News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 28, 2003

DEA Newark Field Division Presents First Annual Anthony D. Cammarato Award For " Excellence In Prevention" At NJPN Prevention Conference

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Newark Division will present the first annual Anthony D. Cammarato Award for Excellence in Prevention at New Jersey Prevention Network's (NJPN) prevention conference, Operation X-Out/Leading the Response, on February 28, 2003.

The award will recognize one person each year for their long-term dedication to the substance abuse prevention field. The award memorializes the late Anthony D. Cammarato who served as DEA Newark Division's Special Agent in Charge. In his position, Cammarato's goal was to foster and nurture outside relationships with law enforcement and other substance abuse prevention organizations throughout New Jersey.

During his distinguished 22-year career with the DEA, Cammarato conducted investigations on Colombian Cartels, targeted opium and heroin drug trafficking organizations in Bangkok, Thailand, served as Group Supervisor, Executive Assistant to the Chief of Operations, Senior Executive Service, and Associate Special Agent in Charge before being promoted to Newark Division Special Agent in Charge.

The first recipient of the award in Cammarato's memory will be Linda Jeffrey, Ph.D., Director or the Center of Addiction Studies at Rowan University. Jeffrey is a full professor of psychology at the University where she has been a faculty member for 30 years. She has written the six-course undergraduate and three-course graduate program in alcohol and other drug studies at the University. Additionally, Jeffrey is a licensed NJ psychologist, specializing in the prevention and treatment of addiction. She was a founding member of the NJ Higher Education Consortium, and has served as its grant project director for statewide alcohol and tobacco social norms projects, statewide projects in curriculum infusion, peer education, and part drug use prevention. She has also served as a member of the NJ Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.

Presenting the award to Jeffrey will be Alexander J. Gourley, DEA's Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Newark Division. Gourley's own 22-year career with the DEA has included serving as a training instructor at the DEA/FBI Academy in Quantico, VA, Acting Chief for Special Agent Assignments, Supervisory Special Agent of the Asian Heroin Task Force, Chief of Special Programs Unit for the Office of Security Programs, Inspector and Senior Inspector in DEA's Office of Professional Responsibility, and Assistant Special Agent in Charge. He was appointed as the Newark Division Acting Special Agent in Charge in February, 2003.

NJPN's third annual prevention conference is co-sponsored by the DEA, New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, New Jersey State Police, New Jersey National Guard and Saint Barnabas Health Care Systems. The event will be held at the Ocean Place Resort and Conference Center in Long Branch on February 28, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

The Conference's keynote speakers are James Capra, Chief of Domestic Operations of the DEA and Carolann Kane-Cavaiola, Assistant Commissioner, Division of Addiction Services, DHSS. The conference seeks to provide prevention and treatment professionals access to the most up-to-date information so they can continue leading the response. Over 500 police officers, guidance counselors, nurses, doctors, addictions counselors and other prevention and treatment professionals from across the state are registered to attend the annual event.

# # # #