United Way of Northern New Jersey is pleased to welcome four new members to its Board of Trustees. Each is passionate about helping those in need and is a leader in the information security, microfinance, marketing and compliance fields.

“I am excited to welcome these talented and civic-minded leaders to our Board of Trustees,” said United Way CEO Kiran Handa Gaudioso. “I know they will help the board continue to improve life for families we call ALICE and those in poverty who are struggling to afford life’s basics.”

The new members who have joined the board are Michael Flynn, Alethia Mendez, Joe Pichamuthu and Lesley Traver.

Flynn, a seasoned information security and technology executive with more than 30 years of experience at UPS, is president and chief information security officer for the Fortune 500 company. There, he leads the cyber program globally across 200-plus countries while collaborating with many governmental and law enforcement agencies.

“I Live Untied by doing everything I can to help improve lives, especially the ones that need it most,” said Flynn, embracing a United Way motto.

Mendez is division president for Elevating Black Women Entrepreneurs at Grameen America. In this role, she oversees strategic growth and operations for Grameen America’s national microfinance program. She serves as the chief liaison for branch coordination on national programs and capacity building, spearheading operations in the field from the nonprofit’s head office in New York City.

“There is no better way to enable and empower the women and families in my surrounding communities than through service with UWNNJ,” said Mendez.

Pichamuthu is executive director, global human health oncology hematology marketing for Merck & Company, where he works to ensure the successful development, launch and global commercialization of a company product. His 20 years of oncology and hematology marketing experience also includes work at Bristol Myers Squibb, the former Celgene Corporation, Regeneron, Enzon, Sanofi and Pfizer.

“I joined the Board of United Way of Northern New Jersey to make a difference by helping individuals in need in our local community,” said Pichamuthu.

Traver is vice president, global quality and compliance, where she leads all aspects of quality and compliance for Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson MedTech. Throughout her more than 30-year career in health care, Traver has held senior roles at various companies including Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, LifeScan, Siemens HealthCare Diagnostics, Thoratec Corporation and Johnson & Johnson Consumer.

“I believe it is my responsibility and a privilege to serve the community and help people in need of support,” said Traver. “United Way of Northern New Jersey provides an excellent forum to advocate for and systematically advance the highly deserving and often underserved ALICE community.”

About United Way of Northern New Jersey 
United Way of Northern New Jersey is a nonprofit organization fighting to improve life for families and individuals in our five-county footprint who are ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) or in poverty. We believe that by securing racial and economic equity for ALICE we can improve life for all. We’re investing in ALICE’s future in the workplace, at home, and across the community. We do this through our initiatives that fill gaps in services, community partnerships, public policy work, and volunteer efforts. United Way of Northern New Jersey serves Morris, Somerset, Sussex, and Warren counties as well as portions of suburban Essex County including the Caldwells, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Fairfield, Glen Ridge, Livingston, Millburn-Short Hills, Montclair, Roseland, and Verona. To learn more, call 973.993.1160 or visit UnitedWayNNJ.org.