New Jersey Business Magazine - Catherine Milone Promoted to JA USA Chief Development Officer

JA New Jersey President to Assume National Leadership Role on March 1

ON FEB 23, 2022

Catherine Milone, president of Junior Achievement New Jersey, has been named JA USA chief development officer, where she will be responsible for creating strategy for resource generation and raising funds necessary to achieve JA USA’s strategic objectives and impact.

“It has been an absolute honor to lead JA New Jersey over the last 17 years,” Milone said. “Throughout this time, I have been profoundly inspired by the dedication and hard work of our Staff and Board, in their passion for creating a purpose-driven organization. Now is the time to secure JA New Jersey’s future by making space for new leadership with an even more exciting vision and boundless enthusiasm. I look forward to engaging with many of our partners – in a different capacity – to help carry out JA’s mission to inspire and prepare youth to succeed, and to help them become the very best version of themselves.”

Milone has been JA New Jersey president since 2004. Under her leadership, the organization increased its student reach 455% and more than doubled JA New Jersey board engagement. Milone raised funds to launch JA Finance Park and JA BizTown, and also raised more than $300,000 to launch the Scholar Award Initiative to support High School Heroes alumni, which then led to the creation of a fully funded alumni internship program.

Milone is the recipient of the prestigious Charles R. Hook Award, in recognition of her accomplishments as a JA Area president. JA New Jersey received the Peak Performance Team Award and the JA USA Phoenix Award, recognizing her and her team’s efforts to turnaround a once struggling operation to become the best-in-class organization it is today. Milone has been recognized in her community and state through the NJBIA Leonard C. Johnson Award, NJBIZ 50 Women in Business, and South Jersey Biz 25 Women to Watch.

Beginning her tenure with JA in 1990 with JA New York, she moved to roles with organizations outside of JA, most notably with ADP, where she was recognized as part of the Presidents Club for her sales accomplishments. Milone returned to JA in New Jersey as vice president in 2002 before taking the reigns as president in 2004.

Throughout her career, she has been recognized for her leadership and commitment to advancing the interests of young people. She serves as a director for the KearnyBank Foundation, a trustee of the Board for the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA), and vice chair of Focus NJ, Inc., and has served on the JA USA Human Resources Committee for several years.

According to NJBIA President and CEO Michele Siekerka, “Catherine is an amazing leader whose passion for what she does is highly contagious. Her contributions to our NJBIA Board of Trustees and to Focus NJ have been invaluable and we are glad that, while she is moving to a national role with JA, her boots will remain firmly on the ground here in New Jersey and at NJBIA and Focus NJ.”

JA New Jersey Board Chair Christine LaCroix, partner at Deloitte, said “Catherine leaves JA New Jersey in a very strong position for continued growth, and we sincerely thank her for her contribution and leadership in her time here. We are so grateful for her tireless efforts in creating a strong culture of mutual respect, teamwork and innovation within JA of New Jersey, the educational community, and the greater New Jersey community. We look forward to following the success of her career at JA USA.”

A search committee comprised of members of the JA New Jersey board of directors is leading a comprehensive search for a new president, who is anticipated to assume the role by June 1.

Source: https://njbmagazine.com/njb-news-now/catherine-milone-promoted-to-ja-usa-chief-development-officer/