John (Jack) Craner was born in 1935 in New York City as a first- and second-generation American.  He grew up in The Bronx (New York City) and New Rochelle, NY where he attended New Rochelle High School (Class of 1952).  He graduated from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (Class of 1956) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics.  Just after graduating from Penn, he married Muriel Gilbert (Maplewood, NJ) in 1957.  Jack studied law at Fordham University Law School where he earned his JD (Class of 1959).  He was admitted to practice law in NJ and NY, and practiced law for over 50 years, based in Union County, NJ.  Jack's interest and practice focus was labor law, particularly in the early part of his professional career. 

Jack and Muriel Craner have lived in Springfield, NJ since 1961.  Jack is father to Jill C. Stolz (who currently lives in Warren, NJ) and Jim Craner, both of whom attended the Springfield public school system K-12 and are graduates of Jonathan Dayton High School.  Jack was very active in his children's education, sports (including coaching Jim's basketball 3rd-8th grades and Little League baseball in 5th grade), and extra-curricular activities.  Later in Jim's professional career, Jack played an important role in helping his son develop new technology in the field of occupational and environmental medicine. He  has always supported his son's interest in environmental sustainability that led to the creation of this Scholarship.  

Jack remains an avid Red Sox fan, gardener, and reader in his retirement.

Rich Herschlag was born in Queens, New York, during the Kennedy administration, and these two things helped shape his life, including his dual interests in the environment and the arts. He attended Stuyvesant High School in New York City and earned a bachelor’s degree in science and engineering from Princeton University in 1984. At Princeton, he met Dr. Craner (then just “Jim”) and formed a lifelong friendship based on both civic involvement, creative endeavors, and humor.

In 1991, Rich received his license as a professional engineer from the State of New York and went to work as Chief Borough Engineer for the Office of the Manhattan Borough President, where he stayed until early 1995. Since then he has run a consulting business, Turnkey Structural, specializing in the rehabilitation of older residential and commercial buildings and the preservation of historic structures in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  

Throughout his primary professional career, Rich has also written and published numerous books, released several albums with various bands, and most recently co-wrote, composed and executive produced Dictator for a Day, an off-Broadway musical comedy that was filmed and now streams on multiple entertainment platforms including Apple TV , YouTube TV, Tubi and YouTube.  Among his published books, probably the most well known is Punk Rock Blitzkrieg (Touchstone), which spent three weeks on the NY Times Bestsellers list and was co-authored with legendary drummer, Marky Ramone.

Rich lives in Easton, PA, with Susan, his wife of nearly 40 years. They have two grown daughters who both live and work in New York City.

John Murray grew up in Cumberland, Wisconsin.  He attended the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and holds a bachelor of arts degree in photojournalism. He recently retired from a 40-year career as an advertising photographer.

John and Jim Craner met at a National Science Foundation summer program for science-oriented students ('science geeks') at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point in the summer between each of their junior and senior years of high school (1979).  Together they designed and built a solar-powered water heater, which Jim later entered and was a finalist in the Northern New Jersey State Science Fair and a national competition as well (more on this in Jim's bio).  

"We became instant friends because because we both shared a love of our fragile planet and we were trying to figure out how to make a difference in the world" by recycling and doing R&D into renewable energy technologies. "And we both liked having a cold Wisconsin brew after a long day of being neo-scientists (the drinking age was 18 back then!)."

After leading their separate lives into adulthood, nearly forty years later (and thanks to thea advent of the internet!), John and Jim re-connected and reignited their still-ongoing friendship and mutual, active interest in environmental sustainability. This included co-presenting their solar energy project to Jim's son's school on Earth Day, 2018.

John lives with his wife, two grown sons and their beagle, Sydney, in Madison, Wisconsin.  In retirement, he enjoys a plethora of hobbies including fishing (catch and release), golfing, treasure hunting (and yes, that includes using a metal detector which his wife is in denial about) and Thrifting, which John considers a noble act of recycling.  

Jill Stolz (née Craner, sister of Jim Craner) grew up in Springfield, NJ and is a 1978 graduate of Jonathan Dayton High School.  She received a BA in Political Science and Public Policy from The University of Pennsylvania in 1982. 

Jill began her career as a grant writer for non-profits in New York City.  Upon moving back to New Jersey in 1987, she moved into the healthcare sector as Associate Director of Public Relations for the Saint Barnabas Healthcare System, where she further honed her skills in writing, communications and community relations. Following the birth of her twin sons in 1993, she continued as a freelance writer, namely as a columnist for a local community magazine, and helping high school seniors with college essay writing. She also held various volunteer positions including Chairperson of the Cultural Arts Programs for the elementary and high school as well as Chairperson of the Scholarship Committee at Watchung Hills Regional High School.

During her years at Jonathan Dayton High School, Jill was on the Varsity Tennis Team, was active in the Spanish Club and coached middle school softball.  She feels that growing up in Springfield and going through its public school system K-12 gave her a solid foundation and left a positive imprint.  She is honored to serve on this board and give deserving students a chance to elevate their futures.

Raymond Gonzalez is a Private Wealth Financial Advisor and Managing Director-Investment Officer at Wells Fargo Advisors based in Reno, NV.  He is also Jim Craner's financial advisor and close personal friend.

Ray grew up as the oldest of nine siblings in Winnemucca, NV where he excelled in school and sports, notably basketball.  He attended and graduated Cum Laude from Occidental College in California where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Kinesiology.  He began his financial services career in 1997 and built a private wealth financial advisory practice based  with clients spanning the West Coast.  Ray earned the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC™) designation, one of the nation’s premier retirement planning credentials, providing him with an extensive knowledge base from which to help clients navigate their retirement planning options.

Ray and his team specialize in portfolio management and retirement plans such as 401(k), Profit Sharing, SEP, SIMPLE, Traditional, and Roth IRAs. Through Wells Fargo affiliates they have access to over 90 lines of business for their clients including banking and lending services. Ray’s primary focus is managing, preserving, and transitioning wealth to help ensure each of his client’s portfolios match their risk tolerance and objectives.

Ray serves on the boards of numerous civic organizations, and notably has served as the President of the Nevada Humane Society, one of the nation's largest no-kill animal shelters.  He is a father of three children, an avid fitness participant and sports fan (notably the Sacramento Kings), and enjoys many outdoor activities in the Reno/Tahoe area.