Thomas Edison State University, 111 West State Street, Trenton 08608. 609-777-5680. Merodie A. Hancock, president. www.tesu.edu.
John P. Thurber, vice president for public affairs and executive vice president for the Thomas Edison State University Foundation, has announced his intention to retire this fall. He has served in both roles since January, 1996.
Thurber was previously the founding executive director of the John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy and its predecessor, the Trenton Office of Policy Studies at the institution in 1991.
“Under John’s 30-year stewardship, the university has made significant strides in the areas of public affairs and institutional advancement,” said TESU president Merodie A. Hancock. “The university’s community profile and impact in the region has also grown substantially,” she said, referring to his leadership roles for organizations like the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Mercer County Improvement Authority, the Wells Fargo Regional Foundation, and the Trenton Downtown Association.
Thurber was also instrumental in the growth of philanthropic support for the university through the TESU Foundation, including his collaboration on securing Wells Fargo’s donation of a historic mural by N.C. Wyeth valued at $4 million as well as his work with former university President George A. Pruitt to secure a $2 million endowment from Gary and Diane Heavin. During his tenure, the total assets of the TESU Foundation grew from $600,000 to more than $12 million to support the university’s strategic priorities.
“It has been a great privilege to have served our students, our community and our region as vice president for Public Affairs of Thomas Edison State University,” Thurber said in a statement. “Advancing the mission of the university to transform the lives of adult students has been deeply rewarding, and I am grateful to Dr. Hancock and the university and foundation’s exceptional leadership team for this opportunity.”
TESU has begun a nationwide search for Thurber’s replacement. Information about that search can be found at www.tesu.edu/about/cao-search.
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Hamilton, 1 Hamilton Health Place, Hamilton. www.rwjbh.org.
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Hamilton has announced new RWJUH Hamilton Foundation board leaders and members.
Yolanda Zaffutti Stinger, formerly the Foundation board’s vice chair, is now chair; Foundation board member Mary Pucciarelli took on the role of vice chair; and the board welcomed two new members, Ryan Kennedy and Christina Spinelli.
