Shara Family Scholarship

Tom Shara, a 2012 Distinguished Citizen Award recipient, has been serving on the Ramapo College Foundation Board of Governors for more than 10 years. He is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of Lakeland Bank and previously held leadership positions at TD Banknorth, formerly Hudson United Bancorp. Mr. Shara has volunteered with the Boys and Girls Club of Paterson & Passaic for over 25 years and serves on the organization’s Board of Trustees. A member of the Board of Directors of the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey, New Jersey Bankers Association, and the Chilton Hospital Foundation, Mr. Shara also previously served on the Federal Reserve of New York’s Community Depository Institution Advisory Council.

Mr. Shara and his wife Judy are both lifelong Bergen County residents. Mr. Shara believes that an effective leader is one who inspires people to achieve more than they may have dreamed possible while nurturing the development of future leaders. Throughout his career, he has strived to create opportunities for advancement both in the workplace and the surrounding community. The Shara Family Scholarship Endowment was created in 2016 and permanently endowed the following year for a deserving student from either Paterson or Passaic in the hopes of enabling them to earn a degree from Ramapo College. The Scholarship reflects Tom and Judy’s shared commitment to the Boys and Girls Club and Ramapo College.