The Community Foundation of New Jersey (CFNJ) today announced that Dawn Lauer, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of B2B Communications at MWWPR; Kimberly Banks MacKay, former U.S. Head, Legal and Compliance for Novartis Business Services; Gail Mandel, former President and CEO of Wyndham Destination Network; and Michael Murphy, former Morris County Prosecutor and co-founder of Impact NJ, have joined its Board of Trustees.

Dawn Lauer built MWWPR’s Business to Business practice from the ground up and today oversees strategic programming for a range of public, private and not-for profit clients across all aspects of brand building. Lauer developed the agency’s proprietary brand positioning methodology, StoryCore™, and her work is recognized as “the corporate voice” behind many of the world’s most recognized brands in aviation, healthcare, professional and financial services, and technology, including JetBlue, Pfizer, Deloitte, Hughes Network Systems, America Abroad Media and many others.

“The Community Foundation of New Jersey and its fundholders are driving meaningful and lasting change for some of the state’s most pressing challenges, and I am proud to be part of it,” said Lauer. “I look forward to working with the Board and staff to ensure the magnitude of the Community Foundation’s impact on everything from food deserts to our state’s juvenile justice system is understood and felt by all.”

Kimberly Banks MacKay serves as SVP and General Counsel of the Segal Group. Prior to Segal, MacKay served in roles of increasing responsibility at Novartis, including U.S. Head, Legal and Compliance for Novartis Business Services, Deputy Compliance Officer for Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (“NPC”) and Lead Legal Counsel for one of its business units. Before joining NPC, MacKay practiced securities law, held a Federal clerkship, and spent several years in commercial banking. MacKay was selected as NJBIZ’s 2017 General Counsel of the Year – Public Company.

“As fundholders at the Community Foundation, my family and I have seen firsthand how the talented, knowledgeable staff work with families to expand their philanthropic impact,” said MacKay. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to share CFNJ’s power and potential with new families, leveraging the ability to transform our communities, one investment at a time.”

Gail Mandel is Managing Director of Focused Point Ventures which provides business advisory and consulting services. Previously, she was President and CEO of Wyndham Destination Network, part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies prior to its June 2018 spin off transaction. As President and CEO, she was responsible for managing over 10,000 employees doing business in over 30 languages and more than 20 currencies. Mandel introduced the strategic vision of “Leveraging Our Strengths” which focused on cross-functional collaboration as well as development of innovative products to strengthen the vacationing customer’s experience. Prior to assuming the operating role, Mandel held various financial leadership roles at Wyndham and its predecessor companies including CFO of Wyndham Exchange & Rentals as well as launching the initial internal audit function shortly after the company went public. Mandel began her career at Deloitte & Touche in the audit practice.

“Part of the Community Foundation’s value to fundholders is its new and long-standing partnerships with organizations on the frontlines of New Jersey’s challenges,” said Mandel. “The firsthand knowledge and understanding of complex issues the Community Foundation possesses and passes on to fundholders makes for more effective giving. I look forward to strengthening these partnerships to achieve even greater positive impact on the communities and causes people are passionate about.”

Michael Murphy, a former Morris County Prosecutor and candidate for Governor, has been influencing policy in New Jersey for more than three decades. His tenure as Morris County’s top law enforcement official included numerous high-profile convictions as well as the creation of the Morris County Bias Crimes Unit and the county’s first Human Relations Commission. These experiences, as well as those lessons learned from his stepfather, former Governor and Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard J. Hughes, make Murphy a sought-after attorney and lobbyist at the firm he co-founded, Impact NJ, LLC. A former Chair of the Garden State Preservation Trust, Murphy specializes in land use planning, product liability, and civil and corporate litigation.

“The breadth of the Community Foundation’s work makes it an invaluable resource in our state,” said Michael Murphy. “Connecting the work of its fundholders with the policies and policymakers who can amplify this collective impact is one of the Community Foundation’s priorities and I am eager to help make that happen.”

“These four new trustees add deep experience and know-how to the Community Foundation and will enable us to not only better focus and communicate our work across New Jersey, but also plan and execute on that work with enhanced sophistication and legal acumen,” said Hans Dekker, president of the Community Foundation of New Jersey.

“We are grateful for their willingness to serve and support our fundholders with their increasingly intentional and results-minded giving,” said Dennis Wilson, Chair of the Community Foundation Board and President and CEO of Delta Dental of New Jersey.

About the Community Foundation of New Jersey

The Community Foundation of New Jersey educates and engages the people of New Jersey on the power of charitable giving to effect positive change in our communities. For 40 years, the Community Foundation team has counseled New Jersey families and businesses on how to use philanthropic funds to target and increase the impact of their giving in the areas that matter most to them. More than 1,100 Legacy Funds and Donor Advised Funds grant tens of millions of dollars each year, enabling the Community Foundation to launch its own Changemaker Projects that address critical, overlooked challenges. The Community Foundation’s funds currently hold over $425 million in charitable assets and granted more than $66 million in 2018 to charitable work in New Jersey and beyond.

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