Biz News: Affinity Promotion, Verizon No. 1

in Basking Ridge last Friday announced the promotion of Donna LoStocco to senior vice president, member experience, effective immediately.

In her position as senior vice president, LoStocco will be a member advocate reporting directly to Affinity’s CEO as a member of the executive team. She will also oversee all member-facing areas of Affinity including the branch network and member service center, according to the announcement.

“While Affinity has always focused on our members, we realized having a singular voice on the executive team that would advocate for them was critical to our ongoing success,” said Affinity President and CEO John T. Fenton. ”Donna’s passion for our members and her leadership abilities are evident in everything she does.”

LoStocco said following her promotion, “The financial services market is growing and changing at an unparalleled rate. Our members expect us to keep up and provide them with the products and services they need in this dynamic marketplace. Hence, it’s critical that they have a voice and a seat at the table that can effect rapid, flexible change when necessary.”

LoStocco noted that in her new role, she hopes to further elevate the member service experience and look at every dollar spent to ensure maximum efficiency so members get an even “greater bang for their buck.”

In addition to her new responsibilities as senior vice president, LoStocco will continue to represent Affinity as a member of the Somerset County Business Partnership with an aim to foster stronger relationships with members of the local business community.

LoStocco also is on the board of the Raritan Valley Community College Foundation. In this capacity, she is helping to raise funds above and beyond public and tuition sources to enhance college programs and to provide scholarship support that ensures students with modest means  have access to a quality education. The Foundation’s fundraising efforts will also provide support to build the new Ray Bateman Center for Student Life and Leadership.  Previously, LoStocco was instrumental in helping to establish a student-run branch of Affinity on campus.  

Affinity Federal Credit Union, the state's largest credit union, is a member-owned, not-for-profit, full-service financial institution with 17 branches throughout New Jersey with more than 135,000 members from more than 2,000 businesses and organizations and total assets in excess of $2 billion, according to Affinity. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, Affinity Federal Credit Union has been offering financial services with a member-oriented focus since 1935. For more information, visit Affinity's website. www.affinityfcu.org.

College student from Basking Ridge gives presentation on "Corporate Ethics and the Role of the Consumer."

Erin Hodgson of Basking Ridge, a student at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., made a presentation on "Corporate Ethics and the Role of the Consumer" at the 82nd annual meeting of the Eastern Sociological Society, Feb. 23 to 26, in New York City.

The Eastern Sociological Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting excellence in sociological scholarship and instruction.

Verizon Wireless ranked No. 1 among national wireless providers in New York Metro region

ranked highest among all other national wireless providers in the New York metropolitan region in the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Wireless Network Quality Performance Study, volume 1, issued Friday, March 2.

The New York Metro Region includes Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Staten Island, Rockland County, and northern New Jersey.

The J.D. Power and Associates study measured network quality among U.S. wireless service providers, according to announcement by Verizon. More than 27,000 wireless subscribers were surveyed by J.D. Power and Associates between July and December 2011 about their experiences with wireless voice, text messaging and data usage. Based on their responses, Verizon Wireless performed above the regional average in all six regions and ranked highest among national wireless companies in five regions, including the New York Metro region.

“The great Verizon Wireless lineup of devices, from smartphones and tablets to netbooks and jetpacks, are all powered and backed by our network,” said Pat Devlin, president of Verizon Wireless, New York Metro Region. “We arecommitted to providing our customers with the best wireless experience through ongoing network investments designed to meet their wireless demands.”

Verizon Wireless invests on average more than $6 billion annually in its network to stay ahead of the growing demand for the company’s voice and data services, according to the Verizon announcement.  Verizon Wireless’ ongoing network investment totals more than $290 million in New York Metro region and more than $70 billion nationally since the company was formed, which includes the introduction and expansion of 4G LTE.

Since its launch on Dec. 5, 2010, Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network has won numerous technology and consumer choice awards, including being named the nation’s “Fastest 4G Network Yet” by Popular Science’s 2011 Best of What’s New Awards and ranking No. 1 on PC World’s 100 Best Products of 2011.

Walk-ins for Somerset County Business Partnership Presents Opportunity Knocks

The Somerset County Business Partnership will present a special morning session of "Opportunity Knocks," a business networking opportunity from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Tuesday.

“Opportunity Knocks” will take place at the Shimon and Sara Birnbaum Jewish Community Center, 775 Talamini Road in Bridgewater.

The networking event builds on the success of over a decade of “Opportunity Knocks” events and will attract in excess of 100 business people seeking to start their day by making new sales and supplier contacts. Continental breakfast will be served and door prizes will be awarded.

The event is free for pre-registered Business Partnership members (up to 2 per company), $20 for member walk-ins, and $30 for non-members. Display tables are available for $60 and door prize donations are welcome.

To register, call the Business Partnership at (908) 218-4300, or register online at event@scbp.org.