Howard Marchitello was elected co-chair of the NJCH Board of Trustees in 2025. He is University Professor of English at Rutgers University-Camden. Previously dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Marchitello has served as a faculty member and in a variety of leadership positions since joining Rutgers-Camden in 2009.
Lacey Cotter Rzeszowski
Lacey Cotter Rzeszowski is the Manager of Events and Strategic Engagement for the Regional Plan Association.
Sadaf Jaffer, Ph.D.
An expert in South Asian history and policy, Sadaf Jaffer’s passion for the humanities has informed her work as a scholar, board member, and elected official.
Theresa Jacks
Theresa is interested in helping NJCH elevate the kinds of questions about history, culture, and democratic institutions that she says have fascinated her since childhood.
Tony Iacono, Ph.D.
As a first-generation college student, community college alumnus, trained historian, and community college president, Tony Iacono believes that communities and nations grow when the invest in the education of their citizenry.
Laura Hertzog, Esq.
As General Counsel at Noodle, Laura brings expertise in legal affairs, learning, diversity and inclusion, and higher education to her role as co-chair of the NJCH Board of Trustees.
David Blake, Ph.D.
As a scholar of Walt Whitman, Herman Melville, and presidential history, as well as a past NEH grant recipient, David is a believer in the power of the humanities to help individuals and communities make meaning for themselves.
Jonathan Mercantini, Ph.D.
In addition to serving as history department chair at Kean University and as vice chair of NJCH’s board, Dr. Mercantini is the book reviews editor for New Jersey Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal.
Audrey Truschke, Ph.D.
The author of several books, Professor Truschke is passionate about speaking to larger audiences about Indian history, modern-day politics, South Asian religions and more.
Alyson Wess
A top executive at Johnson & Johnson, Alyson’s undergraduate studies in art history have helped her bring a human perspective to her leadership of one of the largest healthcare companies in the world.
