NAMI Mercer paid tribute to Madeline Monheit at the 15th annual “Night Out with NAMI” benefit on November 6 at Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart in Princeton. This year’s gala event featured the return of renowned pianist Dr. Richard Kogan who performed “Scott Joplin, the King of Ragtime — Music and the Mind.”

Madeline Monheit was the fifth recipient of the organization’s highest honor — the NAMI Mercer 2016 Pillar Award — in recognition of her 12-year contribution to NAMI’s mission through volunteerism, leadership, advocacy, and charitable giving.

“Maddy is the quintessential volunteer,” commented NAMI Mercer Executive Director Janet Haag. “She is a leader whose generous spirit makes all the difference in our service to the community. Maddy is the kind of person who is at the heart and soul of our organization.”

Monheit joined NAMI Mercer in December 2004, bringing with her a powerful background of experience at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, as a senior writer and editor. She spent 15 years in the field of computer technology, planning and managing complex systems projects for the government and the private sector. Before that, she worked for seven years as a high school Spanish teacher and academic advisor in New York City.

In May 2006, Madeline became a member of the board. She leads the Communications and Annual Wellness Conference Committees and serves on four other committees — Development, Programs/Services, Night Out with NAMI Annual Gala, and the annual NAMIWalk. She is also secretary to the board.

Monheit was instrumental in several important NAMI Mercer initiatives, including establishing the Fund for the Future and Harvest of Hope wellness conference and writing a series of 11 op-ed articles for the Times of Trenton in 2009. She has planned and edited every issue of the NAMI Mercer newsletter for the past 10 years.

NAMI Mercer, based in Lawrenceville, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness through education, mutual support, and advocacy. It is an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.