In October, the Community Foundation’s board of trustees unanimously chose Jeffrey Vega to be our next president and CEO. Mr. Vega, who currently serves as president of New Brunswick Tomorrow, will succeed me in early January after I retire at year-end.
David Scott, the chair of our Board and Search Committee, led a national search which found an outstanding person to lead us into the future. Jeff has a deep knowledge of central New Jersey and a commitment to our work making him the right person to steward and build upon our successful legacy.
Jeffrey Vega will succeed Nancy Kieling as Princeton Area Community Foundation president and CEO in January. On Nov. 6, Nancy was honored for her 20 years of service at a gala event at the Greenacres Country Club in Lawrenceville, NJ.
Jeff, 47, has served as president of New Brunswick Tomorrow, a nonprofit organization that brings together diverse partners to identify and take action on issues related to the community’s health, youth and neighborhood needs, since 2000. He joined the organization in 1993 as director of community services and was promoted to vice president in 1997. During his many years managing the organization, Jeff spearheaded several large-scale public-private initiatives to propel New Brunswick’s resurgence. His accomplishments include building partnerships with governments, corporations, and universities to address the city’s needs. New Brunswick Tomorrow is referenced often as a model for urban redevelopment and it is Mercer County’s gain that he will soon be working here.
“I’m honored, to be selected to lead this exceptional organization of creative, dedicated and talented professionals,” Mr. Vega said in the announcement made in October. “The Community Foundation has a wide impact on central NJ through its leadership, grantmaking, partnerships, and unique skills in philanthropy and I am looking forward to getting started.”
A Monroe Township resident, he is currently a member of the National Advisory Committee NJ Health Initiatives, a program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; and has served on numerous other advisory committees in the region. Mr. Vega earned a bachelor of science degree in urban studies, human ecology, and international environmental studies from Cook College, Rutgers, and a masters in political science/public policy from the Eagleton Institute at Rutgers.
As I leave the CEO post on December 31, let me say that Jeff is a remarkable person whose work in New Brunswick has been a model to others in New Jersey. I’m very happy with the board’s decision, and confident that the Community Foundation will continue to lead the way in central NJ’s philanthropic community.
I will remain their biggest fan and cheerleader.
