Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss Appoints Two New Members to Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees at Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss, are so pleased to welcome two new members, Stefani C. Schwartz and John Haggerty. Both bring a combination of unique skills, extensive experience, and a deep commitment to Imagine's mission to ensure that no child grieves alone.

Stefani C. Schwartz is a partner in a law firm she co-founded with Kathryn Hatfield, Hatfield Schwartz Law Group with its primary office in Cedar Knolls, NJ. Ms. Schwartz has devoted her legal career to representing employers in all aspects of employment law, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage disputes, and wrongful termination matters. She is a leading practitioner in the field whose advice is often sought after. Stefani has represented hundreds of clients in state and federal court proceedings, arbitration proceedings, and before administrative agencies.

Stefani has been practicing for over 30 years and has been consistently recognized in New Jersey Super Lawyers, a rating service based upon peer nomination and evaluations of those attorneys who demonstrate excellence in their field. Ms. Schwartz was featured and honored in 2012 by NJBIZ as one of the “Best Fifty Women in Business” and more recently, was recognized in the 2024 and 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for her work in Employment and Labor Law – Management.

Ms. Schwartz has served on a number of nonprofit boards and is dedicated to supporting women. Stefani shared this about her choice to join Imagine’s Board of Trustees: “I am honored to join the Board of Imagine. I look forward to collaborating with my fellow board members to advance the organization’s mission and to help Imagine expand its impact in the community.”

John Haggerty is a partner in the Gibbons Law Firm in Newark where he represents clients in a variety of matters in federal and state courts, including high-stakes commercial disputes, professional liability defense, and white-collar litigation. As a member of the firm’s Appellate Team, he has handled appeals involving a wide range of issues, from antitrust and intellectual property to constitutional and criminal law.

Mr. Haggerty brings a practical, results-oriented approach to his practice and is regularly called upon to help clients navigate some of their most complicated, sensitive challenges. In addition to representing clients in active litigation, he provides pre-litigation counseling and advises businesses and individuals on risk management and compliance issues. He also has significant experience representing clients in connection with government and internal investigations.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Haggerty served as a law clerk to the Honorable Joel A. Pisano of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

John shared this about his interest in joining Imagine’s Board of Trustees: “It is a tremendous honor to join the Board of Imagine—a remarkable organization with a mission that is deeply personal for me. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve, and I look forward to contributing as best I can to Imagine’s continued growth and the profound impact it has in our community.”

As Imagine’s Board continues to work to grow the circle of support Imagine offers in New Jersey communities, they’re so grateful for new partnerships in this work, and the opportunity to welcome Stefani and John to join them in this effort.

Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss is a 501c3 that offers grief and loss education and training to the community and free year-round grief support groups for children ages 3-18 and young adults 19-30 who are coping with a loss due to death. Concurrently, support groups are available for the parents and guardians of the children in the groups and offered in English and Spanish. For more information, please contact Imagine at 908-264-3100 or info@imaginenj.org or visit our website at www.imaginenj.org.