EASTERSEALS NEW JERSEY ADDS TALENT, DIVERSITY AND DIMENSION TO ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

New board members’ expertise spans strategic marketing, healthcare, insurance and finance
Jamesburg, NJ – Easterseals New Jersey (ENJ), the largest disability services nonprofit in the state, announced four strategic appointments to its Board of Directors, joining an existent top talent group of community leaders and industry experts. 

They are Jim Ankner, Co-President and Co-Founder of Hummingbird Ventures LLC; Anna Malhari, Chief Operating Officer of Veris Residential, Inc; Mansi Patel, Vice President of Centene Corporation; and Van Shell, Managing Director and Private Banker at the J.P. Morgan Private Bank. Combined, their diverse business management, communications, nonprofit, and finance expertise will help the nonprofit enhance and expand its support to helping people with disabilities attain full equity, inclusion, and access through its life-changing services within the state. 

“We are honored and excited to have these outstanding individuals join our Board of Directors. Each brings a wealth of experience that will help shape the growth and direction of our organization,” said Brian Fitzgerald, President/Chief Executive Officer, ENJ. “Our organization cares about one thing: advancing the needs of people with disabilities. I know that each one of these new board members embraces that mission both personally and professionally.”  

Jim Ankner is Co-President and Co-Founder of Hummingbird Ventures LLC where he provides emerging and established companies with communications and marketing services.  He was previously the Vice President of Corporate Communications at Travelers, one of the largest property and casualty insurance companies in the U.S. Ankner also serves on ENJ’s Operations Committee. He earned his BA in Communications-Journalism from Seton Hall University and lives in Chatham, NJ. 

Anna Malhari is Chief Operating Officer of Veris Residential, a NYSE-listed Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) that manages multifamily properties. With over a decade of experience in senior investment and leading REITs, Malhari is committed to creating thriving, equitable communities. Her work extends beyond the United States, as she is also a founding member of the Northstar Realty Europe Corp. Anna earned her MSc in Business Administration and Financial Management at Prague University of Economics and Business and her CEMS MIM in International Management at the University of Cologne. She lives in Jersey City, NJ. 

Mansi Patel is Vice President of Market Strategy and Operations for the Centene Corporation, managing over 25 health plans in collaboration with health plan leadership, actuary, government relations, and communications. Patel is a lead for Medicaid health plans and is responsible for enterprise and state-specific risk assessment and operational planning for high priority benefits. Patel earned a BS in Business Administration at The Ohio State University and a Master of Public Health in Healthcare Management at Columbia University. Shee lives in New York, NY. 

Van Shell is the Managing Director and Private Banker at the J.P. Morgan Private Bank. With over 20 years of financial services experience, Shell serves the financial needs of high-net worth individuals and multi-generational families in Manhattan and the tri-state region. Shell earned a BA in Government and Urban Studies from Lehigh University and an MBA from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management. He lives in Colts Neck, NJ. 

About Easterseals NJ  

For more than 100 years, Easterseals New Jersey has helped individuals and families with disabilities or special needs live, learn, work, and play in their communities with equality, dignity, and independence. Annually, over 3,000 people in New Jersey with developmental disabilities receive services in programs designed to help them achieve independence and full community integration. For more information on Easterseals New Jersey and its statewide disability services, visit http://www.eastersealsnj.org/.