Executive from Nation's Top Financial Planning and Investment Management Firm elected Chair of Rowan University Foundation Board

The Rowan University Foundation Board has elected Joseph Bottazzi as chair and added three new members with expertise in healthcare, medicine and business to reflect the expanding profile of the University.

A seasoned business executive and Rowan alumnus, Bottazzi will build on the great progress made under the leadership of former Board Chair Paul Tully and will take the helm as the University evolves as New Jersey’s second comprehensive public research institution.

“The Foundation plays a critical role in helping the University achieve its goals of offering quality educational programs, improving access, keeping tuition affordable and serving as an economic engine for the region,” Bottazzi said. “It is a true honor to serve my alma mater during this period of vision, transformative change, and tremendous growth.” 

Bottazzi, executive vice president of business development at Edelman Financial Services, LLC, is a River Edge resident who has served on the Board since 2009. Before joining Edelman Financial he spent three decades as a senior executive with Hewlett-Packard, the world’s largest information technology company, most recently as senior vice president of its Americas Technology Services business.

Bottazzi earned a degree in marketing from Rowan in 1980 and his M.B.A. in finance from Fordham University.

Joining Bottazzi are three prominent business leaders —Dorothy Stubblebine of West Deptford, James George of Woodbury and Elizabeth Faircloth of Bordentown—who were confirmed by Rowan University’s Board of Trustees in September for three-year terms. The new members deepen the collective expertise of the Foundation Board as it supports the rapidly-evolving university.

“Five years ago, Rowan had no medical schools, and today we have two.  In that time we have gone from 11,006 students to approximately 14,700, and we have plans to grow  to 25,000 in less than a decade. And, we are about to begin construction on several buildings that will enable the University to increase access and better serve the region,” said Rowan University President Ali Houshmand. “Our rapid growth is fueling the need to find diverse, highly qualified leaders who are as deeply invested in our region as we are.”

New Members

Stubblebine, president of DJS Associates since 2000, has worked as a strategic human resources consultant for senior management for more than 25 years. She has expertise in the banking, manufacturing and utility industries and is a former vice president of human resources for the generic division of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals in Cherry Hill. A 1980 Rowan graduate with a degree in business administration, she is also a member of the Rohrer College of Business Advisory Board and has served in various capacities for the Rowan University Alumni Association since 1997.

George is the strategic advisor to the president of TeamHealth and serves as chair of the Physician Leadership Council. Once a practicing emergency physician, he is also an attorney and is certified as a Diplomat of the American Board of Law andMedicine and as a Fellow of the American College of Legal Medicine. He earned an A.B. from Columbia University, an M.D. from University of Louisville School of Medicine and a J.D. from University of Louisville School of Law.

Faircloth, a 2000 Rowan graduate with a degree in psychology, is co-founder and advisor of the DeRosa Group as well as the vice president of Augur Inc., an organizational and strategic management consultancy firm in southern New Jersey. She is secretary of the board of directors for Advancing Opportunities (formerly Cerebral Palsy of New Jersey) and earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

“President Houshmand has set ambitious goals for the University including tripling the endowment to $500 million by 2023,” said R.J. Tallarida, Jr., executive director of the Rowan University Foundation and associate vice president for University Advancement. “These appointments reflect the Board’s commitment to supporting the University as it transforms not just Rowan, but higher education.”

The Rowan University Foundation oversees and coordinates all fundraising activities and is responsible for the management and investment of all charitable contributions to the University. In addition to Bottazzi, the Board officers include Vice President Stephen H. Clark of Collingswood, Treasurer Jack A. Hafner of West Conshohocken, Pa. and Secretary Erica Ortiz of Washington, D.C.