GRDF

New Jersey: We focus on issues critical to our home state of New Jersey, and organizations that have a direct and meaningful impact here.

Nonprofit Leaders: We work with nonprofit, community, government, and business leaders to imagine a better New Jersey.

Community Leaders

Government Leaders

Business Leaders

Dodge Foundation Board of Trustees

Christopher J. Elliman: Chairman -- Chief Executive Officer, Open Space Institute

Preston D. Pinkett III: Vice Chairman -- Chief Executive Officer, City National Bank

Betsy S. Michel: Treasurer -- Former Chair, Board of Trustees, St. George's School

Katherine Adams: Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Honeywell International

Elizabeth A. Duffy: Head Master, The Lawrenceville School

Rose Harvey: Commissioner, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

Carlos Hernandez: Former President, New Jersey City University

Robert LeBuhn: Private Investor

A. Michael Lipper: President and CEO, Lipper Advisory Services, Inc.

Barbara Fulton Moran: Former Executive Director, New Jersey State Council on the Arts

Clement A. Price: Professor of History and Director, Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience, Rutgers University, Newark

James W. Stevens: Former Chairman, Prudential Asset Management Group

Dodge Foundation Advisors

Jeff Jarvis: Advisors -- Director, Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism, CUNY Graduate School of Journalism

Dodge Foundation Trustees Emeritus

Robert H. B. Baldwin: Trustee Emeritus -- Chairman Emeritus; Retired Chairman, Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc.

Barbara Knowles Debs: Trustee Emeritus -- Former President, Current Trustee, New-York Historical Society

Warren Casey: Dodge Foundation Counsel -- Day Pitney LLP

Dodge Foundation Staff

Sandra Almassy: Director of First Impressions -- As Director of First Impressions, Sandy meets and greets, gives tours and makes our guests feel welcome. She thinks of her job as the stage manager behind the scenes, making the office run smoothly with great care and attention to detail. Sandy is an active volunteer in her community and is the vice president on the board of the Brookside Community Club. She was also one of the fabled, original stewardesses of TWA and won a first class trip around the world for being named Hostess of the Year. Sandy has 3 sons, 4 grandsons and 2 daughters-in-law. She believes that humor is the secret to life.

Wendy Baron: Program Associate, Poetry -- Wendy is the database manager for the Dodge Poetry Program. She works with the Poetry staff on all aspects of the Poetry Program including the biennial Dodge Poetry Festival, Clearing the Spring, Tending the Fountain sessions held throughout New Jersey, and the Dodge Poets in the Schools program. She also holds the distinction of having worked at Dodge the longest -- 29 years now! In 2010 all her dreams came true as she travelled with her husband to China where they adopted their amazing, beautiful daughter.

Chris Daggett: President & Chief Executive Officer -- Chris Daggett has been a respected leader in New Jersey's nonprofit world for nearly 20 years, serving on a number of boards, including the Schumann Fund for New Jersey, Regional Plan Association, and The Trust for Public Land. As the independent candidate for governor in 2009, he was the first independent candidate to raise the threshold amount of money to qualify for public matching funds and to participate in public debates with the major party candidates. He was also endorsed by The Star-Ledger, the state's leading newspaper. Previously, Chris served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor of New Jersey (1982-1983), Regional Administrator of the USEPA (1984-1988), and Commissioner of the NJDEP (1988-1989). In addition, for six years he was a managing director of William E. Simon & Sons, a private investment firm and, since 1996, has operated a brownfields development company, acquiring, remediating and redeveloping environmentally impaired real estate. Just prior to coming to the Dodge Foundation, he was a Principal with JM Sorge, Inc. (JMS), an environmental consulting and management firm providing assessment, investigation and remediation services to the public and private sectors. Chris holds an undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Doctorate in Education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He lives in Basking Ridge with his wife Bea. They have two grown children, Alexandra and Justine.

Molly de Aguiar: Director of Media and Communications -- Molly directs the Foundation's Media grants, which focus on strengthening and expanding New Jersey's news and information organizations, and spurring civic engagement in communities throughout our state. She also develops and directs all of Dodge's communications, including the website and blog, social media, and special projects to shine a spotlight on Dodge grantees' work and to promote the value of philanthropy and its impact on our communities throughout the state. Prior to joining the Dodge staff in 2005, Molly spent 10 years working for nonprofits in Philadelphia. She is a blogger, a list maker, a weekend baker, and an avid traveler with her family. Molly has a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

RoseAnn DeBois: Grants Manager -- RoseAnn oversees the entire administrative process of Dodge's grantmaking, from receiving Letters of Inquiry to issuing grant checks. If you ever have a problem or question with your grant or application, she is the one who helps you resolve it; she is the oil that keeps our grantmaking engine running. RoseAnn has been with the Dodge Foundation for 25 years, beginning her career with Dodge as a Program Assistant. Previous duties included supporting the NJ Animal Assistance Coordinator and producing the Foundation's Annual Report. She is a New Jersey native, and her family (which includes her recently adopted puppy) is most important in her life.

Cynthia Evans: Chief Financial Officer -- As the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer at Dodge, Cynthia oversees the Foundation's investment consultants as well as the budget, personnel, and management of the Foundation's office operations. Cynthia spearheaded the Foundation's move to its LEED-Gold certified offices in downtown Morristown, working closely with the architects and engineers on the design and construction of the building. Prior to joining Dodge, Cynthia worked as a Program Officer for New York City's Community Development Agency, where she administered Community Service Block Grants for nonprofits. She was also a policy analyst with the General Accounting Office conducting Congressional research on issues including Immigration Policy and Security and Exchange Regulations. Cynthia received a B.A. from Hamilton College, a M.P.A. from Syracuse University's Maxwell School, and was awarded a Presidential Management Internship. Cynthia's two sons refer to her as the ultimate church lady as she chairs the Board of their local Congregational Church and actively volunteers with youth programming.

Martin J. Farawell: Program Director, Poetry -- Martin directs the Dodge Poetry Program, which includes: the biennial Dodge Poetry Festival, the largest poetry event in North America; Dodge Poets in the Schools, which sends poets into New Jersey high schools and offers poetry discussion groups to New Jersey teachers; and the Dodge Poetry Archive, currently being developed to make audio and video recordings from past Dodge Festivals available on the web. His work at Dodge calls upon his decade of teaching experience and two decades of curating poetry reading series and working in the theater. Martin is also a graduate of New York University's graduate program in creative writing and graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree from Montclair State University. He spends a good part of his morning commute reciting poems to himself, which, in this age of hands-free cell phones, no longer gets as many strange looks as it once did.

Rebecca Gambale: Program Associate, Poetry; Online Communications Coordinator -- Rebecca came to Dodge as a Festival Assistant for the 2010 Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival. She is instrumental in the smooth operation of Festival programs, both leading up to and during the four days of events. Her responsibilities include communicating with the public and poets about Festival details, overseeing the Poetry Program's website and social media, facilitating fundraising efforts, and organizing retail of books and merchandise at the Festival. Rebecca graduated from Drew University where she studied abroad in Spain and England, and won the Academy of American Poets Prize. She is a writer, espresso drinker, ardent baseball fan and makes a mean lasagna.

Kathleen Hofmann: Executive Assistant to the President & CEO -- Kathleen is the Executive Assistant to Chris Daggett, the President and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, providing high-level administrative support to him while also working closely with administrative and program staff members and the Board of Trustees. She began her nonprofit career at a grassroots cultural arts center, which led to a focus on fundraising, first at the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, then as the Development Director for both the Arts Council of the Morris Area and Two River Theater Company. She joined Dodge in February 2011. A self-professed "interest junkie," Kathleen loves to learn, particularly about far-flung places, creative people, modern design, organic farming, and psychology.

Wendy Liscow: Program Director, Education -- In addition to overseeing the Dodge Foundation's Education grantmaking, Wendy is the brains behind the Foundation's wildly popular Technical Assistance workshops, which help strengthen the capacity of New Jersey's nonprofit sector. Prior to joining the Foundation staff in 2003, Wendy worked for 25 years as a professional theatre administrator, director and producer. She was Associate Artistic Director and resident director of George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick for 12 years, and then served as the Director of Programs and Services for the New Jersey Theatre Alliance where, among other responsibilities, she led the New Jersey Arts Access Task Force, of which she is a founding member. Wendy began her studies at University of Michigan's School of Natural Resources and Environment, but ultimately received her degree in Secondary Education with a focus in Speech and Theatre. Wendy is a graduate of Leadership NJ and serves on the board of the National Creativity Network and Creative New Jersey.

Laura Aden Packer: Program Director, Arts -- As the Arts Program Director, Laura criss-crosses the state, supporting well-established and emerging arts organizations and advocating for the arts in New Jersey at every opportunity. Before joining the Dodge staff in 2001, Laura was the New Jersey Theatre Alliance's Executive Director, a position she held for 13 years. Laura received her B.A. in Political Science and English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and worked for the American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin for six years before coming to New Jersey as General Manager of the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival. Laura is a graduate of Leadership NJ, a founding board member of ArtPride/New Jersey, the state's arts advocacy organization, and currently serves on the boards of Grantmakers in the Arts, a national service organization, and the Community Foundation of South Jersey. In her spare time, you can find her doting on her granddaughter Zelda and hanging out in South Jersey with her husband Mark.

Elaine Rastocky: Senior Program Associate -- Elaine works closely with Wendy Liscow to support Dodge's Education grantmaking and to coordinate all of Dodge's Technical Assistance workshops. If you want a seat at a Dodge Workshop, she is the person you need to know! She has been a Dodge staff member for more than 20 years, leading the acclaimed Visual Arts Teacher Initiative for eight years. She currently helps coordinate the joint Dodge/Arts Council of the Morris Area gallery exhibitions that take place three times a year on the third floor of our Maple Avenue building. Elaine is known for her green thumb and is the major force behind the beauty, bounty, and diversity of Dodge's green roof garden.

Michele Russo: Poetry Coordinator -- As Poetry Coordinator, Michele arranges and coordinates all events of the Poetry Program, including High School Mini Festivals, "Clearing the Spring, Tending the Fountain" teacher discussion groups and the biennial Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival. A longtime fan of the Festival, Michele joined the staff in 2011 after managing artist residencies and teacher training programs for Young Audiences New Jersey for ten years. It gives her great pleasure to bring poets and poetry to students, teachers and the general public. Michele is a published author, an art enthusiast, the owner of a delirious shelter dog and an all-around nature lover -- except for mushrooms.

Richard Simon: Senior Program Associate -- Richard works closely with both the Arts and Environment Program Directors, assessing grant proposals, conducting research, developing programs and initiatives, building relationships, and providing general support across the program areas. He also works with the Director of Communications on communications strategy, particularly with Dodge's new website. Richard is a professional actor (AEA, AFTRA, SAG) with over 30 years of training and experience in New York, London and regional theatre, and television and film, but is currently concentrating on the two best co-productions of his life: his son and daughter.

Hesham Tamraz: Director of Technology -- In his role as the Director of Technology, Hesham keeps the Dodge Foundation's information systems running smoothly and efficiently and has been known to make heroic efforts to fix all of our technology glitches, even while he was on vacation. Prior to joining the Dodge Foundation, Hesham served as Senior Database and Application Development Manager for FocalPoint Marketing, a start-up entrepreneurial venture, where he led a team of developers to manage the technical development of a commercial e-marketing platform for the insurance industry. He spent a good part of his career working as Director of Information Systems for an international US-based nonprofit association followed by 5 years as founder of a consultancy practice specializing in providing technical leadership in the selection, development and implementation of nonprofit information systems. Hesham holds an M.B.A. from the University of Leicester, England and graduated from Rutgers University with an B.A. in Computer Science.

Margaret Waldock: Program Director, Environment -- Margaret directs the Foundation's Environmental grants and identifies opportunities for Dodge to support innovative and creative approaches to advance sustainability and environmental protection in the Garden State. Prior to joining Dodge in 2011, Margaret was Executive Director of the Hunterdon Land Trust for eight years, where she oversaw an expansion in net assets, staff, members and donors and helped preserve over 5,000 acres of land. As a gardener, she is constantly reminded of the life lessons of gardening: to celebrate the blessings of bounty and accept loss. She has never met an old bicycle she doesn't like and has amassed a collection of 1970's era cruisers. Margaret received a combined Juris Doctor and Masters of Study in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School in 1992.