John Salveson, of Salveson Stetson Group, Inc., named new Regional Board Chair; UWGPSNJ launches Strategic Regional Board Realignment
Philadelphia, PA — United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey (UWGPSNJ) announced today that John Salveson, Co-Founder & Principal, Salveson Stetson Group, Inc., has been named the new Regional Board Chair, effective October 1, 2020. Salveson will lead the Regional Board for a two-year term and succeeds J. Gordon Cooney, Jr,. Partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, who served as chair from 2017-2020 and provided significant leadership to the organization. Cooney will remain on the board as an active member.
Previously serving as Vice Chair and a member of the Regional Board since 2009, Salveson’s work for UWGPSNJ spans over a decade and includes roles on the Human Resources Committee, Resource Development Strategy Committee, Executive Committee and Nominating Committee.
“I am thrilled to serve as Regional Board Chair for United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey,” said John Salveson. “With this new responsibility, I look forward to using my experience to lead our Regional Board and ensure that we continually optimize our talents and network to improve the lives of our neighbors striving to overcome poverty.”
In June 2019, in collaboration with the President & CEO, Salveson chaired a Governance Task Force made up of Regional Board members to review UWGPSNJ’s governance structure and practices. “As a leading poverty-fighting organization, UWGPSNJ must continue to evolve to effectively respond to the most pressing challenges facing our communities” said Salveson. The Task Force recommended bylaw amendments focused on further aligning the Board with United Way’s mission. All recommended bylaw changes were unanimously approved by the Regional Board of Directors at its meeting on September 17, 2020.
Among the changes adopted by the Regional Board were:
• The adoption of a competency model to select and evaluate Board members with increased focus on recruitment efforts based in the areas of race, gender, age and lived experience
• A reduction in the size of the Board to a minimum of 25 members and a maximum of 35 members
• A realignment and streamlining of Board Committees
• The establishment of Norms of Engagement to increase Board effectiveness
With 100 years of service to the community, UWGPSNJ’s Regional Board realignment is a meaningful and measurable step in strengthening UWGPSNJ's ability to serve as a leader in the fight to reduce poverty in our region.
“We’ve been diligently working to evolve our approach and build a Regional Board that better reflects the communities we serve.” said Bill Golderer, CEO & President of UWGPSNJ. “Strengthening our Regional Board’s recruitment efforts is a significant step towards creating a more inclusive culture. We are grateful to Gordon Cooney for his incredible contributions and honored to welcome John Salveson as the new Regional Board Chair. We look forward to his continued passion, expertise, and guidance as we further our organization’s mission.”
As the new Regional Board Chair, Salveson brings more than 30 years of experience consulting with a broad range of organizations and industry sectors. Salveson Stetson Group, where he is Co-Founder and Principal, was recently ranked #19 on the Forbes list of the Best Executive Recruiting Firms in America. Salveson is also President of Salveson Leadership Advisors LLC, which works with nonprofit CEOs and their Boards on issues related to strategy and governance. Before co-founding Salveson Stetson in 1996, he served as Vice President and Director of Client Services of Right Management Consultants. Salveson holds both Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Notre Dame.
UWGPSNJ welcomes four new Regional Board members who will provide counsel and expand the breadth of resources available to the team. The new members include Dennis Pullin, President and CEO of Virtua Health, New Jersey; Sarah Harris, Vice President of Social Impact at Entercom; Claire Marrazzo Greenwood, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia’s regional CEO Council for Growth; and Mike Kerlin, Partner at McKinsey & Company in Philadelphia.
UWGPSNJ’s Regional Board currently consists of 29 members with ongoing recruitment efforts underway into 2021 that will follow the new competency model. The full list of current board members can also be found at www.unitedforimpact.org.
Current List of 2020-21 UWGPSNJ Regional Board Members
Marcus Allen, Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region
J. Gordon Cooney, Jr., Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Patrick Eiding, Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO
Kenneth Garrett
Darrell Giles, Citrin Cooperman
Claire Greenwood, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce
Melissa Grimm, Grimm & Grove Communications
Sarah Harris, Entercom
Mindy Holman, Holman Enterprises
Brian Jackson, MBA, Stockton University, Atlantic City Campus
Michael Kerlin, McKinsey & Company
Marcos Lopez, Exude, Inc.
Jack J. Lynch, Main Line Health System Bryn Mawr Hospital
Sharmain Matlock-Turner, Urban Affairs Coalition
Pamela Sarne McCormick, SEPTA
Frances McElhill, Esq., Archer & Greiner, P.C.
Robert J. McNeill, Deloitte LLP
Ned Montgomery
Elizabeth Murphy, PECO
Philip Norcross, Parker, McCay P.A.
Ellen Patterson, Wells Fargo Financial Services
Dennis Pullin, Virtua Health
Chari Richardson, TRC Staffing Services
John Salveson, Salveson Stetson Group, Inc.
Mary Stengel Austen, Tierney
Thomas Trala, Jr., FS Investments
James Turner, Chester Water Authority
John L. Walsh, UGI Corporation
Dalila Wilson-Scott, Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation
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United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey (UWGPSNJ) is on a mission to reduce poverty and expand opportunity for all. Serving Pennsylvania’s Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, and New Jersey’s Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May and Cumberland counties, United Way creates solutions that break the cycle of poverty. As part of a network of independent local nonprofit organizations, United Way provides countless ways to give, advocate and volunteer. To learn more, visit www.unitedforimpact.org.