(Trenton, NJ) – At the final NJCH Board of Trustees meeting of 2019, four new officers were elected. The following officers will lead the organization in 2020:
- Dan Fatton, Chair
- Christopher Fisher, Ph.D., Vice Chair
- Alexis Pedrick, Secretary
- Bhavini Doshi, J.D., Treasurer
In addition to the election of the new officers, a new Executive Committee was nominated and adopted by the Board. The Executive Committee is composed of the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Chair of the Governance Committee and a Member-at-Large. Jennifer Sancton was elected to the role of Governance Committee Chair and Jacqueline Colgan was elected to the role of Member-at-Large.
The NJCH Board of Trustees exercises important fiduciary, governance, and programmatic responsibilities and plays a central role in helping to fundraise and advocate. All members of the Board promote the Council within their communities and with elected officials. The members of the Executive Committee bring a wealth of experience and talent to their service to NJCH, the nonprofit state partner of the National Endowment of the Humanities.
About the Leadership Team
Dan Fatton, Trenton, currently serves as the New Jersey State Director for the Energy Foundation, a nonprofit organization that serves the public interest by supporting a strong, clean energy economy. He previously served as the Executive Director for the New Jersey Work Environment Council, and Outreach & Development Director for New Jersey Future. Dan is the current chair of the City of Trenton Planning Board, and is a member of the Trenton Green Team. Dan served on the I Am Trenton Board of Trustees from 2009-2015, including as President from 2013-14. Dan is a 2012 Lead New Jersey Fellow and a 2013 Fellow of the Environmental Leadership Program.
In 2013, Dan received a Healthy Kids Champion Award recognizing his leadership in the adoption of Trenton’s nationally ranked Complete Streets policy. Dan received his master’s in City and Regional Planning from the Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy at Rutgers University and a bachelor’s degree in media arts and design from James Madison University. Dan also serves as a trustee for the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, ArtsEdNJ, and New Jersey Policy Perspective.
Christopher T. Fisher, Ph.D., Ewing, is an associate professor of history at The College of New Jersey. Christopher is originally from Long Branch, NJ where he graduated from the high school in 1989. He earned a BA in history and political science from Rutgers College in 1993 and his Ph.D. in history, with a focus on US diplomacy, from Rutgers University in 2001. Christopher has been on the faculty at TCNJ since 2000 and has served in various administrative capacities that include department chair of African American Studies, provost search chair, member of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, and co-chair of the President’s Commission on Race and Educational Attainment. He has published in Pacific Historical Review and International History Review. He is the co-author of the 2017 textbook, Global America in the Twentieth Century, with Oxford University Press. Christopher is currently writing a book on cold war culture and consciousness in the 1970s. His areas of expertise are the US in the twentieth century, cold war culture and diplomacy, US in the World, American empire and imperialism, African-American history, and Racism and Race Relations in the US.
Alexis Pedrick, Trenton, has worked in both the social justice and arts administration sectors of the nonprofit industry for the last 11 years. Currently, she is the Science History Institute’s (formerly the Chemical Heritage Foundation) Manager of Public Programs, responsible for a diverse array of education and outreach events for the broad public. Her work demonstrates a humanistic approach to audience engagement and storytelling, communicating topics in history, contemporary research, and emerging technologies. An active part of the geek community, Alexis works with Science on Tap and the Philadelphia Science Festival on planning engaging STEM programming for the Philadelphia public. She is well-known for her Laurel Hill Cemetery tours and lively lectures at various history and science cafes throughout Philadelphia. Alexis holds an M.A. in Humanities with a focus on Religion, History, and Philosophy from Arcadia University, as well as a B.A. in Psychology from Temple University. She has served on the board of Young Involved Philadelphia and on the planning committee for the Telling Untold Histories Unconference at Rutgers University – Newark.
Bhavini A. Doshi J.D., Jersey City, is an attorney-at-law in New Jersey and Partner at McManimon, Scotland & Baumann, LLC. She concentrates her practice in the areas of redevelopment law, environmental law, municipal law, renewable energy and resiliency. Bhavini provides her clients a range of general counsel services in those areas including corporate governance, regulatory guidance and legislation drafting, transaction negotiation and document preparation, settlement and risk management, and appearance before governing bodies and at public meetings. Prior to joining MS&B, Bhavini served as a supervising attorney in the Office of Corporation Counsel for the City of Jersey City.
Bhavini completed her J.D. at Boston College Law School in 2008, and is an alumni of Rutgers College, the Eagleton Institute of Politics and the Institute of Women’s Leadership. In 2008, Bhavini was a legal intern at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in the Hague, Netherlands where she assisted prosecutors in all aspects of two cases involving war crimes and crimes against humanity. Previously, Bhavini served as Board Member for Manavi, a New Brunswick, New Jersey non-profit organization providing culturally competent services to women. She also previously served as Policy Chair and Board Member of the Learning Community Charter School, one of the oldest charter schools in Jersey City, and on the Eagleton Institute Alumni Board.
Jennifer J. Sancton, Point Pleasant, has over 20 years of experience working in the non-profit sector. Currently, she is a project consultant to various arts and non-profit organizations throughout New Jersey. From 2001 to 2004, Jennifer was the Director of Development for the Division of Libraries at New York University. Prior positions were with The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, The Metropolitan Opera, and The Museum of Modern Art. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master’s Degree in Visual Arts Administration from New York University. She has served on the Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission since 2010 and is very active in her local community.
Jacqueline Colgan, Summit, NJ, attended Rutgers University, where she triple-majored in International/Intercultural Communications, French and Spanish. She also speaks Italian and has studied German and Ukrainian. Jacqueline also studied at Université de Grandmont in Tours, France and Universität Konstanz in Germany. She taught French and Spanish at Voorhees High School in Hunterdon County and spent a decade as the United States Coordinator of French exchange students for Club Eductour Voyages in Nice, France. She also served on the Executive Committee of the Delbarton School Mothers’ Guild.
Jacqueline currently also serves on the Board of Trustees for Bloomfield College, where she chairs both the International Training & Professional Studies Committee and the Development and Public Affairs Committee, as well as serving on the Student Affairs Committee. Last year, she served as Gala Chair for the College’s Sesquicentennial. Jacqueline has spent many years working to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, chairing the NJ Chapter’s largest fundraising event.
Each member of the leadership committee has strong ties to the humanities and will take an active role in the advancement of the mission of the Council.
“When I joined the board nearly five years ago, I was drawn to NJCH because I believe that the exploration of history, cultures, values, and beliefs among community members is beneficial, and greatly needed in our society,” said Dan Fatton, NJCH Board Chair. “As we learn more about ourselves and others, we become better informed, more empathetic, and hopefully, empowered. I’m proud to step into this leadership role and, alongside the rest of the board and the staff, serve the residents of New Jersey through ensuring access to meaningful public humanities experiences for all.”
According to the bylaws of the organization, officers are elected for two-year renewable terms.
To download a PDF of this release, click here.
About the New Jersey Council for the Humanities
The New Jersey Council for the Humanities is a nonprofit state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. NJCH harnesses the power of the humanities to strengthen our pluralistic society. We envision a New Jersey that delights in diversity, appreciates that there are no easy answers, and finds joy and understanding in the humanities. We work statewide with cultural and community organizations to bring dynamic programming to the local level.
# # #
