Catherine Wilson serves as the President and CEO of United Way of Greater Newark, a position she has held since May of 2016, providing executive leadership and vision to the organization. In 2018, she led the board of trustees to adopt a new mission, vision and strategic direction for the organization focusing convening, collaborating and investing in education, health and financial stability.

Prior to becoming the President and CEO, Catherine spent 5 years designing, implementing and evaluating programs as the Program Design and Evaluation Specialist and Senior Director of Community Impact. She developed a passion for empowering community residents to take charge of issues specific to their neighborhoods and schools. Prior to joining United Way, Catherine spent eight years in the child welfare field, first working for what was then the Division of Youth and Family Services and the Essex County Court Appointed Special Advocates.

There she advocated for children and youth in the child welfare system, and designed the first CASA mentoring program for youth aging out of foster care. Catherine holds a B.A. in Communications from Rowan University and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Rutgers University. She also holds a certificate in Executive Leadership from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.