NJ Youth Mentoring Summit
Keynote Speaker
Paul J. Fishman
United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey
Paul J. Fishman was nominated by President Barack Obama as the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey in June 2009; he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 7, 2009 and sworn in on October 14, 2009.
As U.S. Attorney, he is responsible for overseeing all federal criminal investigations and prosecutions and the litigation of all civil matters in New Jersey in which the federal government has an interest. Mr. Fishman supervises a staff of approximately 145 attorneys and 115 support personnel in Newark, Camden, and Trenton. In addition to his service as U.S. Attorney, Mr. Fishman served as a member of the Attorney General's Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorney's ("AGAC") from 2009-2013. He served as Vice-Chair of the AGAC from 2009-2011, and Chair from 2011-2012. Created in 1973, the AGAC represents the voice of the U.S. Attorneys and provides advice and counsel to the Attorney General on policy, management, and operational issues affecting the offices of the United States Attorneys across the country.
Mr. Fishman has spent much of his professional career in public service. After graduating from law school, he clerked for the Honorable Edward R. Becker of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He was an Assistant United States Attorney from 1983 to 1994, during which time he served as Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, Chief of Narcotics, Chief of the Criminal Division, and First Assistant U.S. Attorney. From 1994 to 1997, he was a senior advisor to the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General of the United States on a variety of law enforcement, policy, legislative, national security, and international matters, as well as on specific investigations and prosecutions. In addition to his public service, from 1998 - 2009 Mr. Fishman was a partner in the law firm of Friedman Kaplan Seiler & Adelman, where he headed the firm’s white collar practice and also handled complex civil litigation. He graduated magna cum laude in 1978 from Princeton University and cum laude in 1982 from Harvard Law School, where he was the Managing Editor of the Harvard Law Review. In 2011, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Law by Seton Hall University Law School.
Featured Speakers
Susan M. Coan
Vice President of the Atlantic City Electric Region of Pepco Holdings, Inc. (PHI)
Susan has worked in the electric utility industry for 30 years, building leadership experience in the areas of government & regulatory affairs, investor relations and communications. Prior to joining Atlantic City Electric in June of 2008, Susan served as Manager of Government & Legislative Affairs for PECO Energy in Philadelphia, PA. Susan holds a degree in economics from Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA and an MBA from Monmouth University. She serves as a Board member of the Salem County Chamber of Commerce, a Trustee of the NJ League of Municipalities Education Foundation, the New Jersey Energy Coalition and the Southern New Jersey Development Council.
Kathy Durante
Executive Director, OceanFirst Foundation
Ms. Durante is the Executive Director and Secretary of the Board of OceanFirst Foundation based in Toms River, New Jersey. She has held this post since 2003 and is one of the organization’s founding directors, working diligently to build OceanFirst Foundation’s solid reputation and legacy as a good neighbor and responsible corporate citizen. Founded in 1996, it is the first foundation in the nation to be established by a bank as part of an initial public offering.
Since its inception, the Foundation has invested more than $25 million in community initiatives and programs with more than 5,000 grants awarded to more than 600 nonprofits and schools in Ocean, Monmouth and Middlesex counties. Ms. Durante manages the day-to-day operation and oversees all aspects of the proposal submission and review processes, chairing the Foundation’s Major Grant Committee which is charged with recommending grants to the Foundation’s Board for consideration.
Ms. Durante has helped many start-up nonprofits and experienced grant seekers fine tune their skills with one-on-one coaching, board development and group learning. Under Ms. Durante’s leadership, OceanFirst Foundation launched new initiatives focused on meeting the needs of the local community including the Model Classroom Grant Program, Home Runs for Heroes, the OceanFirst Scholarship Program and more recently, a special grant program to support Hurricane Sandy relief and recovery efforts.
Dominique Goss
Vice President, Community Relations Manager for the PA/NJ Markets, TD Bank
As Vice President, Ms. Goss is responsible for employee volunteerism, various community relations programs including TD Tree Days and TD Green Streets, the employee volunteer program, and representing the TD Charitable Foundation.
Nancy Hamilton
Program Officer, Community Foundation of NJ
Ms. Magee’s responsibilities include working with numerous corporate charitable contributions funds as well as allocating grants to New Jersey nonprofits since 2008. In addition she consults with donors on grantmaking and programs, advises nonprofits about funding opportunities, is involved with CFNJ’s legacy-based community action and field of interest grantmaking, and coordinates special projects and programs of the Community Foundation.
Thomas C. Huth
Assistant Prosecutor, Director Major Crimes Bureau, Monmouth County Prosecutors Office
Thomas C. Huth has been an assistant prosecutor since 1987 and is a member of the State of New Jersey and Federal District Court Bar. He is certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a criminal trial attorney and received his B.A. from the University of Connecticut and his Juris Doctor from Seton Hall University. He has worked in the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office since 1998, where he presently serves as the Director of the Major Crimes Bureau. From 1987 to 1998 he worked in the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, where he was assigned to the Trial Section and the Homicide Squad. In 2011 he founded the Asbury Park Community Development Initiative, and presently serves as its co-chair.
Julie Novak
Vice President, Child Safety Big Brothers Big Sisters America
Julie serves as Big Brothers Big Sisters of America’s leading expert and national spokesperson on child safety and youth protection-related matters. She leads the nationwide advancement of effective child abuse prevention and crisis response strategies throughout Big Brothers Big Sisters’ network, working collaboratively with other national experts. Novak develops and provides statewide and national child abuse, violence prevention and crisis management training and consultation.
Kristen Truffa
Associate Director, MANY
Director at MANY, a national nonprofit membership organization which provides training, consulting, and convening services for non-profits, mainly organizations focused on youth and young adults at highest risk for victimization and/or delinquency. In her role, Kristen oversees several federally-funded national mentoring programs, including a research project on mentoring children with an incarcerated parent, and mentoring for child victims of commercial sexual exploitation. Kristen has contributed to several publications, including Youth-Adult Partnerships: A Training Manual, and Mentoring Youth Living in At-Risk Situations: Training Basics for Staff and Mentors. Through all of her work, Kristen has emphasized a youth development integration approach to youth services—she is a strong advocate for youth involvement at all levels of service provision.