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JERSEY CITY, N.J. | (NJCU) will honor three distinguished individuals and one visionary organization on Friday, September 26, 2025 at 6 p.m. when it presents the 2025 Leaders & Legends Gala - Havana Knights at il Villaggio, located at 651 Route 17 North in Carlstadt, Â鶹ÒùÔº.

The Leaders & Legends Gala is the institution's annual celebration of those who have made a lasting impact on society in the Jersey City and the greater Hudson County area. This year's Cuban-inspired theme, Havana Knights, promises an unforgettable evening of music, culture, and philanthropy.

Presented by the NJCU Foundation, the university will honor recipients across four categories: Gil Medina of CBRE will receive the Distinction in Business Award, Adam San Miguel '18 will be recognized with the Distinguished Graduate Award, Sara Peña of PSEG will receive the Women Leadership Award, and PNC Bank will be honored with the Community Impact in Education Award.

All proceeds from the gala will directly benefit the NJCU Foundation, advancing its mission to support the university and its students, including student scholarships. The website is /about/support-njcu/leaders-legends-gala 

Peter Hernandez, the Chair of the NJCU Foundation Board of Directors, said: "The NJCU Foundation is thrilled to host the 2025 Leaders & Legends Gala - Havana Nights, a vibrant celebration of individuals and organizations truly shaping our community. We are honored to recognize PNC Bank, Gil Medina, Sara Peña, and Adam San Miguel, whose incredible contributions in education, business, and leadership perfectly embody the Foundation's commitment to empowering potential and fostering impact."

Lizette Delgado, Executive Director of the NJCU Foundation, noted: "The 2025 Leaders & Legends Gala - Havana Nights is our signature event, passionately dedicated to celebrating remarkable individuals and organizations. We are incredibly proud to honor PNC Bank, Gil Medina, Sara Peña, and Adam San Miguel, whose dedication and impact truly transform lives and inspire the essential support needed to champion the NJCU Foundation's vital mission."

 2025 Honoree Profiles:

Gil Medina - Distinction in Business Award 
The Executive Vice President at CBRE, Inc., Gualberto (Gil) Medina is a senior real estate professional at the Fortune 500 company, providing integrated real estate solutions for corporate, governmental, non-profit, and academic organizations. As an attorney, CPA, and licensed real estate professional, Gil has served diverse roles including Secretary of Commerce for the State of Â鶹ÒùÔº, City Councilman in Camden, and executive at the world's two largest real estate services companies. For his contributions to international trade and investment, the President of Brazil conferred upon Gil the Rank of Commander in the National Order of Cruzeiro do Sul, an honor bestowed on foreign nationals in recognition of valuable services rendered to the Republic and its citizens.

Adam San Miguel '18 - Distinguished Graduate Award 
A CEO, social entrepreneur, and soldier, Adam San Miguel owns and operates Cortaditos, five Cuban-style coffee shops in Â鶹ÒùÔº employing over 60 people. As founder and chairman of the Cuban American Alliance for Leadership & Education, recognized as Nonprofit of the Year by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of NJ in 2020, Adam leads scholarship giving and leadership development programming for students nationwide. A Maritime Enforcement Specialist in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, Adam earned a B.A. in Finance from Monmouth University (where he holds football records for receptions), a B.S. in Spanish from NJCU, and an MBA from Fordham University. He also serves on the Cuba Study Group and Cuba Emprende Foundation.

Sara Peña - Women Leadership Award 
A distinguished community leader and advocate, Sara currently serves as Director of External Affairs at Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), where she leads strategic outreach initiatives and directs a team of public affairs managers. The daughter of Ecuadorian and Dominican parents and a lifelong Newark resident, she previously served as Director of the Â鶹ÒùÔº Department of State's Center for Hispanic Policy, Research and Development under Governor Phil Murphy's administration, significantly expanding the Center's statewide influence and earning recognition on NJ Insider's "100 Policymakers Power List." She holds a bachelor's degree in management science from Kean University and a master's in public administration from Rutgers University–Newark.

In 2013, inspired by her son Anthony, Sara founded the Boys to Leaders Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering young men through mentorship, education, and leadership development. Her commitment to Latino empowerment and community service has earned her widespread recognition, including being named one of ROI-NJ's most influential People of Color in both 2023 and 2024. Throughout her career, she has served on numerous prestigious boards and commissions, received dozens of awards for her community leadership, and has been a longtime advocate for equity, youth development, and inclusive public policy. Her extensive involvement with organizations like LUPE Fund, Inc., where she served on the Executive Board for 15 years, demonstrates her sustained commitment to Latina empowerment and civic engagement across Â鶹ÒùÔº.

PNC Bank - Community Impact in Education Award 
PNC Bank receives recognition for their outstanding commitment to educational initiatives and community development, demonstrating sustained impact in supporting educational opportunities and fostering community growth throughout the region. PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit .

Â鶹ÒùÔº the NJCU Leaders & Legends Gala Awards
Launched in 2018 as the NJCU Leadership Awards, the Leaders & Legends Gala was conceived to honor, promote, and encourage exemplary efforts by individuals and organizations who have made and continue to make exemplary contributions to our society. The 2020 and 2021 events were canceled due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The gala returned in 2022; there were no formal awards in 2023.

Past honorees include 2018 honorees Jersey City Mayor Steven M. Fulop (Service); Angelo J. Genova, Esq., Senior Partner, Co-Founder and Chairman, Genova Burns, Attorneys-At-Law (Innovation); Stefania Panepinto, Founder, Panepinto Galleries (Arts); and the late Thomas Stanton, Jr., a Jersey City banker, visionary and prime mover committed to the renaissance of his hometown (Legacy, awarded posthumously); and 2019 honorees Hon. Frank J. Guarini (Service); Meredith Burns Executive Director, Art House Productions (Arts); Joseph F. Scott, FACHE, Executive Vice President, Health Care Transformation, RWJ Barnabas Health (Innovation); and the late Glenn D. Cunningham, Former Mayor of Jersey City, 2001-2004 (Legacy, awarded posthumously). 2022 honorees were then-Assembly Deputy Majority Leader and Â鶹ÒùÔº Assemblywoman Angela V. McKnight (Service); Paul Silverman (Arts), co-founder of the Jersey City-based real estate company, SILVERMAN; John J. Moore, L.L.M.,‘56, the former Chair of the Board of Trustees (Legacy, awarded posthumously); and Bank of America (Innovation), accepted by Alberto Garofalo, President, Bank of America Â鶹ÒùÔº. 2024 honorees were then-Â鶹ÒùÔº State Senator Nellie Pou (Legacy); Ulises Diaz, the Senior Vice President of Government and Community Affairs at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ, (Service); and Ponce Bank (Impact Award).

Â鶹ÒùÔº NJCU: 
Â鶹ÒùÔº is a comprehensive public regional institution committed to providing a high-quality education to a diverse student population. Located in Jersey City, Â鶹ÒùÔº, NJCU offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs and is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for learning, professional development, and community engagement. Consistent with our mission, NJCU is recognized as a top university for improving upward economic social mobility, ensuring students enrolled in our undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral programs have access to an affordable, diverse environment, and an exceptionally supportive faculty. This prepares them to go on to become the next generation of workers and leaders who improve their communities and the State of Â鶹ÒùÔº.

Â鶹ÒùÔº the NJCU Foundation
NJCU is wholly dedicated to offering the best, most affordable education to its students, as well as state-of-the-art facilities and campus amenities that augment learning and support personal development. Philanthropic giving is key in making this happen. The NJCU Foundation Board of Directors empowers this work by guiding philanthropic endeavors and serving as ambassadors for NJCU.

NJCU Foundation’s mission is to support Â鶹ÒùÔº as it transforms itself into a nationally recognized leader in urban public education while maintaining its commitment to transforming the lives and livelihoods of its diverse student body.

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Contact: 
Ira Thor, Associate Vice President for University Communications and Marketing | ithor@njcu.edu | 201-200-3301