Jacqueline Pellek C0-Founder ~ CEO ~ President
Jackie, a Byram Twp. NJ resident, starts each day by posting a positive daily message on her social media account. She loves to inspire, support and encourage others. She supports surrounding communities as well as her own and is a founding member of the Netcong Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary where she has held the positions of Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. She has also been involved with taking photographs for both Netcong and Byram Fire Departments. Most recently, she has joined the local Rotary and represents the foundation on that front.
Retiring in June of 2023, Jackie as an accomplished teacher of over 31 years. Jackie has a Master's Degree from Seton Hall University and has taught thousands of students. She prides herself having been a mentor to her colleagues, a building representative for the Education Association of Mount Olive, a tutor, and a coach. She has presented at the Elementary School Consortium, has served on multiple committees and was selected as the 2017-2018 Mount Olive Middle School Teacher of the Year.
Jackie also loves the beach, animals, cooking, hiking, nature photography and is an avid runner. She can usually be found running with her husband Mike and their “running family” training for and running races to support local charities. She is proud to be a member of the Salt Shaker Running Club where she received the 2017 Outstanding Achievement Award for her work with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and in 2021, The Salt Shaker of the Year Award.
Michael Pellek~Co-Founder~CFO
Mike has been involved in the fire department most of his life. Following in the footsteps of his dad and his uncle he joined the Netcong Fire Department at 18 and pursued a career in the fire safety field. Mike is a past fire official of Netcong Boro and has been the FIre Official/Safety Officer for the Township of Roxbury for 30+ years. He has served as a volunteer on the Netcong Fire Department for over 40 years. In Netcong, Mike held all firematic offices including Chief and was named firefighter of the year in 1999. Mike has also been the Assistant Chief of the Byram Twp. Fire Department (member since 2007), the town where he currently resides.
Mike, a Level II Fire Instructor, holds certifications as a Fire Official, Fire Investigator, Hazardous Materials Operator, Level III Incident Commander, and Firefighter II. In addition to sharing his knowledge with fellow firefighters, Mike is the lead educator for the Juvenile Fire Setter Program in Morris County, a member and past president of the Morris County Fire Prevention Association and is most proud of his work as a K-9 Accelerant Detection Handler with his best friend and K-9 partner Bunker, from 2006-2020.
Personally, Mike enjoys hiking, golf (a 2 time hole-in-oner), the beach, dogs and antique trucks. He also likes to run and has created and run a (trail) Marathon-For-A- Cause. As a member of the Salt Shaker Running Club, Mike has been recognized as the Most Aggressive Runner (2017) and Co-Salt Shaker of the Year with Chief Todd Rudloff (2019).
Phillip Savarin ~ Vice President
Phil Savarin is a Project Management Specialist for Prudential Financial with 23 years of experience in the financial services industry. Phil has a passion for enhancing workplace culture and employee engagement. He demonstrates his leadership in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as a member of his organization's Equity Changemakers Taskforce and Prudential's Business Resource Groups including being on the boards of ADAPT (Abled and Differently Abled Partnering Together) and PRIDE (LGBTQ+ Inclusion).
Phil resides in Byram Township with his wife Jennifer, their daughters Danielle, Mia, and Emma and their rescue dog Rusty. Phil is an avid runner who loves to run for a cause. He also enjoys hiking, music and vacations at the beach.
Valerie Fiorentino ~ Board Member
Employee Benefits Specialist, Insurance Broker with Cornerstone Financial Group
While building her career, Valerie is also raising her family. She lives in Hopatcong with her two sons and volunteering is a big part of their life. Known around town as “Coach Valerie” she has earned that title by coaching, Soccer, T-Ball, and Football and serving as the Coordinator and Chairperson for the Hopatcong Municipal Alliance. Valerie believes that bringing people together with physical activity and running is a healthy way to get fit and destress while building life long bonds.
In 2015, Valerie’s passion for running led her to bring HERO Boys Run Club to New Jersey, and she is the North Jersey Regional Director. The Guest HERO speakers, through their stories and accomplishments, brought her closer to her desire to support our first responders. This includes volunteering for Team RWB and joining 403 Reasons to Run supporting the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. A perfect fit.
Kathryn Rosa ~Board Member
Although, Katie joined the Board in 2024, she has been a proud supporter since the Foundation’s inception and one of the early 403 Reasons to Run Tunnel to Towers team members.
Katie has been a resident of Cranberry Lake in Byram Township, NJ for most of her years. Katie grew up in a household where community service played a big role in everyday life. As a Girl Scout, Katie did service projects and ultimately achieved her Gold Award. Her family were parishioners of St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church in Netcong, NJ.
After graduating from Lenape Valley Regional High School, Katie lived in Central NJ for ten years, where her street address was, perhaps foreshadowing, 403. During that time, she attended Rider University and graduated with both a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with specializations in Finance and Visual Art. Katie would have never guessed that her first real summer job working for her dad would lead to a 20+ year career in community banking.
The Rosa’s were always involved supporters of first responders, specifically the Roxbury Police Explorer Post and Police Unity Tour. Katie is very proud of her uncle who is a retired Sergeant from Stony Point Police Department in NY, cousin who is a State Trooper in MD, cousin who is a retired Patrolman from Lincoln Park Police Department in NJ, and many dear family friends who have chosen to live a path of service.
Being that fire departments are often the lifeblood of communities, Katie’s family seemed to become involved wherever they lived. Her brother was a member of the Montgomery Township Volunteer Fire Department in Belle Mead, NJ. Her mom was an auxiliary member of the Millstone Valley Fire Department in Somerset, NJ, and both parents were auxiliary members of the Calabash Fire Department in Calabash, NC as well.
Katie enjoys spending time with family and friends. As Katie’s favorite place to be is in nature and enjoying the views from the tops of mountains with people she loves, it is no surprise that Katie found herself to be a member of the Salt Shakers Trail Running Club and Craigmeur Ski Club. Katie enjoys hiking with and cooking for her golden retriever, Penny.
Katie is grateful for the opportunity to serve on the Board of 403 Reasons to Run Foundation, Inc. and help give back to the first responders who give so much of themselves to our community.
Board Member
Todd Rudloff~Board Member
Todd has been involved in the fire department most of his life. Following in the footsteps of his father and sister he joined the Jefferson Township Rescue Squad in 1998. Shortly after completing his training, Todd decided to Follow his Grandfathers footsteps and Join Jefferson Township Fire Company #2 in December of 1998. In 2002, Todd Married his wife, Stephanie and moved to Byram Township. Later that year, he joined the Byram Township Fire Department. Todd rose through the ranks of the department and currently is the chief of the department. He has served as a volunteer Firefighter for over 24 years.
In 2005, Todd joined his best friend and began working for Firefighter One LLC, an equipment vendor for first responder equipment. First joining the company as Website and Marketing associate, Todd quickly rose through the company as an Equipment Sales Manager. Recently, Todd was promoted to Strategic Accounts Manager, covering NJ, NY, PA and DE. Todd is a member of FEMSA, Fire and Emergency Manufacturers and Services Association since 2012.
Personally, Todd enjoys skiing, hiking, golf, cooking and spending time with his family. He made a goal on his 35th birthday to lose weight and starting running with a local trail running club, the Salt Shaker Running Club, and was Co-Salt Shaker of the Year with Chief Mike Pellek (2019).
Todd is a GREAT dad to his firefighter daughter Chloe! Fun fact, Todd has visited 45 of the 50 states. His goal is to get the last 5.