the hearts of blue foundation board of trustees

 Gwendolyn Jennings has been a member of the Hearts of Blue Foundation, Inc. since its inception in 2019; she currently serves as the chairperson of the Board of Trustees. She is passionate about the Mission of the Foundation and works tirelessly to support the efforts of the organization to expand its reach and impact the community more effectively. She serves on several committees within the Foundation; these include the Executive, Auditing and Education committees. She was employed by the Trenton Board of Education for forty-two years as a teacher and an elementary school principal. She continues her passion as an educator by mentoring new administrators; this is done as a member of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association’s (NJPSA) Leaders to Leaders Program.  She clearly understands the importance of effective leadership, leadership development and utilizing the skills of others to enhance the important work of the Foundation.

Gwen serves as the Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the Mercer Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction, Secretary of the Board of Trustees for Urban Promise Trenton, a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc, for more than fifty-three years, and an active member of Central: A Christ-centered Church. She is a graduate of Trenton State College (currently TCNJ), receiving her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Education and Administration from this institution. She is a native and lifelong resident of Trenton and Ewing, New Jersey. 

Tina Brannon was employed by the New Jersey Department of Corrections; she retired after twenty-five years of service as a Police Major.  Following her retirement in 2015, she became interested in continuing to utilize her interests and talents and began working for the Kintock Residential Community Center as the Corporate Training Coordinator. Her current title as Director of Training for that organization allows her the opportunity to educate and train individuals to become self-sufficient members of their communities.

Tina attended school in Hamilton Township and graduated from Steinert High School. Following her high school graduation, she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from Rider University and her Master’s degree in Business administration from Strayer University.

She has been an active member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated since 2011; serving on several committees, including the Audit, Stork’s Nest, Finance, ByLaws,and Scholarship committees. Additionally, she served in the elected positions of Financial Secretary and Sergeant of Arms. As one of the founding members of the Hearts of Blue Foundation, she has continued to serve tirelessly as a member of the Executive committee and now serves as Corporate Secretary for the Foundation. Tina clearly understands the Mission of the Foundation and the benefit it can and will be to residents of the Mercer County community. She is also a member of Union Baptist Church, Trenton, New Jersey, where she serves on the Homeless Ministry and Missionary Committee.

Polyleah Kelly has been a trustee for the Hearts of Blue Foundation Inc. since being elected to the position in 2022. Since that time, she has served on several committees including, but not limited to, the Education committee. Polly, a native Trentonian, educated in the Trenton Public School System, brings with her a unique insight and passion for children born and educated within an urban setting. She clearly understands the multiplicity of challenges faced by students in these settings, who the foundation desires to serve.  

Her experience in the education field which extends from pre-school through college, provides the foundation with a skill set to help better navigate the magnitude of issues faced by specific children in the Mercer County area. The issues cover a very wide range, including academic, social and financial needs specifically as indicated in the Mission Statement of the HOB Foundation. Polyleah previously served for more than ten years in various roles in Early Childhood, including Preschool Teacher to Director. She served as Residential Facilities Services Specialist for The College of New Jersey and was Project Coordinator for Kean University. Her experiences in higher education include ten years in Student Services and Management. 

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration and a certificate in Africana Studies from Kean University. 

Polyleah is a long standing member of Macedonia Baptist Church in Trenton New Jersey.  She served on the Praise Dance Ministry, Childcare Ministry, Public Feeding Ministry and Vacation Bible School Ministry. 

She has been a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. for over 30 years, and has held offices on the local, regional and national Levels during that time. She is currently an active member of the Epsilon Xi Zeta Chapter of the sorority, and a member of the Storknest and Adopt a School committees. 

She is a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey, and has served the Lawrence Ewing and Trenton service unit as a troop leader for over 10 years. 

Kimberley Golden has been a Trustee of the Hearts of Blue Foundation (HOB) since 2022. She brings her regulatory knowledge and leadership skills to the Board. She is Chairperson to the grants committee and serves on the governance committee.

She is currently employed with NJ Department of Children and Families where she has worked in various positions for 25+ years. Kimberley gained knowledge in writing grants when she served as the Domestic Violence Liaison. She facilitated and administered competitive Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and Requests for Information (RFIs) and reviewed and scored proposals. In addition, she negotiated contract terms with funded agencies, modified contracts, and monitored contract compliance through site reviews and documentation. Kimberley served as grant manager for the federal program, Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, NJ Domestic Violence Victims Fund and NJ Marriage License Fund.

Moreover, she served as a board member on the Shiloh Community Development Corporation.

Kimberley has a bachelor’s degree in urban studies from Rutgers University-Camden and a master’s in social work from Rutgers University.  

Memberships:

Long standing member of Shiloh Baptist Church, Trenton, NJ, and Scholarship Committee Member.

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.- Epsilon Xi Zeta Chapter

National Associations of Parliamentarians

Iva serves as a Trustee and Chair of Governance and Risk Management. As a Trustee, she is responsible along with the other members of the board in the fiduciary oversight of the foundation. In the role of governance and risk management, she provides guidance to the Board as well as the membership in matters of oversight and compliance for the Hearts of Blue Foundation, Inc. She works collaboratively to ensure that the organizational structure, processes, and actions are within the correct accordance of a 501c3 non-profit. 

Professionally, Iva is an Associate Director of Educational Solutions for Educational Testing Service, Inc. (ETS) in the Global Higher Education Division. In this role, she works with global partners in each of the world regions to provide consultative guidance for their enrollment strategies. Iva also co-leads BOLD (Black Organization for Leadership Development), one of the eight BRG (Business Resource Groups) providing strategies to support the 4C’s – commerce, community, career, and culture.  

Iva has a passionate for lifting and supporting others and through her diamond life membership in Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc has spent more than three decades serving the community in several initiatives. She has held leadership positions on the local, state, and regional levels of the organization as well as chaired numerous committees. 

Iva holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership with distinction and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health. Iva also holds a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion certification. She is a NJ License Producer in Health and Life.