Wayne Cresta, rent leveling manager and senior services director for the Town of Morristown, has been named chair of the Morris County Human Relations Commission for 2007-08.

Installed with him at the Commission's annual dinner at the County College of Morris were Alberto Olarte, senior bilingual clinician at Saint Clare's Behavioral Health, vice-chair; Peggy Carroll of Morris Township, a public relations consultant, secretary and Susan Waldman of Randolph, a community volunteer, treasurer.

Performing the installation ceremonies was Hester Agudosi, Supervising Deputy Attorney General and Chief Prosecutor, Supervision and Coordination Bureau, who was also the keynote speaker. (See story on youth programs)

Cresta, who has been a member of the Commission for three years, succeeds Sue Rosenthal of Randolph, a legal secretary and law office manager in Morristown, who now serves as immediate vice chair.

Mrs. Rosenthal, in her final report, listed the projects the Commission sponsored or co-sponsored in the last year to educate and inform on issues of diversity and living in a multi-cultural society. Among them:

• For the eleventh year, sponsored appearances by actor Fred Morsell in his Frederick Douglas Seminars on Race Relations and Gender Equity both in area schools and a free public performance.


• Joined with Morris Tomorrow's Building Cross Cultural Communities Committee in sponsoring the first Study Circle program in Morris County, to bring people together to discuss local and regional issues and work towards solutions.


• Sponsored the first Morris County Cultural Heritage Month. Activities included "Many Lands, One County," an exhibit on immigration in collaboration with the Morris County Historical Society presented at the Morris County Library and a cultural heritage festival, including the arts and foods of many nations, at the Morris County Cultural Center.


• Co-sponsored the 12th annual Raoul Wallenberg Honors, recognizing courage and compassion and service to others by young people in middle schools and high schools.


• Co-sponsored with the National Council of Jewish Women, West Morris Section, an essay and art competition on "What Prejudice Means to Me."