The Bergen County Bible
CONTRIBUTORS
Home is love. Home is family, friends, memories and experiences. It's a feeling. A moment or several moments. A lifestyle. And for me, home has always been Bergen County, NJ.
The Bergen County Bible was created in 2017 out of a desire to provide you with access that you've never had before. It was access that I gained and earned from over a decade long career as the Fashion Editor and Stylist at a local magazine, a position I created and grew with great pride and lots of hard work and dedication. I devoted myself to my career, the magazine, the people who make this county so unique and impressive, and was a staple at every philanthropic outing.
I wanted you to also have the opportunity to get a glimpse into this world filled with athletes, musicians, celebrities, philanthropists, and regular good people who live and/or work where we live and work. Over time, The BCB has grown and changed to develop with my life, the current climate of the world, and the wants and needs of the readers. You will continue to get a front row seat to the professionals and personalities who make BC a uniquely exciting place to live, shop, work, and dine. You will also meet Change Makers who are lending a hand to others to make their lives a little brighter. That is what makes me proud to call Bergen County home.
I have continued my journey the best way I know how. By being real, relatable, and embracing style on my terms. I have the expertise, knowledge, experience, and connections to provide you with the best resource guide to celebrate our county, and a little beyond from time to time.
It has always been my goal to make fashion and style accessible, fun, and anything but overwhelming and unattainable. I will always encourage you to mix and match styles and price points, to dress in what makes you feel like the best you, and to always know, that you are perfectly perfect the way you are.
I've earned the title "Veteran Fashion Expert" for the time and devotion I've given to my career and my craft. As a celebrity interviewer and TV personality, I've talked style and dressed some of the biggest names in the industry including: Tim Gunn, Terron Schaefer, Stacy London, Catherine Malandrino, Stuart Weitzman, Mary J. Blige, Odell Beckham Jr., Lil Kim, Rachel Roy, Ken Downing, Yansi Fugel, Marc Bouwer, David Meister, Mark Badgley and James Mischka, Ivanka Trump, Maks and Val Chmerkovskiy, Eli Manning, Carl Banks, Derek Jeter, Curtis Grandson, Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, CC and Amber Sabathia, Justin Tuck, Jeff Feagles, Tate Donovan, Daphne Oz, Johnny Damon, Emme, Kristine Johnson, Chris Wragge, Martha MacCallum, Tracy Wolfson, Lori Stokes, Geraldo and Erica Rivera, Bethenny Frankel, Giuliana Rancic, Elizabeth Gilbert, the RHONJ, Jay Huguley, Malaak Compton-Rock, Ilya Kovalchuk, Leslie Greene, Guy Bedrarida, and many more.
I have proven myself in the industry and am very well versed and respected here. This is my stage, my playing field, my home. After all, there's no place like home. And at the end of the day, if you can't go home, where can you go?
xo HZ
JENNIFER STAMATO
Beauty Writer
@jenniferlstamato
Jennifer is a Bergen county native who has an obsession/adoration with beauty products, especially anything natural and organic. You can find her in the beauty aisle at Whole Foods! Lives for facials and feels her best with glowing skin, a great blow out and full, sculpted brows. She believes in the beauty of simplicity. Feeling great starts from within! Creature of habit. Aloe vera can cure any skin issue. Has a serious love/hate relationship with her hair…"sometimes I love my long hair, sometimes I want to chop it all off," (Selena Gomez vibes). Weekly mani/pedis are a must for Jennifer's sanity. There is an essential oil for any problem. Couldn’t live without ChapStick.
Jennifer's promise is to be open and very honest about everything she's trying. From the ugly truth to beautiful results, you will get it all.
AMELIA DUGGAN
Lifestyle Writer
@ameliaduggan96
Amelia is a lifelong resident of Bergen County who prides herself on being an expert in the area’s rich history and culture. She knows just about anything there is to know about Bergen. After a career as a public relations executive at local hospitals and colleges, Amelia enjoyed a long tenure as a magazine editor. In her decade-plus time as editor, she had the opportunity to interview high-profile professionals including former FBI Director James Comey; cardiac surgeon and television host Dr. Mehmet Oz; Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia and his wife, Amber; and noted paleontologist Niles Eldredge, former scientist at the Museum of Natural History. In addition, she was a frequent motivational speaker on women’s empowerment. Today, Amelia is enjoying a more relaxed pace teaching college courses in communication arts and working as a freelance writer. She and her husband, Bill, have triplet daughters who are now in college. With her newfound freedom, she splits her time between Ridgewood and Cape Cod.
MARITZA DEARING
Yoga & Mindfulness Writer
@liyalifeco
Maritza is a wife, mom of three young children, an entrepreneur, vegan, and living her passion and life’s purpose. She discovered her love for yoga in the early 2000's and it has been her way of life ever since. A veteran group fitness instructor, personal trainer, healthy lifestyle coach, and luxury residential health club manager, Maritza has 30 years of experience in various aspects of the fitness and wellness industry. Her desire to help others is apparent in her ability to inspire and motivate individuals, whether it's through weight loss or through life experiences by taking a simple, effective and fun approach. She is the founder and creator of Liyalifeco.com and LiYa Method Yoga, a fitness infused yoga method, created to attract high-performance lovers (like herself) and teach them the benefits of balancing body, mind and spirit.
The beach is her favorite playground, and her biggest obsessions are coconut milk matcha lattes, green smoothies, all fashion magazines, mascara, and vintage jewelry. When she’s not yoga-ing, Maritza loves spending time with her family and is always open to some quality time with her girlfriends.