2024 June Dwyer Castano Veritas Awards Luncheon

Elizabeth Chalas Berman '84

Liz is President and CEO of Continental Food and Beverage Company. After graduation with a degree in Education from Caldwell University, Elizabeth taught English as a Second Language in a public school for 15 years. She joined her family’s business, Continental Food and Beverage Inc. in 1998 and created their community outreach platform. Her role is to help support mission-driven local, national and international organizations and her company and family have organized volunteers to remediate lead contamination sites in the Dominican Republic and have helped create a network of temporary nursing clinics in poor communities. Elizabeth has been a guest speaker both here and abroad on the importance of women owned Hispanic businesses. She has received numerous awards from Hispanic and state organizations including the Boy Scouts of America who honored her in 2011 with the National Service Award for her development of opportunities for Hispanic Youth. Elizabeth serves on numerous boards, including the Board of Directors, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and, most recently, the Caldwell University Board of Trustees. She will be receiving the VERITAS Award for Excellence in Hispanic Community Outreach.

Kelly Tallio '85

Kelly has a shared dental practice in Rio Grande, NJ. She graduated from Caldwell with a BS in biology before going on to earn her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School in 1989. She then served as a Dental Officer in the US Navy for 5 years which included two overseas deployments aboard the destroyer USS Yellowstone. She served during Operation Desert Storm and provided dental care to multiple units afloat as well as civilian and government patients. After her Navy service, Kelly practiced general dentistry as an associate in Cape May, NJ, before opening her own comprehensive, ADA accessible practice in 1999 where she continues to practice today. She participates in the Donated Dental Services Program which provides free dental care for patients with financial need. She volunteers with several organizations including Flying Doctors of America where she has provided dental care to Ukrainian refugees and Peruvians in remote villages. She volunteers with boards in her local community and is the recipient of several distinguished military service awards including the National Defense Service Medal and the Southwest Asia Service Medal. 

James R. Adams '04

James is the Director of Laboratory Programs and Services at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC. where he has been employed for the past 12 years. He graduated from Caldwell with a BS in biology, then earned a degree in clinical laboratory science and an MS in health sciences from the University of Medicine and Dentistry. James has worked in both hospitals and private reference laboratory settings. He served as president of the American Society of Clinical Laboratory Scientists and is a member of the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) and AABB. He received the Top 40 Under 40 Award from ASCP in 2018.