In attendance were many highly-respected colleagues who praised Ms. Anderson’s work. Assemblywoman Legislative District 20 and Deputy Majority Leader, Annette Quijano, presented Ms. Anderson with a Joint Legislative Resolution issued by herself along with Senator Lesniak and Assemblyman Holley from the Senate and General Assembly proclaiming Ms. Anderson as having esteemed service to the community and an outstanding tenure at United Way of Greater Union County, among other notable accomplishments.
“United Way of Greater Union County family congratulates and wishes Debbie-Ann all the best in her endeavors,” said James W. Horne Jr., CEO/President United Way of Greater Union County. “This is a great opportunity for Debbie-Ann to continue the work that means so much to the most vulnerable people in our communities.”
Ms. Anderson began September 14, 2015 as the newly appointed Executive Director at HomeFirst in Plainfield, New Jersey. Notably, HomeFirst is considered the leading housing assistance non-profit organization in Central New Jersey. Homefirst serves over 2,000 clients on a yearly basis by providing social service programs and community-building practices that strengthen families including transitional, permanent and supportive housing, homelessness prevention, emergency assistance, and family support services
With Ms. Anderson at the helm, HomeFirst is in good hands. Her diversified background in programs serving families as well as her extensive experience in corporate, non-profit and community affairs organizations, gives Anderson a solid foundation to stand on in her new position.
Ms. Anderson’s professional career began in 1997 and has included sales and marketing as well as governmental and public affairs while working with top law firms and the Canadian and French embassies in Washington, DC. Before her career move to the nonprofit sector, she worked with the United States State Department and the United Nations for equality in the African and Caribbean Countries that were aligned with France and Canada. Ms. Anderson began her professional fundraising career in 2004 at the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) in Towson, Maryland. In just eight months, she rose to the Executive Director role and relocated to manage the Northern New Jersey chapter of MDA. Her strategic development efforts for the chapter led to them achieving the highest percentage of revenue growth in the nation for two consecutive years.
Ms. Anderson joined United Way of Greater Union in 2008 and during her tenure there she garnered a reputation as a dynamic strategic developer when it comes to revenue growth. Within a year, Debbie-Ann was instrumental in securing the organization’s first major gift of $1 million dollars from a private family foundation. Ms. Anderson focused on integrating emerging fundraising markets, incorporated a more tactical use of technology, which included migration toward digital platforms to increase awareness of UWGUC among donors and Union County communities. She also managed and assisted staff in strengthening collaborative partnerships throughout Union County, New Jersey.
Ms. Anderson has a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration from Mount Saint Mary’s College and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland. She currently serves as an independent advisor for the United Nations for Caribbean Affairs and Equality and is a member of the National Association of Professional Women.