by Rachel Stengel ’14
When talking to Kevin Hoagland ’85, you’ll notice three things — his passion to give back, his love for his family and his pride in being a New Jerseyan. The seventh-generation New Brunswick native was recently inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame as 2017’s Unsung Hero for founding the Central Jersey Spinal Cord Association.
Unaware he was even nominated for the award, Hoagland was stunned to learn just two weeks before the ceremony that he would join the ranks of 17 other notable New Jersey natives, including actress Meryl Streep, Cake Boss Buddy Valastro, The Four Seasons and Olympic soccer player Carli Lloyd.
Hoagland suffered a spinal cord injury at 18, leaving him wheelchair-bound for life. After spending five and a half months in rehab, he was able to come home to a house with wheelchair-accessible modifications and a lift-equipped van. He was astounded by the outpouring of support from his family, friends and the local community.
“I was very fortunate. My parents had the means to put an addition on our house and the community got together to help raise money for my parents,” he says. “During my rehab, I was with all these people who also had spinal cord injuries. I found out a lot of them weren’t going home because their families couldn’t afford to renovate their homes to be accessible or long-term care.”
After graduating with his Bachelor of Science in Commerce, he knew he wanted to create a nonprofit to help others with similar injuries. In 1987, he founded the Central Jersey Spinal Cord Association, which has raised more than $2 million to support research and modifications for homes and vehicles to improve the quality of life for those with spinal cord injuries. Created prior to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the nonprofit has been an advocate for local, state and federal legislation that benefits all people with disabilities.
For the past 26 years, Hoagland has also served as the Middlesex County surrogate, a role that residents encounter on some of the best and worst days of their lives. His office assists residents with adoptions and handles probating wills. For Hoagland, serving his community is not only a way of giving back to his hometown but a way for him to follow in his father’s footsteps.
“For me it’s been a great honor to serve as surrogate,” he says. “I saw my dad serve as councilman, freeholder and on city council. I realized as a very young kid that he was doing all that because he wanted what was best for his town and county.”
After an evening of celebrities, red carpets and celebration at the Hall of Fame ceremony, one moment stands out as Hoagland’s favorite — meeting The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen.
“I’ve grown up with his music and it was pretty cool to have my picture taken with him and talk to him,” he says. “My twin brother is a huge Springsteen fan and he said he’ll never let me live it down.”