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Poetry Corner – Meet Matt
Trustee
School Social Worker at Plainfield High School
Rutgers University
New Brunswick
Bashir Jordan is a Social Worker with over 12 years of experience working with youth, adults, and families in residential, outpatient, inpatient, school and community settings.
Mr. Jordan obtained both his undergraduate and masters level degrees from Rutgers University. Mr. Jordan has obtained his Master of Social Work degree and is a Certified School Social Worker for New Jersey Public Schools. Mr. Jordan is also highly trained in crisis intervention and trauma informed practices.
Mr. Jordan has experience in working with children/adolescents who experience trauma, behavioral, and/or mental health challenges. In addition he has worked with adults dealing with the impact of psychiatric and addictive illnesses.
Mr. Jordan is a member of New Jersey Association of School Social Workers and the Triple C. Housing Advisory Board Advisory Committee. Mr. Jordan enjoys traveling, visiting different sports stadiums, working out and spending time with his family.
Trustee
Executive Director – Greater Newark Office, LISC
One of New Jersey’s top impact investing strategists takes the helm of a leading community development organization, with ambitious plans to expand local investments in affordable housing, economic development, health, education and jobs. Jorge Cruz is LISC-New Jersey’s fourth Executive Director – the local arm of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and one of the 39 field offices operating within LISC’s national structure. Working with the local team and LISC-New Jersey’s Advisory Council, Jorge serves as the lead executive directing LISC activities in the New Jersey market, inclusive of an estimated $30MM annual commitment in grants, loans, equity investments and other forms of financing into target, low-income communities.
Jorge brings nearly 30 years of experience to LISC, including an extensive leadership background in both the private and public sectors – with his work almost entirely focused on comprehensive neighborhood revitalization in economically distressed communities. In his most recent role of New Jersey Community Capital’s first ever Chief External Affairs Officer, Jorge served as a member of the executive team responsible for leading the capital-raise and management process for an estimated $30MM in diverse forms of grant, investment and equity capital on an annual basis for New Jersey’s largest CDFI.
Prior to joining NJCC, Jorge served as Chief Strategy Officer for Jewish Renaissance (JR), a Middlesex County-based, multi-purpose nonprofit who currently serves nearly 30,000 low-income households. In his 11 years, Jorge was instrumental in building JR’s capacity nearly threefold. His prior work experience also includes serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the Jersey City Episcopal Community Development Corporation (now known as the Garden State Episcopal Community Development Corporation), one of Jersey City’s largest affordable housing developers and social service providers; and President of The Bruno Group (TBG), a public/non-profit sector management consulting firm for municipal, county and state government, non-profit agencies, public school systems, and corporations.
Jorge is a frequent speaker, coach and trainer on wide range of topics in nonprofit and public sector management. He serves on several boards and commissions, including as Treasurer for the Center for Nonprofits; as Treasurer for the Jewish Renaissance board; and as a board member for Triple C Housing. He has been the recipient of numerous awards & recognition.
Originally from Perth Amboy, NJ, Jorge lives in North Brunswick with his wife, Ivonne, and their 20-year old son, Sammy.
Trustee
Independent Consultant
Alison Recca-Ryan, Principal at Double R Consulting , a consulting and training firm focused on solutions to ending homelessness, since 2014. She has been providing consulting and training services on innovative housing and services strategies to organizations for over 30 years. Her work is grounded in practice having direct experience developing and or operating service enriched housing and implementing systems changes. Her expertise includes US HUD programs, affordable housing financing, supportive housing services and property management.
Prior to the development of Double R Consulting, Ms Recca-Ryan served as the Director of the NJ and Washington DC offices of CSH for 14 years, the Vice President of Behavioral Health at Easter Seal NJ for 13 years and Executive Director of the Mental Health Association of New Jersey.
Trustee
Assistant Professor
Rutgers University
School of Social Work
Emmy Tiderington, PhD, LMSW, is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work and Associate Faculty at the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research at Rutgers. Prior to this appointment, she served as a clinical supervisor and social worker working in housing and case management programs for individuals with serious mental illness and other complex needs. Dr. Tiderington’s areas of expertise in homeless services research include the implementation and effectiveness of permanent supportive housing, Housing First and Moving On initiative service models, best practices for facilitating transitions out of homeless services, and mental health and substance abuse recovery in homeless populations.
Vice Chair
Associate Research Professor, School of Social Work
Associate Director, Center for Prevention Science
Director, Northeast & Caribbean Prevention Technology Transfer Center
Dr. Kristen Gilmore Powell is an Associate Research Professor with the Rutgers University School of Social Work and Associate Director of the Center for Prevention Science. She is also the Director of the Northeast and Caribbean Prevention Technology Transfer Center. Dr. Powell earned her Ph.D. from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, School of Social Work, in 2013. Dr. Powell’s scholarship is focused on building the capacity of community-based organizations to mobilize, intervene, create systemic change, and, consequently, overcome social problems through effective prevention approaches within an empowerment framework. She has conducted research on community-level interventions, collaborations, coalition effectiveness, and prevention science for nearly 15 years. Her work is grounded in empowerment theory, team science, and models that help enhance the prevention workforce in their efforts to create community change that supports individuals to towards wellness and health. Dr. Powell currently serves as Principal Investigator and Investigator on multiple externally funded research projects. Much of this work focuses on how individual and environmental strategies can prevent the harmful consequences of substance use, particularly in communities identified with high need and existing health disparities.
Chair
Program Coordinator
Institute for Families, Rutgers University
Matthew is a 2014 MSW graduate of the Rutgers School of Social Work with a concentration in Management and Policy. He began working with the Institute for Families as a second-year intern with service providers and consumers utilizing funding from the Ryan White Care Act and the Sandy Child and Family Health Study through the Office of Research and Evaluation. Currently, Matthew serves as a Program Coordinator for Grow NJ Kids Training Services at the School of Social Work. Matthew serves the community as a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson, and Union Counties; and as the fundraising chair for its Leadership Council.
Emeritus
Lecturer and Executive in Residence
Rutgers University
School of Social Work
Former Commissioner of New Jersey
Dept. of Human Services
Mr. Waldman is Professor of Professional Practice Emeritus at Rutgers University School of Social Work. He served as Professor of Professional Practice at the School since January, 2001. From July 1998 to December, 2000 he was the Executive Director of the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) in Washington, DC. APHSA is a non-profit organization whose members include the health and human service agencies in the 50 states, as well as many agencies in counties, municipalities and US territories. Its purpose is to develop, promote and assist its members in the implementation of sound public human services policies.
Mr. Waldman was employed by the State of New Jersey from July 1987 to June 1998 during which time he served as a Director of the Division of Youth and Family Services – the state’s child welfare agency, as Deputy Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services and as Commissioner of the Department and a member of the cabinet for three Governors of New Jersey.
The Department of Human Services is the largest public agency in New Jersey and his responsibilities included administering a $7 billion budget, managing a workforce of 19,000 employees and serving over one million residents of the state. The Department encompassed seven (7) operating divisions which included the Medicaid program, services to the mentally ill and developmentally disabled, the child welfare program, all public welfare programs as well as services to the blind and visually impaired and the deaf and hard of hearing. He also had responsibility for eighteen (18) institutions including psychiatric hospitals, developmental centers, children’s residential facilities and a residential program for the blind.
From May of 1975 until July of 1987 Mr. Waldman directed the Middlesex County, New Jersey Department of Human Services. In this capacity he was responsible for the administration of numerous county- based human services programs, managed a staff of sixty-five (65) employees, and administered a budget in the amount of $8 million.
Mr. Waldman was employed from October of 1965 to May of 1975 with the Essex County Welfare Board in Newark, New Jersey. He began as a caseworker and advanced through a series of progressively responsible supervisory and administrative positions including the administration of the County’s food stamp and employment and training programs.
Mr. Waldman has been the recipient of numerous awards throughout his career, serves on various boards of directors of community agencies, has made numerous presentations at professional conferences, the New Jersey Legislature, the US Congress, foundations and business and industry groups; and, consulted for both government and private agencies.
Secretary
Peer Support Specialist
I worked in the mental health field for twenty or thirty years, first as a patient/client and then as a professional. I served in The Skills Building Unit of the habilitation center called “The Club”, on New Street in New Brunswick where I worked in The Skills Building Unit as a prevocational counselor in preparation to transition club members into paid positions within the community. I supervised club members in the care and maintenance of the facility, and conducted a Current Events Group.
I, also, worked in Laurel House under Tom Malamud on Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick as Director of Membership Support Services. I was in charge of encouraging Members in the care and maintenance of the facility and grounds, and often, I was responsible for a daily lunch program, supervising grocery shopping, cooking, and cleanup. I’ve served as a trustee on The Board of Triple C Housing for many years and I am currently Secretary on The Executive Committee.