New Jersey SEEDS, a nonprofit organization that provides life-changing educational opportunities to low-income students, will honor Bank of America and Arthur Levine, president of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, at its 4th Annual Leading Change Benefit. Both will receive New Jersey SEEDS’ Leading Change Award, which recognizes those whose initiative and commitment have enhanced the educational opportunities of young people throughout New Jersey.
Bank of America was selected as one of this year’s Leading Change honorees as a result of its work in helping underserved youth succeed academically by connecting students to skills and educational opportunities. As part of its Neighborhood Builders® program, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation has recognized nearly 800 organizations nationwide through flexible funding grants and leadership development opportunities for nonprofit executives. New Jersey SEEDS, a 2009 Neighborhood Builder, has been a Bank of America Charitable Foundation grant recipient since 2001. Bank of America’s community efforts include a commitment to investing in the institutions, people and ideas that matter most to New Jersey, creating stronger economies, increasing cultural understanding through the arts, and promoting a diverse workforce.
Accepting the award on behalf of Bank of America will be Robert H. Doherty, Bank of America’s New Jersey state market president. In addition to his duties as State President, he is a Senior Vice President and co-leader for Bank of America’s Commercial Group in New Jersey as the Credit Products Manager responsible for the delivery of all debt related products to New Jersey commercial clients. Mr. Doherty joined Bank of America in 2002 and has been in the financial services industry for 25 years.
Mr. Doherty holds an M.B.A. in finance and marketing from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business and earned a B.A. in Economics from Lafayette College. He currently serves on and is involved with a number of boards and charitable organizations including the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce, The Community FoodBank of New Jersey, the Newark Museum and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. In 2013 and 2014, NJ Biz named him among the 100 most influential business leaders in New Jersey. Mr. Doherty is a life-long New Jersey resident. He and his wife, Gay, and their three sons live in Chatham.
Arthur Levine was selected as this year’s Leading Change honoree because of his continued commitment to educating students across the country, and in particular, for his efforts to revitalize the education of teachers in the state of New Jersey. As a sought-after thought leader on key education topics, Dr. Levine has written several books focusing on college-going, with a special focus on adversity and low-income students. Today, Dr. Levine serves as president of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation in Princeton, a nonprofit that identifies and develops leaders to strengthen American education and address urgent contemporary challenges.
Dr. Levine is the sixth president of the Woodrow Wilson Foundation. Before his appointment at Woodrow Wilson, he was president and professor of education at Teachers College, Columbia University. He also previously served as chair of the higher education program, chair of the Institute for Educational Management, and senior lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Dr. Levine was also previously President of Bradford College and Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Foundation and Carnegie Council for Policy Studies in Higher Education.
Dr. Levine is the author of dozens of articles and reviews, including a series of reports for the Education Schools Project on the preparation of school leaders, teachers, and education researchers. Dr. Levine’s numerous commentaries appear in such publications as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, EducationWeek, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Dr. Levine has received numerous honors, including Carnegie, Guggenheim, and Rockefeller Fellowships as well as the American Council on Education’s Book of the Year award (for Reform of Undergraduate Education), the Educational Press Association’s Annual Award for writing (three times), and 25 honorary degrees. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and currently sits on the board of the Educational Testing Service and Say Yes to Education. Dr. Levine received his bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University and his Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
The 4th Annual Leading Change Benefit will be held Wednesday, April 22, 2015 at The Park Savoy in Florham Park, New Jersey. For additional information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact Parinaz Cole at [email protected] or at 862.227.9142.
About New Jersey SEEDS
Since its inception in 1992, New Jersey SEEDS has provided educational access for highly motivated, low-income students and created a viable path for them to achieve their full potential. SEEDS strives for a world in which young people’s initiative, creativity and intellect can flourish without regard to socioeconomic status. To date, more than 2,000 scholars have benefited from its programs. For more information, visit www.seedsaccess.org.