2013 BOARD MEETING SCHEDULE

 Board of Commissioners
 

Modia "Mo" Butler joined the Board of Commissioners in 2006, where he currently serves as chairman. He currently serves as Mayor Cory Booker’s chief of staff. Mr. Butler has a longstanding commitment to the underserved in Newark.  He is a former president of Newark Now, a citywide civic leadership organization that provides Newark residents with the skills, tools and support to transform their neighborhoods. Mr. Butler holds a bachelor's degree from Franklin & Marshall College and a master’s degree in public policy from the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers-New Brunswick.
Gloria Cartwright has served on the Board of Commissioners since 1990. Ms. Cartwright, who serves as the Board's Vice-Chairperson, has dedicated her life to fighting injustice. Her personal mission is to serve, help, and free others as she actively participates in the Newark community, where she lives. A graduate of LaSalle University, Ms. Cartwright earned a bachelor's degree in political science. She worked in the telecommunications industry for 25 years. Ms. Cartwright was an active participant during the civil rights movement. She took part in the March on Washington, raised funds toward the establishment of the Martin Luther King Center for Social Change and advocated to seat Fannie Lou Hamer, an outspoken advocate for civil rights for African Americans and the Freedom Democratic Party.
Rashard B. Casey joined the Board of Commissioners in December 2008. He is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in recreation and park management. He was also quarterback on the college's football team, the Nittany Lions. Mr. Casey is also the director of Youth Development and Recreation at the North Ward Center in Newark. Casey is also a member of the National Parks and Recreation Association,, a group that works to advance parks, recreation and environmental conservation efforts that enhance the quality of life for all people. 

Lenin Cruz was appointed to the Board of Commissioners in June 2008. A longtime resident of Newark, Mr. Cruz graduated from Barringer High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology. A senior designer with the firm Keller & Kirkpatrick, Mr. Cruz has helped with the site design of St. Phillips Academy, among many other projects in the area. Mr. Cruz is a passionate soccer coach for Just One Soccer League in Newark and the Belleville Soccer Association.
Angella Palmer has been a member of the Board of Commissioners since August 2007 and currently serves as the Board's Treasurer. An employee of Verizon and a resident of Newark, Ms. Palmer currently holds the position of Network Services Coordinator, in the network engineering/capacity management operations.

Ms. Palmer holds and MBA and Human Resource Management degree from the University of Phoenix, Jersey City, as well as a Bachelors of Arts degree in justice studies from Monclaire State University. She is also an American Bar Association Board Certified Paralegal.
Nancy Perez joined the Board of Commissioners in 2006. A resident of Newark, she has resided in public housing for more than 25 years while raising her children. Ms. Perez is active in civic and religious activities.
Keith Kinard has served as Executive Director of the Newark Housing Authority since June 2006. He also serves as secretary of the Board. Prior to joining NHA, (the eleventh largest public housing authority in the nation and the largest in New Jersey), Mr. Kinard was the executive director of the Pittsburgh Housing Authority, the second largest housing authority in Pennsylvania. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Maine and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh.