Robert Hackett, President

rhackett@bonner.org

Mr. Hackett joined the Bonner Foundation in 1992 as Vice President and Director of the Bonner Scholars Program and assumed the role of President in July, 2010. 

Prior to joining the Bonner Foundation, Mr. Hackett worked at the Telesis Corporation, an affordable housing developer in Washington, D.C. He also served as managing director of the Campus Outreach Opportunity League (COOL) during its first three years of operation. In addition, for the past twenty years, Mr. Hackett has been associated in various capacities with the Youth Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based non-partisan organization that researches and reports on policies and programs relating to young people.

Mr. Hackett received his bachelors degree from Harvard University in 1985 and a masters in public and private management from Yale University's School of Organization and Management in 1990. 

Ariane Hoy, Senior Program Officer

ahoy@bonner.org

A California native, Ariane aims to empower people to be active in building a better world through civic engagement. She has served as the Executive Director of Campus Outreach Opportunity League (COOL), which focused on mobilizing the national college student service movement;  Jumpstart’s Vice President for Program, where she helped create an integrated outcome-based program model and infrastructure to grow a multi-campus program engaging students in educating low-income preschoolers; and director for the undergraduate fellowship at Echoing Green Foundation, recruiting and supporting talented social entrepreneurs. As a young alum, Ari spent five years at City Year, a national youth service program for 17 to 25 year-olds of diverse backgrounds.  She gained experience as Team Leader, Program Director, and Senior Designer and Trainer for the founding National Academy, responsible for taking City Year national to new sites and training staff in key skills like team leadership and inclusivity.  Ari's commitment began through intensive student involvement in service, policy research, and equity issues at Stanford University, which culminated in a John Gardner Public Service Fellowship working with the Superintendent in East Palo Alto, CA.  Ariane loves to cook, so after work she dreams of writing a cookbook.

Christen Foell, Program Director

cfoell@bonner.org

Christen joined the staff of the Bonner Foundation in 2006.  In her role as Program Director, Christen oversees the National Bonner Leader Program and the New Jersey Bonner Leader Program.  Prior to joining the Foundation staff, Christen worked in program and volunteer management at several national nonprofit organizations including the Dream Foundation, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Special Olympics.  A native of Southern California, Christen received her bachelor's degree from Westmont College and completed a Master's degree in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management at Seton Hall University.

Kelly Behrend, Program Associate

kelly@bonner.org

Kelly is a Bonner Scholar alumna, graduating magna cum laude from the University of Richmond ('10). Although a New Jersey native, Kelly has been involved with international issues throughout her education — majoring in International Peace & Conflict and Spanish, working with refugees and immigrants through her Bonner service, and spending her junior year abroad in terrorist regions studying national and human security. Her senior thesis on refugees, largely inspired by her work as a Bonner Scholar, received numerous national and international awards. She looks forward to pursuing that research as a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar for the 2012-2013 academic year. Kelly is also passionate about access to education, youth mobilization & activism, and political engagement. 

Nefisah Sallim, Program Associate

nsallim@bonner.org

Nefisah, a New York City native comes to the Bonner Foundation by way of the Siena College VISTA Fellows program, located in Loudonville NY, where she served as an AmeriCorps VISTA for two years. Nefisah was a student at the University at Albany where she obtained her BA, in Sociology and MA, in Liberal Studies, concentrated in Sociology. After serving her first year as an AmeriCorps VISTA at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Albany, Nefisah was hired on as their Program Director.  As the Program Director she was responsible for the overall programming and day to day operations for the after school program. After a year in the position, Nefisah decided she would return to the Siena College VISTA Fellows program, where she served as a VISTA Leader for a year. As a VISTA Leader she was responsible for managing over 20 VISTAs and coordinating training and enrichment opportunities for VISTAs and community partners. As a new addition to the Foundation staff, Nefisah is looking forward to learning as much as she can about the program and working very closely with everyone in the network. 

Kamran Hakiman, PolicyOptions Network Coordinator

kamran@bonner.org

Kamran recently moved to New Jersey from Tennessee, where he recently graduated from Maryville College - completing a double major in philosophy and religion. His passion lies in the development of programs that enable communities to be active agents of their social advancement. Prior to joining the Bonner Foundation he served as Coordinator for the Junior Youth Empowerment Program for the greater Knoxville, TN area.

Now, Kamran serves as the NJ PolicyOptions Network Coordinator. His role is to coordinate and support the local PolicyOptions Bureaus within NJ - facilitating their efforts to mobilize universities to meet the research needs of local governmental and civic organizations.

Janet Ashwood, AmeriCorps Enrollment Manager

jashwood@bonner.org

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Abigail Rice, AmeriCorps Enrollment Manager

arice@bonner.org

Abigail is a native of the greater Boston area, graduating with a degree in English from Ithaca College. She volunteered with Young Life for 8 years, working with high school students to provide positive mentoring. Abby brings extensive administrative experience to the Bonner Foundation, having worked as an administrative assistant in Rochester, NY. Now a resident of Princeton, Abigail enjoys pursuing her interests in the creative arts and enhancing the Bonner Foundation's resources through modern digital and print media.

Sarah Meadows, AmeriCorps Enrollment Manager

smeadows@bonner.org

The first thing that most people who meet Sarah notice is that she is English - she says her accent gives it away! Sarah first moved to New Jersey from England on New Years Day 2007, when her husband's job brought him to New York City.  She is the mother of two boys (Harry,13, and Alexander, 9), and has spent much of her time here in the States in volunteer work in schools, church, and Cub and Boy Scouts.  In her working life, Sarah is a trained accountant and auditor, and has spent most of her career in Higher Education administration, though she has also worked for places as varied as the BBC (in the TV Drama production department - which really was as exciting as it sounds!) and, most recently, a wedding and prom gown manufacturer.

Donna Pasquerella, AmeriCorps Enrollment Manager

donna@bonner.org

Donna is a New Jersey native who has lived in the Princeton area for over 10 years.  She left a career in the health care profession to raise her two amazing children, Matthew (11) and Kathryn (9).  She now finds herself in the non-profit sector in hope that she might contribute in some small way to help make the world a better place.