. He is also a peer mediation advisor, and an assistant coach in soccer, basketball and baseball. In 2003, Kevin, who has been a volunteer soccer, basketball and baseball coach in Hamilton Township, was named A.C. Press's Coach of the Year. He is also a registered sleep technologist, working at Bacharach's sleep center. He has spoken to local groups about sleep disorders, and recently published an article in Coach magazine about the importance of sleep in student athletes. Kevin resides in Mays Landing with his wife, Elizabeth, and children, Ryan and Mia.

Josh Cutler
Director of Family Services & Camp Director, JCC
Josh, affectionately known to thousands of local children as "Nature Josh" serves as the director of Camp by the Sea and coordinates the many youth, adult and senior programs at the Milton & Betty Katz JCC. Over the past three years as camp director, Josh and his camp team have increased enrollment at Camp by the Sea, while creating many new, educational and exciting programs for kids along the way. When not working, Josh enjoys the great outdoors, jazz, family time and international travel. He has visited 25 countries and has written many travel articles published by Comet Travel Guides, Lonely Planet and Travel Explorations. In 2007 Josh volunteered to lead two trips to Israel for young adults through the non-profit organization, Taglit Birthright Israel. He lives in Margate with his wife and 20-month-old son, Noah Adam.

Jonathan Cuviello
Administrative Director of Regulatory Affairs, Shore Memorial Hospital
Jonathan was named administrative director of regulatory affairs at Shore Memorial Hospital in 2007. He started his career at Shore Memorial in 2003 as director of corporate safety. Jonathan serves as secretary of the board of the American Red Cross for the Atlantic and Cumberland County chapters. He is the event chair for the Shore Memorial Health Foundation's Leaders Alliance, which raises funds for Shore Memorial's CHOP Inpatient Program. He is a member of the Atlantic County Emergency Management Advisory Board. In 2007, Jonathan received the Atlantic County Public Health Partnership Award and the State of New Jersey Teamwork Partnership Award. He has a bachelor's degree from Rutgers University, a master's in public health from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and Rutgers University, and will complete his MBA from the University of Phoenix in April. He lives in Egg Harbor Township with his wife and three children.

Katie Dougherty
Regional Entertainment Publicist, Harrah's Entertainment
For the past several years, Katie has been an integral part of the Atlantic City community, promoting various aspects of the city as a marketing/communications specialist in numerous capacities at the Tropicana Casino and Resort, House of Blues and now with Harrah's Entertainment, as the regional publicist. Continuously growing both personally and professionally, Katie has been involved in some of the city's most exciting expansions, including the addition of The Quarter at Tropicana, and is an active volunteer for the Delaware Valley Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In her current role, Katie continues to promote the Harrah's Entertainment A.C. brands, including Harrah's Resort, Caesars, Bally's and Showboat, and the Atlantic City region as one of the top destinations on the East Coast. Katie, who lives in Ocean City, graduated from Drexel University in Philadelphia. Prior to returning to southern New Jersey, Katie worked with Comcast-Spectacor and the Philadelphia 76ers in communications roles.