Larry E. Nutt, Ph.D. - President
Larry E. Nutt, Ph.D. was born in Riverside CA. and educated at Reed College. He received his Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Chicago. He has taught Criminal Justice at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey since 1975. Dr. Nutt was part of the first group of volunteer mediators trained by Community Justice Institute/Community Mediation Services in 1980. He has done both community and family mediations. He has been a member of the CMS Board since 1996. In his free time, Dr. Nutt enjoys reading, gold collecting, and repairing old fountain pens.

James E. Wren, Vice President
James E. Wren received his Bachelor of Science degree from Lafayette University and is a former S/Sgt. for the U.S. Army. His employment experiences include: Management Trainee with National Gypsum, Industrial Engineer with Container Corp. of America, Production Control Manager with Conflow Corp., 20 years as President of the L.G. Nester Corporation, broker-salesperson with Parker and Dudas Real Estate, and Appraiser for Appraisals Services Inc. In addition to his employment experience, Mr. Wren has been very active as a volunteer within his community. He was a Director and President of the Millville Hospital Board of Directors, Director of the Millville YMCA, Director and President of the Millville United Way, Commodore and Board Member of the Yacht Club of Stone Harbor, Trustee and Treasurer of the Margate Community Church, Director on the Board of the Atlantic County Board of Realtors, volunteer with Heavenly Scavengers at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Stone Harbor, and has been a volunteer mediator for CMS since 1996. In 2001, Mr. Wren was appointed to the CMS Board of Directors. He received the Kiwanis Award for Millville Citizen of the Year in 1977 and received the Volunteer of the Month award from the United Way of Atlantic County in December 1999.

Jim and his wife Karin reside in Stone Harbor. They have seven children and nine grandchildren. In his spare time, Jim enjoys sailing, swimming, golfing, walking, birding, tennis, Elderhostle trips, and spending time with his family.

Samantha S. Wolf, Esquire - Secretary
Samantha S. Wolf, Esquire is a Hofstra University graduate and received her law degree from Widener University School of Law. She is a former law clerk to the Honorable Valerie H. Armstrong, Assignment Judge, Atlantic and Cape May Counties when Judge Armstrong was the Presiding Judge of the Family Part. Samantha is presently a partner in the firm of Rosenberger & Wolf in Linwood. Her law practice is concentrated in matters of divorce and family law, real estate, civil litigation and Chancery Part matters. Samantha currently serves as a Matrimonial Early Settlement Panelist and as a Special Civil Part Mediator. She is a Trustee of the Atlantic County Bar Association. Samantha presently serves on the Board of Directors of the Milton & Betty Katz Jewish Community Center of Atlantic County. Previously, Samantha served as the President of the Atlantic County Municipal Court Prosecutor’s Association as well as Secretary of the New Jersey State Municipal Prosecutor’s Association. She completed a four year term as a member of the New Jersey Supreme Court District I Ethics Committee. Samantha was the recipient of the Honorable Benjamin A. Rimm Award as the Outstanding Young Lawyer of 2006. She resides in Ventnor where she enjoys running on the boardwalk and spending time on the beach.

Jean I. Abbott -Treasurer
Jean I. Abbott is a manager at the accounting and consulting firm of Giuliano Miller &Company where she specializes in corporate bankruptcy matters.  She is also an adjunct at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, located in Pomona, NJ, where she teaches graduate and undergraduate accounting and finance courses.  Ms. Abbott is a Certified Public Accountant with a Masters of Business degree from Monmouth University and a Bachelor of Science degree from The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.  Previously, Ms. Abbott was employed by the Claridge Casino Hotel where she served in increasingly responsible management positions over a twenty-one year period, including:  Chief Financial Officer, member of the Board of Directors, and Secretary to the Board of Directors.  Ms. Abbott resides in English Creek with her husband, Andrew.

Cheryl R. Kaus, Ph.D.

Cheryl R. Kaus, Ph.D., is Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. Recently from the State University of New York at Oswego, where she chaired the Department of Psychology, Dr. Kaus joined Stockton in 2004. She received her degree in Human Development and Family Studies from The Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Kaus’ areas of specialization include gerontology, successful aging, and program development and evaluation. She resides in the Blue Heron Pines community of Egg Harbor City, and enjoys running as a fitness activity.

John McLernon
Graduating with a Master’s degree in social work from Rutgers University, John McLernon is a licensed clinical social worker.  Currently the director of social services and community relations for the Atlantic County Department of Public Safety, John administers the discharge planning project for all inmates leaving the county jail and returning to the community.

Working with approximately 30 social services agencies, the purpose of this initiative is to reduce the recidivism rate by designing interventions which directly cause the person’s incarceration.

Because substance dependency and mental illness are significant contributors to recidivism, a strong emphasis is on treating these disorders in order to ensure successful stabilization once released.

Beth Olsen
Beth Olsen graduated from University of Aberdeen in Scotland with a Master’s in mental philosophy.  She has worked in pre-award grants administration at Richard Stockton College since 1985, building their infrastructure for grant-seeking.  In addition, Beth has responsibilities for compliance issues, and coordinates all internal award programs.  Within the Provost’s office, she serves as support staff to many institution-wide projects, including civic engagement, diversity and experiential learning.   Along the way Beth has served as project director for several volunteer-based programs which primarily supported community needs.  Beth is an active member of national professional organizations, serving on committees in the Grants Resource Center, International Society of Research Administrators and the National Council of University Research Administrators. She and her husband have recently moved to Atlantic City and have two grown daughters.

Richard M. King, Jr.
Richard is a partner in the firm and is a former law clerk to the Honorable L. Anthony Gibson, Presiding Judge, Chancery Division, Atlantic and Cape May Counties, Retired. Richard lives in Linwood, New Jersey. He graduated from Pinelands Regional in 1988 and attended Rider University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1992. Richard received his law degree from Villanova University School of Law, where he served on the Villanova Law Review. Upon his graduation from Villanova, he was selected to the Order of the Coif and was awarded the Herman J. Obert award as the top graduate in the field of corporate law. Richard was also the winner of the Ruby R. Vale National Corporate Law Moot Court Competition in Wilmington, Delaware. Richard is a Trustee of the Atlantic County Bar Association and serves on the Executive Committee of the Vincent S. Haneman American Inn of Court. Richard was selected by the Atlantic County Bar Association and the Rimm Award Committee as the Outstanding Young Attorney in Atlantic County for the Year 2005. He is also a State-Certified Civil Mediator concentrating in General Equity and commercial litigation matters. Richard is also active in the community. He is former President of the two-hundred-household Osborn Island Resident Association, and he also served as President of the Economic Development Group and Chairman of the Little Egg Harbor Economic Development Commission. He is a Trustee of the Cape Atlantic Chapter of the Sunshine Foundation, and is a Trustee of the Shore Racquet Club. Richard coaches his twin son and daughter in Linwood's hockey and soccer leagues.