Super Women 2026
Get to know these wonderful ladies whose various efforts are helping to better our communities.
Each year, South Jersey Magazine takes great pride in showcasing local Super Women who are making a noticeable impact across the region, and our 2026 honorees are some of the most inspiring we have encountered. This remarkable group of leading ladies isn’t motivated by the recognition they may receive for their hard work, compassion and character; they are doing what simply makes them feel good. It’s just further evidence of what makes these ladies so special and precisely the reason why, even though they would never ask for the attention, we were more than happy to give it to them.
WOMAN OF THE YEAR
Darlene Keith-Battle
As Viola’s Place Inc.’s founder and CEO, Keith-Battle wears many hats: community advocate, nonprofit executive and organizational leader dedicated to empowering women, children, youth and families. Since founding the organization in 2018, she has helped countless women and children not only through struggles with the domestic violence, homelessness and housing instability, but also through barriers to self-sufficiency. The foundation creates opportunities and passages for these women to self-advocate while lending its vast experience and a helping hand. Energized by faith, compassion and service, Keith-Battle is the embodiment of Viola’s Place’s mission: “Empowering Her One Step at a Time.”
Keith-Battle also serves as program director of Queen’s Village Housing LLC, a transitional shared-living program supporting women and children as they work toward stability and independence.
In addition to her community leadership, she and her husband have devoted approximately 20 years to opening their home and hearts to children through therapeutic foster care.
“My faith has played an important role in shaping the woman I am today. I believe we are blessed not simply to receive, but to be a blessing to others,” she says. “I hope the legacy I leave behind is not simply what I accomplished, but how I treated people, how I helped them and how I made them feel when they needed someone the most.”
Patricia A. Legge
Legge is the founding executive director of Volunteer UP Legal Clinic, whose mission is to uplift, empower and transform communities through high-quality, pro bono legal representation. Bridging the fields of law and social work, she has worked tirelessly to break down systemic barriers and expanding access to justice for vulnerable, low-income residents across South Jersey.
After a distinguished 22-year career as a federal law clerk and 15 years teaching at both Rutgers School of Law-Camden and Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, Legge earned her Master of Social Work and founded Volunteer UP Legal Clinic in Camden in 2018. Under her visionary leadership, the clinic has grown from a grassroots initiative into a vital regional nonprofit supported by more than 200 volunteer attorneys. Through partnerships with law firms, bar associations, law schools, courts and community organizations, the clinic has expanded access to free legal services for thousands of South Jersey residents, helping eliminate financial barriers to justice.
Although she recently retired as executive director, Legge continues to serve Volunteer UP as board treasurer, ensuring the organization’s continued strength and sustainability. She also serves as vice president of the leadership council of Impact100 South Jersey, extending her commitment to philanthropy and civic engagement throughout the region.
Jordan Grabelle
Something of a precocious child, Grabelle founded Love Letters for Literacy in 2014, at the ripe age of 10. “From an early age, [my mother] instilled in me a love of reading and taught me that even small acts of service can strengthen a community,” she says.
Grabelle had volunteered with family members in underserved communities in Camden and Philadelphia, and she fell in love with the spirit of giving. Seeing that many children didn’t have the advantage of easy access to books, she was inspired to help close that disparity.
Since those early days, Grabelle’s organization has amassed more than 70,000 generous volunteers to help produce handmade literacy packets that include colorful A-to-Z flashcards, personalized notes inspiring the children to become avid readers, and more.
Grabelle has been recognized for her service work with the Diana Award, and she was named a Coca-Cola Scholar. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Duke University in 2026 with a major in public policy, a psychology minor and an Innovation & Entrepreneurial Certificate, the impressive young woman is currently in her first year at The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.
To date, Love Letters for Literacy has helped more than 210,000 children discover a love for reading in all 50 states and reaches more than 47 countries on six continents.
Lee Anne Albright
After her first husband’s passing, Albright offered her services to the Community Foundation of South Jersey (CFSJ), a nonprofit based in Haddonfield. Affiliated with the Community Foundation of New Jersey, the organization manages the back-office operations and supplies fundholder support for more than 100 charitable causes.
As the organization’s philanthropic service specialist, Albright is the administrator for 13 scholarship funds, responsible for office operations and fundholder support for donor advised funds, and so much more. A founding member of Impact100 South Jersey, a women’s giving circle since 2018, Albright helps to collect donations of $1,000 from each member of the organization and awards the resulting $100,000 to a local philanthropic organization. Most years, there’s enough to award two or three organizations.
Albright is also active with other organizations in Haddonfield, including serving as the president of the borough’s Historical Society as well as its Civic Association, chairing the Historic Preservation Commission and serving as a member of Haddonfield Rotary.
“As corny as it sounds, I want to make my community a better place—more green space, more livable and more walkable. I saw so many opportunities to give back because that is the character of the town—so many nonprofit organizations and a love of tradition.”
Stacey Vail
As managing director and chief client officer of Heartbeat, Vail brings more than 25 years of experience leading strategic marketing and agency partnerships across health care and pharmaceutical brands. Beyond her professional accomplishments, she is deeply committed to family, mentorship and philanthropy.
Vail serves as a trustee of The William G. Rohrer Charitable Foundation and a member of the Rowan University Foundation Board, continuing a family legacy of giving in honor of her grandfather, William G. Rohrer. Funded by his estate, the foundation supports organizations across New Jersey. Vail carries this spirit of philanthropy forward by giving back to her community and mentoring students through Rowan’s Business Advisory Board, helping shape the next generation of business leaders.
For Vail, her proudest accomplishment is building a successful career while being the mom she always wanted to be. As the mother of Griffin and stepmother of Julia and Andrew, she and her husband, Chapman, have built a blended family while navigating the fast-paced world of advertising. Inspired by her mother’s example, Vail believes success is about finding balance, taking risks and enjoying the journey.
As she puts it, “Success isn’t about choosing between a career and family. It’s about finding balance when needed, taking a few risks and remembering to have some fun along the way. No regrets!”
Barbara Schwartz
Schwartz is a Super Woman in every sense. She is a board member and volunteer at the Cherry Hill Free Clinic, bringing health care to the most underserved communities, while also working as a donations relations manager for Urban Promise Ministries, linking the mission’s faith-based philosophy with the power of children through guided education, hands-on interactive learning and faith, providing children with a world of opportunities and possibilities.
However, her selflessness doesn’t end there. In addition, Schwartz volunteers with the lovely ladies at Impact100 South Jersey, serving on a committee that evaluates the foundations and initiatives that work so hard to empower Southern New Jersey through their philanthropic programs. What’s more, Schwartz has volunteered for over 12 years as a first responder to help women who’ve been subjected to domestic violence, offering the compassion and human connection they need the most.
For Schwartz, giving back has never been about one defining moment; instead it’s an organic journey shaped by growing interests, meaningful encounters and opportunities to serve. She says pivoting from a successful career in human resources to philanthropy was a natural transition.
“It’s all about people helping people from different perspectives,” she says. “I am grateful to be working alongside strong, courageous, visionaries who believe in a mission, have the conviction to pursue it and are making a difference. I’m the one who’s lucky!”
Jo-Ann Weiner
Weiner is an award-winning tax and forensic accounting professional with more than 35 years of experience and three companies to her name. Her acumen with numbers has made her one of the most indispensable minds in the industry. Equally passionate about women’s issues, she founded Women, Words, and Wisdom to advance the well-being of New Jersey women. The organization strives to educate women about their circumstances and help them make the best possible choices for their futures. It also awards college scholarships to students in need because, for the organization, education is paramount.
“I wanted to start Women, Words, and Wisdom as a nonprofit to give back, because I felt that, as a business owner, if I could put $1,000 in and help other people … and I could find nine friends who were business owners and they would give me $1,000, we would have $10,000 that we could give to women in financial need and help make sure they stay in college, because it’s so important to get that degree,” Weiner says.
Like many of the women she helps, Weiner didn’t have the easiest upbringing. Her father died when she was just 3, and she was raised by her single mother. They didn’t have much, but that experience helped foster the compassion that shaped Weiner into the charitable humanitarian she is today.
Janice Campbell
Campbell was working with the Mental Health Association in Southwestern N.J. in 2013 when an idea was born.
Campbell saw a gap in the human side of communities in need—or rather, the canine side. She drew on more than 20 years of experience in mental health and her work as an equestrian, tester and observer for the TD Therapy Dog organization and the American Kennel Club to create the Tri-State Canine Response Team.
The organization’s mission is to support first responders with highly trained crisis response dogs and experienced crisis counselors. The program was the first of its kind in New Jersey. Today, the program has expanded across the United States and established its first international affiliation in Italy.
In addition to offering crisis relief during events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, the organization also offers educational visits to schools, hospitals, veterans’ groups and wellness programs. It also plays a pivotal role in training law enforcement and other first responders in suicide prevention strategies. To date, Tri-State has helped more than 275,000 individuals in its 11 years of operation.
“I see the gift of how our canine partners help responders and communities who are struggling to make it through another day. Together we offer a supportive presence to help the healing begin. I am humbled to be at the end of the leash when this magic happens.”
Lisa Conley
This lifelong Pitman resident started working at The Arc Gloucester when she was a student at Rowan University. After graduation, she became the director of public affairs and has served as the organization’s president for five years.
The Arc Gloucester has served individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families for nearly seven decades, and Conley has been part of the organization for 35 of those years. It all started with a small group of parents looking for fun, rewarding recreational opportunities for their kids. Today, the organization operates 18 residential programs, five achievement centers, multiple respite programs—including Camp Sun ’N Fun—and a number of other programs that provide opportunities for individuals with I/DD to learn and grow.
“When I think about my career at The Arc Gloucester, there isn’t just one thing that stands out. Being part of a bigger community that has done so much to raise awareness and create change for individuals with I/DD brings me a tremendous amount of pride,” says Conley. “Each person we serve has unique gifts, talents and experiences that make The Arc Gloucester and our community stronger. They are the people who inspire me every day.”
Sarah Holley
An activist to the core, Holley advocated for civil and human rights on her college campus during the Vietnam War. She later began her public service career as a seventh-grade social studies teacher, positively influencing hundreds of students.
Holley spent 15 years on the Willingboro Township Board of Education, including five as president. Her commitment to helping others has continued through teaching, activism and community leadership.
“As a teacher in the classroom, you’re not just a teacher—you are a parent, you are a guidance counselor—so it’s all those roles rolled into one,” she says.
Holley has served on the Burlington County Board of Social Services (BCBSS) for seven years and now serves as its chair, helping oversee assistance for low-income individuals, families, seniors and other vulnerable residents. She also serves as vice chair of the Burlington County Library Board.
“I think BCBSS is an excellent program. It’s very helpful. You see a lot of needy mothers—not just mothers—you see the people in need who come in and there are services there for them,” Holley says.
Holley further lends her time to serve as county secretary for Burlington County and president of the New Jersey chapter of the Democratic Federation of Women. Her decades of service exemplify what it means to be “for the people.”
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Published and copyrighted in South Jersey Magazine, Volume 23, Issue 7 (October 2026).
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