Family Promise’s role as a leader in the fight against family homelessness continues to grow as organizations and individuals increasingly turn to Family Promise as a respected authority on this crisis.
Recently, Family Promise CEO Claas Ehlers was invited to serve a second three-year term on the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Community Advisory Group (CAG). A private-sector group comprised of leaders of philanthropic foundations and nonprofit and community development organizations from the region, the CAG provides the New York Fed a view of the issues faced by a diverse set of communities within its district. CAG members are selected based on their experience and expertise, as well as their ability to represent specific communities, such as youth, senior citizens, low-income families, immigrants, veterans, and rural populations.
Says Ehlers, “Serving on the CAG has been enlightening, seeing the interconnection between monetary policy, employment, and the health of our economy. It has been meaningful to see the New York Fed’s commitment to address core issues of inequality and disenfranchisement and to lend my expertise on homelessness in the region. I am thrilled to be reappointed.”
Family Promise’s influence in the poverty and housing sector has also spurred expansion in the organization’s own leadership. Family Promise recently welcomed two new members to the board of trustees.
Dr. Victor Aloyo, Jr., is the associate dean of institutional diversity and community engagement at Princeton Theological Seminary where he serves as chief strategist on matters related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. He is also senior pastor of La Iglesia Presbiteriana Nuevas Fronteras in North Plainfield, NJ, and holds leadership roles with a variety of social service and philanthropic organizations. Dr. Aloyo brings more than 30 years of community engagement, multicultural relations, and congregational leadership experience to Family Promise.
Omar Minaya is the former general manager of the New York Mets and the Montreal Expos and now serves as a team ambassador for the Mets with a special focus on outreach to the Latino community. Born in the Dominican Republic, Minaya has been involved in microfinance work there, working with Esperanza International, a Santo Domingo-headquartered charity whose mission is to free children and their families from poverty through initiatives that generate income, education, and health. Minaya was appointed to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition under President George W. Bush.
Family Promise Board of Trustees Chair Leah Griffith is excited about the experience and knowledge Aloyo and Minaya bring to the board and looks forward to working with them.
“Victor and Omar are dedicated to serving under-represented communities, and their values align with Family Promise’s mission to ensure all families have access to the resources and opportunities to create a stable, healthy home,” says Griffith. “Both have been influential in diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in their respective fields, and Family Promise will benefit from their expertise and insight as we work to further our own work in this area.”
Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Community Advisory Group:
| Brian Byrd Senior Program Officer New York State Health Foundation | Robin Leichenko Co-Director Rutgers Climate Institute |
| Eduardo Carrera President Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico | Deanna James President St. Croix Foundation |
| Claas Ehlers CEO Family Promise | Lata N. Reddy Senior Vice President Diversity, Inclusion & Impact, Prudential Financial, Inc. |
| Mae Watson Grote Founder and CEO Change Machine (Formerly The Financial Clinic) | Jennifer Sun Co-Executive Director Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) |
| Michael Martin Executive Director Native American Community Services of Erie and Niagara Counties | Roy Swan Director Mission Investments, Ford Foundation |
