February 5, 2024
The Community Foundation of New Jersey (CFNJ) today announced that Harry O’Mealia, Chief Executive Officer and president of 1919 Investment Counsel, has been selected as the new Chair of its Board of Trustees.
O’Mealia succeeds Tarama L. Linde, executive vice president and general counsel for Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG) and its subsidiaries, who served as Board Chair since 2021.
O’Mealia is a past chair of the Board’s Finance Committee and the Investment Committee. Professionally, O’Mealia has held senior positions at JP Morgan, US Trust Company and Tiedemann Trust Company. He has also served as president of O’Mealia Outdoor Advertising Company, president of Black River Media, and Associate in the corporate department of Lowenstein Sandler LLP.
“The Community Foundation’s breadth of knowledge of philanthropy and its level of precision when executing that philanthropy give fundholders an outsized impact on the causes and communities they care about,” said O’Mealia. “It’s what attracted me to the Community Foundation in the first place and why I am honored to help lead this institution into its forty-fifth year of effective, long-term philanthropy.”
O’Mealia has served on the boards of numerous organizations, including the Baltimore Urban Debate League, The Maryland Science Center, NJN, the New Jersey Trust for Public Land, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and Morristown Memorial Hospital.
The Community Foundation is pleased to also welcome three new trustees to its board:
- Aiysha (AJ) Johnson, MA, IOM, is CEO and executive director of the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJCPA). Prior to joining the NJCPA in 2023, she was executive director of BKR International’s Americas Region and led all the functions of the Executive Office, including overseeing the implementation of all strategic efforts for BKR accounting and business advisory member firms in North and South America and the Caribbean. She has served the accounting profession for nearly six years and has more than 20 years of wide-ranging global experience working for nonprofits and professional and trade associations.
- Christine LaCroix is a Partner at Deloitte & Touche, with more than 30 years of experience in public Accounting. She leads the audits of large, complex Energy & Resources companies. She has specialized experience serving companies in sectors including regulated electric, gas and water utilities, upstream and downstream oil & gas,, renewables, and alternative-energy.
- Louis Vetere served as the President and CEO of Garden Savings Federal Credit Union and currently serves on its Board. He previously served as Vice President – Finance for Marotta Controls, Inc. Vetere serves on the Board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Coastal and Northern NJ and was instrumental in the organization’s merger of separate institutions. He was also heavily involved with the Morris County Chamber of Commerce and New Jersey Credit Union League.
About the Community Foundation of New Jersey
The Community Foundation of New Jersey creates and scales custom solutions for purpose-driven individuals, families, and businesses. From creative projects that tackle critical societal or policy issues to scholarship funds, corporate philanthropy, legacy funds and donor advised funds, CFNJ manages nearly every kind of giving vehicle and tailors solutions to meet critical needs. CFNJ’s team of specialists understand the unique contours of communities and manage the scope of CFNJ investment and grantmaking capabilities with precision. With $725 million in assets, the Community Foundation grants tens of millions of dollars each year through its more than 1,100 funds. In 2023, CFNJ granted more than $70 million to nonprofits in New Jersey and beyond.
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