Founder and Chairman of DiversityInc.
West Palm Beach, Fla.

Managing Partner of MAR Acquisition Group LLC
Warren Township, N.J.

Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs, Fidelity Investments

Ms. Natalie Brathwaite is the Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs for Fidelity Investments, one of the world’s largest financial services providers.  In this role, she is responsible for Fidelity’s government relations, community investing and civic efforts for New Jersey and New York and leads the firm’s advocacy and engagement efforts on a wide range of state-level issues related to investment advice. 

Prior to joining Fidelity in 2017, Ms. Brathwaite spent a decade working in the public sector. Her past roles in both the nonprofit and government sectors in the United States and Canada included work in external affairs, community engagement, grant-making and public policy analysis. 

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Ms. Brathwaite received a Bachelor of Arts and Masters degrees from the University of Toronto. Ms. Brathwaite currently resides in Jersey City. She is active in her community and proudly serves on the boards of the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce, the Hudson County Community College Foundation, Boys and Girls Club of Hudson County, the Jersey City Arts Council and Saint Peter’s University Board of Regents.

President and CEO
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson & Union Counties
Newark, N.J.

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Former Director of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Center for Women Veterans
Arlington, Va.

Professor, Stevens Institute of Technology
Hoboken, N.J.

Interim President
New Jersey City University

Andrés Acebo, the Interim President of New Jersey City University, is the proud first-generation son of Cuban exiles and a Hudson County native who grew up in Union City, N.J., and has maintained strong ties to the community. In January 2023, he became only the second Hispanic to serve as the leader of a four-year public institution of higher education in the State of New Jersey. He is the youngest known president to ever lead a public university in New Jersey.

In under 18 months of widely praised mission-driven servant leadership, Acebo has demonstrated extraordinary vision, guiding NJCU from a fiscal emergency to a remarkable recovery which will be a case study throughout higher ed.

In May 2024, ROI-NJ named him the No. 1 ranked Influencer in New Jersey Higher Education in the 2024 Higher Education Influencers annual publication.

Taking office in the midst of a financial emergency, he has steered NJCU forward. He has helped orchestrate three major strategic initiatives: the release of the NJCU Recovery and Revitalization Plan (April 2023), introduction of the university's first Academic Master Plan (February 2024) and the institution’s first Strategic Enrollment Plan (April 2023).

In February 2024, the university unveiled a refresh of the University Mission Statement and introduced its first ever Vision Statement. Both statements are offered in both English and Spanish, in recognition of the richly diverse community the university serves and as testament to its status as the oldest public four-year minority and Hispanic-serving institution in New Jersey.

Furthermore, Acebo has led to the University's finances being stabilized and the first balanced operating budget since 2017 — less than two years after NJCU reported a $22.7 million deficit. Moody’s agreed, upgrading NJCU’s outlook from “negative” to “stable.” Acebo's advocacy rallied support for the university from key stakeholders — including the campus and local community, union and local leaders, and legislative champions.

Additionally, he has forged key partnerships — highlighted by the Hudson Connect Program — and signed key strategic MOUs, including with the NJEA, Hudson Building Trades, GLACO, AFT Local 1839, Jersey City POBA, and Hudson County Boys and Boys & Girls Clubs of Hudson County.

Read President Acebo's full profile

Dr. Venessa Garcia
Faculty Representative
ex officio


Dr. Venessa Garcia will serve as the Faculty Representative to the NJCU Board of Trustees for the 2024-25 academic year.

Prior to joining academia, Dr. Garcia worked as a researcher in the early part of her career conducting state and federally funded research with the Research Institute on Addictions and the National Center for State Courts (NCSC). While at the NCSC, Dr. Garcia joined the Conference of Chief Justices (CCF) as a research liaison and worked with the U.S. Office of the Attorney General to ensure state court compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Her research teams at the NCSC created a bench book for family court judges to use when handling intimate partner violence cases and assessed court compliance with the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services and the Adoption and Safe Families Act.

Helen Dao ′99, ′05 M.S
President, NJCU Alumni Association
Alumni Representative, ex officio

Chair, NJCU Foundation
ex officio

Peter (Pete) Hernandez is an executive leader who successfully develops effective strategies and executes deliverables across a diverse group of functions, partners, and stakeholders. He has implemented innovative financial strategies that optimize operational efficiency, mitigate risk, and maximize profitability.   

Pete drives Environmental/Social/Corporate Governance (ESG) initiatives, strategic planning, leadership & development, and team building to create sustainable, long-term shareholder, employee, financial, customer, and societal value. 

Pete leads, mentors, mobilizes, and motivates team members to align with and engage in a vision and mission to drive results and achieve business objectives. He fosters an environment of professional development and high performance.

Hernandez joined the NJCU Foundation in 2013 and was elected to his first term as chair in 2018, and re-elected to a second term as chair in 2021. In Summer 2023, Pete was named as an ex officio member of the NJCU Board of Trustees.

In his most recent role, Pete served as Senior Vice President of ESG and Organizational Effectiveness at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (WHR), where he led the strategic direction and implementation of the company’s environmental, social, and governance pillars focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion; protecting human rights; sustainability; and philanthropy. Additionally, Pete oversaw Wyndham University, managing team members and franchisee talent development and training. He also oversaw the Safety, Security, and Risk Management team.

Prior to this role, Pete served as Senior Vice President of Managed Finance, overseeing the finance operation for WHR’s managed properties division. Previously, he served as Group Vice President of Social Responsibility, accountable for WHR’s social responsibility efforts.

Before joining WHR, Pete was Senior Vice President and Division Controller for Wyndham Destinations, overseeing the hospitality services division’s day-to-day accounting and financial activities. Pete also held progressive leadership positions in accounting and finance at Wyndham Vacation Ownership for more than 17 years while serving as executive sponsor of the iFuerte! Affinity Business Group and the Wyndham Worldwide mentoring circle.

Pete's passion for social responsibility is palpable, as evidenced by his active participation in several public speaking engagements on key social responsibility topics, including the Tri-State Diversity Council Leadership Summit, diversity panels, and Wyndham Affinity Business Group functions. He was pivotal in developing Wyndham Worldwide’s Learning Empowerment and Development (LEAD) mentoring program at NJCU. Pete's commitment extends beyond his professional life, as he also serves as a Board member for JBWS — a private, confidential service welcoming ALL survivors of dating, domestic, or partner abuse.

Pete's professional qualifications testify to his expertise and commitment to excellence. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a Member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants. Pete earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Fairleigh Dickinson University and further honed his skills at the well-regarded Global Leader Program at The Wharton School and the Thayer Leadership Development Program at West Point.

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Updated June 4, 2024

David Valica (Voting Student)
Major: Finance & Computer Science | Class of 2025
Hometown: Union City, N.J.
High School: Union City High School

David Valica is a fourth-year honors student double majoring in finance and computer science. Alongside his position as a Board of Trustees Student Representative, David also serves as the Senior Class Representative for the Honors Program. Additionally, David has previously held leadership roles on campus, including as a Student Senator and Sophomore Class Vice President. As a first-gen student who immigrated from Romania, David aims to advocate for NJCU and the student body.

Branda Logan (Non-Voting Student)
Major: Accounting | Class of 2026
Hometown: East Orange, N.J.
High School: Donald M. Payne Tech 

Trustee Emeritus
1933-2022

Trustee Emeritus