New Jersey SEEDS Adds Two to Board of Trustees

New Jersey SEEDS, a nonprofit organization that provides educational opportunities to high-achieving, low-income students, announced the addition of two members to its Board of Trustees: Doug Rotatori and Brian R. Sterling.

“I’m pleased to welcome Doug Rotatori and Brian R. Sterling to the New Jersey SEEDS Board of Trustees,” states NJ SEEDS Executive Director John F. Castano. “Doug and Brian have been part of the SEEDS family for several years and know the impact SEEDS has on our students’ lives. As we celebrate 25 years of changing lives through education, we are excited to bring their passion and talents to SEEDS.”

Doug Rotatori is Managing Principal of Odyssey Investment Partners, LLC. He joined the Firm in 1998 as a Principal and was promoted to Managing Principal in 2003. Prior to joining the Firm, Doug was a partner at Wellspring Capital Management LLC, a New York-based private equity investment firm where he was responsible for a variety of acquisitions and financing transactions. Before his time at Wellspring Capital Management, he was at Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. where he worked in the Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate Finance groups. He also served as a senior consultant in the Andersen Consulting Group of Arthur Andersen & Co.

A native of Ohio, Doug received his undergraduate degree from Bucknell University and his MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. He currently serves on the boards of Safway Group Holding and Integrated Power Services.

“The SEEDS students I have met are exceptional,” says Doug. “I’m honored to be joining SEEDS’ Board of Trustees and continue the organization’s work in providing a unique path to opening doors of educational opportunities that otherwise would not be available to these talented kids.”

Brian R. Sterling is a Principal and Co-Head of the Investment Banking Group of Sandler O’Neill + Partners, L.P., a New York-based full service broker dealer, where he is responsible for advising banks and other financial institutions on strategic matters, focusing on mergers and acquisitions, and financings. Prior to joining Sandler O’Neill, Brian was a Managing Director in the Investment Banking Group of Merrill Lynch and in the Corporate Finance Department of Wertheim Schroder & Co.  Brian began his career in the Mergers & Acquisitions Department of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, an international law firm.

Brian holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School. He lives in Montclair with his wife, Linda, and their two children. Brian currently serves on the Finance Committee of KIPP New Jersey, on the Board of the Yale Law School Fund, and on the Boards of the Clara Maass Medical Center and the Medical Center Foundation. He is Vice President of the Board of 70 Faces Media, a not-for-profit digital media company that is the largest and most diverse Jewish media organization in North America.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Board of SEEDS,” comments Brian. “For the last few years, I have been tremendously impressed by the impact the organization has had on the lives of these special students and cannot wait to do more and help further SEEDS’ critical mission.”

In addition, longstanding SEEDS Trustee Art Weinbach, Chairman of CA Technologies and retired CEO of ADP, was honored by the Board of Trustees as an Emeritus member. All appointments were effective as of September 1, 2016.