Carol Herring, a long-time Princeton resident who served as a Community Foundation trustee for six years, including two years as Board Vice Chair and three years as Board Chair, passed away on June 9.
Carol, 85, was dedicated to her family, including her husband of 65 years, H. James (Jim) Herring, their three children and nine grandchildren.
A graduate of Wellesley College, she was devoted to mentoring young women in their careers, according to her obituary.
“A committed, capable, and graceful board chair, she always strove for accountability and kindness,” said Meredith Moore, a former Trustee and Board Vice Chair. “She was extraordinarily generous with her time, working to ensure that all new board members felt engaged and productive.”
Carol had a 40-year career in fundraising and development, working as a speechwriter for Princeton University President Bill Bowen, the Director of Leadership Gifts at Princeton, Vice President for Development at Barnard College, Vice President for External Affairs at The Asia Society, and president of the Rutgers University Foundation and Executive Vice President of Development & Alumni Affairs at Rutgers University. She joined the Community Foundation Board in 2013 following her retirement from Rutgers.
She approached problems analytically, said Skip Cimino, who would eventually succeed her as Board Chair.
“She was a very earnest and engaging woman,” Skip said. “She was a very fine person. She wouldn’t just accept an answer. She wanted to understand what the problem was and why the problem existed.”
Carol led the Board during a time of critical transition, when Nancy Kieling, who led the organization for 20 years, retired, and Jeff Vega was hired as her replacement.
“She made sure that the organization was progressing in its goals, but did so in an approachable and kind manner,” Meredith said. “She had wonderful connections in the community and history of community service. She brought that to bear on the board.”
Contributions may be made to the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Parkinson’s Research Program to support continued advancements in treatment and care.
