Eden’s Board of Trustees plays a crucial role in determining the strategic course of Eden Autism, ensuring that the organization continues to operate in the best interest of past, present and future members.
Mark A. Berkowsky is the Principal and Owner of Berkowsky and Associates with 40+ years of experience in architecture and construction. He is a registered architect, licensed professional planner, and LEED-accredited professional. He serves as president of Cranbury Housing Associates, Inc. a nonprofit organization that develops and manages affordable housing, and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Cranbury Historical and Preservation Society. Mark received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the Rhode Island School of Design and is a member of the American Institute of Architects, and the US Green Building Council.
Mark has been a member of the Eden Dreams steering committee for more than a decade and co-chaired the event several times. Mark completed two three-year terms on the Eden Board of Trustees, concluding in 2022 as Board Chair.
Joanna Adu is a Shareholder and Partner at Lyons & Associates, P.C., and Chairs the firm’s Trusts, Estates and Finance Practice Group, where her practice is devoted to all aspects of wills, trusts and estates, guardianships, and business law, including business formation, litigation, and ongoing consultation. As a special needs parent, she has an innate understanding of the issues and concerns of special needs families, including providing for their future care through special need trusts and guardianships. Joanna’s son is a student at the Eden School. She serves on Eden’s Development Committee and has been a guest presenter for Noonan Legacy Society webinars.
Charlette is a Senior Director at Oracle Corporation. Her responsibilities include leading the North America Technology Consulting Project Management Center of Excellence, which is responsible for project management enablement as well as providing tools and initiatives that improve the organization’s project management capabilities. She previously provided support for large and strategic bids, including review and editing of proposals and coordination with risk management, contracts, and legal. She has been responsible for project and program management of implementation projects across a variety of industries both domestically and internationally. These projects included client relationship management, staff management, and development and execution of implementation strategies. Prior to Oracle, Charlette was a management consultant with Price Waterhouse Coopers. She earned her BA at Dillard University and is a Project Management Professional (PMP). Her adult son is a resident at an Eden group home.
Norm Greenberg is a retired sales professional with expertise in high tech sales/sales management. He has served as a board member and president of Autism New Jersey (formerly COSAC). Norm’s son, Steven, is a graduate of The Eden School, and has been at Eden since 1978. Steven is currently an employee at Wawa and resides in an Eden residence. Norm has previously served on the Board of Trustees 2016 – 2022. He has also served on various Eden committees, and currently serves on the Finance and Facilities Committee.
Dr. Gahan Pandina is a Senior Director, Compound Development Team Leader for Janssen Research and Development, Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. His research includes development of tools and technologies to enable novel medication development for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), novel approaches for disease interception and intervention in Mood Disorders, and treatment of depression and suicide.
Gahan received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Binghamton University (and is licensed in NJ) and his B.A. from the University of Vermont. Gahan is also a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Gahan served as Chair of Eden’s Program Committee, and also served on Eden’s Executive and Development Committees.
After more than 20 years of experience in tech, banking, and venture capital, Denis (Denny) Boyle provides executive and leadership coaching for a range of fields, from high-growth startups to established banks and investment firms. He is a co-founder of Here Now, an online community for parents and caretakers of children on the spectrum. Denny’s 13-year-old son, Andrew, has attended the Eden School since 2020.
Anthony Cancro is the Township Administrator for the Township of Plainsboro where he is responsible for the day-to-day operations and overall management of the Township’s workforce, and operating and capital budget. Anthony has held similar roles in Springfield and Edison and has held senior executive roles with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, and the New Jersey Department of Energy. Anthony earned a Master’s in Public Administration and Management at Rutgers University, a Master’s in Environmental Science at City University of New York, and a Bachelor’s in Environmental Science/Planning at Ramapo College.
Madeline Chadehume is Head of the Division of Neurology and Developmental Pediatrics at NeurAbilities Healthcare. Dr. Chadehumbe sits on the Medical Advisory Board of the International 22q11.2 Foundation. She recently received the Penn Pearls Teaching Award from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Diversity Leadership Program Award from the American Academy of Neurology. Dr. Chadehumbe was appointed to the Child Neurology Foundation Board and was elected and approved for Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology status. Dr. Chadehumbe received her medical degree from the University of Zimbabwe and conducted her pediatric residency at Michigan State University and child neurology residency at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center University. She has triple Board-Certification, specializing in Pediatrics, Child Neurology, and Headache medicine.
Dr. Maribeth Edmunds is the Founder and Chief Learning Officer of EdmundsOUT Enterprises, LLC. Her mission is to foster acceptance of children and adults with autism in our schools and communities through knowledge and understanding. Her TEDx Talk entitled “Giving Voice to Autistic Adults” was featured at Brookdale Community College’s TEDx Conference in April 2023.
With over forty years of experience as a public school educator, Dr. Edmunds has served as principal, director of professional development as well as director of secondary education for a large New Jersey district. Dr. Edmunds is currently an Adjunct Professor in the Alternate Route Teacher Program at Brookdale Community College. She is also a coach for principals at the New Jersey Institute for School Leaders.
Her son, Carl Ross, is a graduate of the Eden School. He is currently employed at the Westin Hotel in Princeton and with WAWA in South Brunswick. Maribeth has previously served on the Eden Autism Board of Trustees 2016 – 2022 and has also served on various Eden committees. She currently serves on Eden’s Aging Committee and Eden Dreams Committee.
Nancy Fishman is a retired Senior Program Officer in Research, Evaluation, and Learning at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. There she designed, developed, funded, and managed research and evaluations grants in the areas of hospital and community integration for population health, strengthening community capacity, health profession workforce with a special emphasis on nursing and primary care, and innovative programs for community-based long-term care. Nancy earned a Master’s of Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Bachelor of Science – Nursing at the University of Connecticut.
Manasa is Associate General Counsel for Columbia University. She has specialized experience in health law, previously working as a Director of Legal Management at the nation’s largest free-standing public health sciences university. Manasa represents Columbia University on various matters, providing counsel primarily to the Columbia University Irving Medical Center on health care, business matters, risk management, and regulatory and compliance issues. She lectures on a variety of health law topics including managed care. Manasa is an active member of the American Health Law Association. She received her B.A. in History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Science and Medicine from the University of Chicago and her J.D. from the University of Houston.
The Honorable Helen E. Hoens served as a Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court, capping off nearly twenty years as a trial and appellate court jurist, and following a lengthy career as a lawyer specializing in complex litigation in state and federal courts. The mother of an adult son who resides in an Eden group home, Justice Hoens has served as the General Counsel (pro bono) of the Autism Society and as a member of Eden’s Board of Trustees. Helen holds a B.A. in government from the College of William and Mary and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.
Simi Kedia is the Albert R. Gamper Chair in Business at Rutgers Business School. She has also been a faculty at Harvard Business School. Professor Kedia’s research interests are in empirical corporate finance and span corporate governance, financial misconduct, credit ratings, proxy voting, and hedge fund activism.
Her research has been cited in the popular press, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, New Yorker, Forbes, Fortune, Financial Times, CNBC, and NPR Market Place. Key awards include Brenan Award for the Best Paper published in Review of Finance Studies in 2009, Dean’s Meritorious Research Award 2016, 2013, 2011 at Rutgers Business School, Distinguished Referee Award 2012 from Review of Financial Studies and 2012 Glen McLaughlin Prize for Research in Accounting Ethics.
She is an Editor for Journal of Corporate Finance. She has served as an Associate Editor for Management Science, Review of Financial Studies and Financial Management. She serves on American Finance Association Ethics Committee. She has served on the American Finance Association Nominating Committee and on the board of Financial Management Association.
Connie Mercer Myers is the founder and was the CEO for thirty-one years of HomeFront, one of NJ’s most innovative and largest providers of shelter and rehabilitative services for families in crisis. She has been inducted into NJ’s Hall of Fame for her work on homelessness and economic development, has been honored at the White House and in 2021 was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Princeton University.
Paul Prior is a Partner with the firm Hinkle, Prior, Fischer & Oberweis Attorneys at Law. Paul has spent his entire career representing people with disabilities. As the younger brother of a long-served participant at Eden, he has a life-long commitment to disability law. His legal work has focused on special education, guardianship, financial entitlements, and access to appropriate services. A substantial part of his practice is devoted to assisting families in estate and trust matters. He has successfully argued leading cases before the New Jersey Supreme Court, Third Court of Appeals, as well as other state and federal courts. Paul served as a federal monitor overseeing conditions at state operated institutions.
Paul holds a JD from Seton Hall University School of Law and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Arc of New Jersey, and Autism New Jersey. Previously he served on the Board of Special Olympics New Jersey. He is a member of the Family Advisory Committee for the Supportive Housing Association of New Jersey, on the Professional Advisory Board of ASPEN, and a member of the Elder Law Section of the New Jersey Bar Association. Paul writes and lectures frequently on topics concerning the law and disability, as well as issues affecting siblings. His brother, David, resides in an Eden group home and participates in the day program. Paul has served as chair of the Eden Board of Trustees and currently serves on Eden’s audit and risk management committee.
Robert (Bob) Rich was a Managing Director and Partner at the PFM Group for over 20 years, the nation’s leading financial and investment advisor to governments and nonprofits entities, serving on key committees such as Strategic Initiative, Risk Management, and Employee Advisory. He has extensive experience in financial transactions, negotiation, and marketing. Bob has been engaged in advocacy work throughout his life and has testified before the New Jersey Legislature regarding autism services and to other state legislatures, and the US Congress on work-related issues. He was awarded Autism NJ’s Action Advocate of the Year in 2006. Bob’s son, Alex, began at Eden 31 years ago and now resides in an Eden apartment and participates in the day program.
Bill Rue is President of Rue Insurance. Prior to joining Rue, Bill was an analyst in the investment banking group of Merrill Lynch where he was responsible for valuation analysis and merger and acquisition advisory services for Fortune 500 industrial companies. He also served as head of analyst recruiting where he coordinated the hiring of employees worldwide.
Bill has an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and degrees in economics and political science from Duke University. Outside of work, Bill serves as a member of the board of directors of Lakeview Child Center, the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Princeton Family YMCA. He is also the past treasurer of the Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness and the past chairman of the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton’s Young Professionals Group.
Michelle Watts leads the Global Executive Search and Talent Advisory practice for Verizon Communications. She currently serves as Director – Talent Management in the Talent and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Center of Excellence. Her responsibilities include external search and internal mobility for Verizon’s director and above population, executive market intelligence and insights, strategic talent planning, preparation of talent-related presentations for Verizon’s Leadership Committee and Board of Directors’ meetings.
Prior to her current role she led Succession Planning & Leadership Development, University Relations and Emerging Pipeline Programs. She’s also managed Verizon’s relocation and immigration services. Michelle holds a B.A. in Advertising from Penn State’s College of Communications where she graduated summa cum laude. Her son resides at an Eden group home. She previously served on Eden’s Audit/Risk, Governance/Nominating Committees, and Development Committee.
Kishore Yalamanchili is the Managing Director/Consultant at New Oak Capital. Prior to this, he was Investment Senior Vice President, Portfolio Strategy Group at Prudential Financial. His experience in the investment industry includes Karya Capital Management, BlackRock Financial Management, and State Street Research & Management.
He earned a PhD in Structural Engineering at Clemson University, an MBA at the University of Chicago, an M.Tech at the Indian Institute of Technology, and a BE at Andhra University. Kishore is an active volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America. He also participates in the Eden 5K and participated in other Eden fundraising events. His son currently receives Adult Services.
