A changing of the guard is coming to the leadership on the board of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.
Following their elections, the downtown Newark venue said Jan. 24 it is welcoming Prudential Financial Inc. Chairman and CEO Charles Lowrey and Merck & Co. Inc. Vice President of Social Business Innovation Carmen Villar as co-chairs.
The appointments, which are effective this month, represent several milestones.
Lowrey is the third person from Prudential with his titles to serve as chair or co-chair for NJPAC, while Villar – who served as chief of staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before joining Rahway-based Merck – is the first woman and first person of color to serve in the leadership role on the art center’s board.
“Throughout its 25-year history, NJPAC has always been blessed with extraordinarily committed, creative and collaborative board chairs,” said John Schreiber, president and CEO of NJPAC, in a statement. “I know that Carmen and Charlie, with their distinguished careers, dedication to community, unique areas of expertise and enormous generosity of spirit, will carry on that wonderful tradition.”
Current Co-chairs Barry Ostrowsky, the recently retired CEO of RWJBarnabas Health, and Steven Goldman, managing partner at PBM Capital Group, are stepping down after three years in leadership. According to NJPAC, both will continue to serve on the organization’s Executive Committee.
Schreiber expressed gratitude to the outgoing co-chairs, particularly for their “their extraordinary and selfless leadership during the most challenging time in the Arts Center’s history.”
“NJPAC flourished as an anchor cultural institution throughout the pandemic, thanks to their wisdom, insight and deep commitment to the Arts Center,” Schreiber said. “Barry and Steve’s guidance made it possible for us to expand our mission through the production of more than 500 virtual programs, spanning education, social justice and the arts, and to reopen safely when the crisis receded. All of us at NJPAC are so thankful for their indispensable stewardship.”
From left: John Schreiber, president and CEO of NJPAC, with the Arts Center’s new board co-chairs: Carmen Villar, vice president of social business innovation for Merck & Co. Inc., and Charles Lowrey, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial Inc. – NJPAC
Lowrey was elected to the NJPAC board and its Executive Committee in June 2019. He joined Prudential – another Newark anchor institution – in 2001, becoming CEO in 2018 and adding the chairman post the following year. Before him, former Chairman and CEO Art Ryan was NJPAC board chair from 1999 to 2009 while John Strangfeld, who also held the leadership roles at the financial giant, was NJPAC co-chair from 2013 to 2015 and chair from 2015 to 2018.
“Through its diverse performances, education programs and investment in local neighborhoods, NJPAC has helped create a thriving arts community in Newark, and economic growth and positive change across the city and the state,” Lowrey said. “All of us at Prudential are proud of what NJPAC has accomplished and excited about its plans for the future.”
For Merck, Villar’s appointment marks the second executive from the company to take up the board leadership post. From 1993 to 1999, former Merck Chairman and CEO Dr. P. Roy Vagelos served as board co-chair.
“The Arts Center is a key driver of socioeconomic development in New Jersey, and an important community partner to Merck and many other organizations across the state,” Villar said. “As a woman of Japanese and Mexican heritage, it’s an incredible honor to be elected to lead such a diverse and vital cultural institution. I am eager to bring a unique perspective to the role and help enhance the positive impact that NJPAC has on countless young lives and families throughout the region.”
At Merck, Villar oversees environmental, social and governance strategy and engagement, and the company’s global impact giving and health equity departments. She is a current member of the NJPAC board’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and a past member of its Executive Compensation Committee and Arts Education Committee. She joined the board of directors in 2018.
