We are excited to welcome three new members of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Board of Trustees. Barbara Bell Coleman, Rob Connor, and Mark Grier each bring new perspectives and experiences to the Foundation’s vision for a just and equitable New Jersey.
“As part of the Dodge Foundation’s Imagine a New Way transformation toward racial equity and justice, we are committed to transforming who we are and how we work, as well as our programming,” said Tanuja Dehne, Dodge’s President & CEO. “This year has seen the Foundation add experienced, new leadership to the Foundation’s staff and now we are also adding three new trustees, each who are well-known leaders committed to our state and who brings diverse skills and experiences to help fulfill our mission.”
The new trustees began their four-year terms at the Board’s meeting on June 10.
Barbara, of Livingston, is President of BBC Associates and an advocate for disenfranchised people, especially children. Barbara’s experience in the social and public health sectors include stints as president of Amelior Foundation and Boys & Girls Clubs of Newark, and she oversaw alcohol and drug abuse prevention services at the New Jersey State Department of Health. She is currently the Board Chair of the Schumann Fund of New Jersey and a co-founder and executive board member of the Branch Brook Park Alliance. She has served on nonprofit and corporate boards, including New Jersey Performing Arts Center and New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.
Rob, of Trenton, is the co-founding Head of School at Christina Seix Academy, an innovative pre-K to 8 independent school serving the needs of underserved communities. The Academy’s mission is designed to wrap families in a web of services to ensure that every child succeeds and enjoys stability, voice, and opportunity. Prior to Christina Seix Academy, Rob’s doctoral research focused on topics related to African American student achievement, the retention and recruitment of teachers of color, and urban education. He is currently a visiting professor of education at Wesleyan University and a board member of The Watershed Institute and New Jersey Tennis League of Trenton.
Mark, of Far Hills, is a veteran of the financial services industry and led Prudential Financial’s public offering in 2001. Mark was Vice Chairman and a member of the Board of Directors of Prudential Financial until his retirement in 2019. Before joining Prudential in 1995 as Chief Financial Officer, he was an executive with The Chase Manhattan Bank and Lincoln First Bank. He is Board Chairman of the Global Impact Investing Network and a member of the Board of Directors at Freddie Mac, where he served until recently as Interim CEO.
The three new members join Anisa Kamadoli Costa, Dan Fatton, and Eleanor Horne as Dodge trustees in their first terms.
“We are thrilled with the addition of the new board members,” said Preston Pinkett III, Board Chair. “Dodge’s Board of Trustees is committed to our vision of a just and equitable New Jersey by supporting efforts that address root causes of structural racism and inequity.”