The YMCA of Metuchen, Edison, Woodbridge & South Amboy (MEWSA) is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Board member, James “Jim” Kelly.
Kelly’s 30+ year career spans leadership positions in Fortune 100 firms as well as mid-sized family-held, small private equity-backed consumer packaged goods organizations and 501(c)3 not-for-profits. He has also had considerable experience in consulting roles for prominent Fortune 500 companies in a range of consumer-oriented industries, as well as emerging technology firms. Kelly is currently the president of Harm Reduction Therapeutics (HRT), the first and only non-profit pharmaceutical company focused on the opioid overdose crisis. He has led the commercial launch of RiVive, 3mg compassionate dose naloxone, over-the-counter nasal spray, leading HRT successfully toward their mission of putting easy-to-use life-saving medication into the hands of anyone who needs it. Kelly serves on HRT’s Board of Directors and is committed to saving lives that would otherwise be lost to opioid overdose.
Kelly holds a BA from Rutgers College and an MBA from Rutgers Business School and has completed intensive training at the Center for Creative Leadership (Leadership at the Peak), Harvard Business School (Leading Product Development), Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management (Managing in the Global Enterprise) and Rutgers Business School (Social Media Marketing). He and his wife, Susan, have four adult children (Brenna, Sarah, James IV and Mary) and are lifelong residents of Edison.
“We are extremely pleased that Jim has accepted a position on our Board,” said Dr. Joseph Gaffney, Chairman of the Board of Directors. Rose Cushing, President & CEO, added that “his industry experience as an innovative leader will greatly benefit our organization, especially as we begin implementing our updated strategic plan.”
YMCA Board members are responsible for establishing policy and strategic direction for the Y, as well as creating opportunities and establishing relationships that advance the YMCA’s mission and cause. The Board of the YMCA of MEWSA is currently comprised of twenty-four members with strong professional and community ties to the communities we serve.
About the YMCA
The YMCA of Metuchen, Edison, Woodbridge & South Amboy is a charitable, nonprofit organization devoted to supporting individuals and families—regardless of age, income or background—in their quest to realize their full potential through programs and services that foster youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Each day we serve over 20,000 YMCA members and 1,000 children in childcare in five communities throughout Middlesex County. The YMCA of MEWSA has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change. www.ymcaofmewsa.org.