The Princeton Area Community Foundation Board of Trustees has named Mathieu Nelessen as the new leader of the organization.
“Our board was unanimous in their selection of Mathieu to become the next president and CEO of the Community Foundation,” Board Chair Sonia Delgado said in a statement. “The Community Foundation is an extraordinary organization with an incredible team, and we’re looking forward to Mathieu’s visionary leadership as we continue to grow and make an impact in our region.”
Nelessen currently serves as CEO of the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA). He was CARRA’s first CEO, leading a successful reorganization from a Board-managed operation to a professional, CEO-managed operation.
“After 25 years of nonprofit service, it is a distinct honor to return to my home community to drive the incredible mission of the Community Foundation forward, with a focus on growth, innovation and impact,” Nelessen said. “I look forward to working with the remarkable Community Foundation board of trustees and professional staff, and I am incredibly thankful to the board for their trust in me to fulfill this important community role. I look forward to furthering the critical junction between philanthropy and the needs of community and creating sustainable change. Together in Service.”
He was hired after a national search.
“Mathieu is engaging, intelligent and thoughtful,” said Anthony “Skip” Cimino, the former board chair and chair of the search committee. “He has a depth of experience, including a number of high-profile positions, and his roots are in this community. He’s an excellent choice for the organization.”
Nelessen has strong ties to the region. He previously served in leadership roles at the American Red Cross, both in New Jersey and at the national level.
He led and managed that organization’s Superstorm Sandy disaster response and recovery efforts in New Jersey. He was also deployed to Houston, Texas, to serve as the executive director of the Hurricane Harvey recovery program.
In his last role at the Red Cross, he served as the national vice president of business strategy and planning, biomedical services, where he led a staff of 350 people in the division that is responsible for 40 percent of the nation’s blood supply.
Before joining the Red Cross, Nelessen was the executive director of the New Jersey office of the American Diabetes Association, director of annual giving at Rider University, and served in director roles at Special Olympics New Jersey. He is a graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in psychology.
He is the third leader of the Community Foundation since its founding in 1991. Nancy Kieling led the organization for 20 years until her retirement. Jeff Vega succeeded her as president and CEO, a role he held until his death in January, 2024.
Nelessen will begin his role in early February.
