"The humanities, especially in a public context, give meaning to our lives and strength to our convictions, teach us tolerance and empathy, help us find our place, reveal our identity, and provide our surest pathways to a brighter future."
As the Interim Director, David works closely with the Board of Trustees to ensure the organization’s continued work to advance the mission and strategic plan during this time of transition. He also advocates for the Council throughout the state and oversees operations, programs, and finances.
Angela Speakman
Director of Development and Communications
609 695 4838 x230
“We all benefit from community members having the opportunity to explore and reflect on the human condition and what binds us. The programming that NJCH provides statewide encourages the pursuit of a deeper understanding of ourselves and others. That’s so powerful.”
Angela oversees the development and fundraising efforts, which includes the identification, cultivation, and stewardship of individual, corporate, and foundation donors. She implements communications and messaging strategies, always with NJCH partnerships in mind, to build awareness of public humanities throughout the state.
Jason Allen
Director of Community Engagement
609 695 4838 x220
“The humanities are how humans express who & where we are, have been, are going, and dream of being; the humanities unveil how we know and understand what is within, what is without, and the possibilities this affords us.”
Jason cultivates new audiences for the humanities by investigating communities’ interests and needs and seeds and supports programs that align with NJCH strategic goals. He oversees specific partnership programs like MoMS and Literature & Medicine
Gigi Naglak
Director of Grants and Programs
609 695 4838 x223
“Grant programs specifically are one of the ways we diversify the humanities programs around the state. If we were the only ones developing humanities programming, we would limit creativity and thoughtfulness.”
Gigi is responsible for strategic direction, oversight and administration of NJCH’s grant program. She leads NJCH program evaluation and contributes to overall program direction as well as supervises special program initiatives.
James Kirkland
Manager of Operations
609 695 4838 x221
“Our work is important because, at its best, the programs we support help the public engage examine history, culture, and their beliefs. The model of being a resource and working through partnerships to strengthen the capacity of other organizations is beneficial to the state and furthers our mission.”
James manages the operations of the Council, including the coordination of consultants, contractors, and vendors. He administers the Public Scholars Project and provides support to other initiatives like the Grant program, Literature and Medicine, and Humanities Lab. Also, James oversees technology and special project needs.
Anamika Kapoor
Accountant
609 695 4838 x231
“Accounting is the conscience of all businesses. Nonprofit organizations should have a system of accountability to ensure that the funds are used to carry out an organization’s mission.”
Anamika handles NJCH Accounting and HR responsibilities. She conducts ad-hoc projects to improve the efficiency of Accounting and Human Resources functions at NJCH.
