Martha Clark Goss, Irene Chang Britt and Sara Peña will be honored with 2025 Director of the Year awards for board leadership by the New Jersey chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors, the group announced Thursday.
The NACD, a leading corporate governance organization, also will honor two organizations: Prudential Financial and Suburban Propane.
The individuals and companies will be honored for their valuable contributions to the boards on which they serve and advanced exemplary board leadership, May 5, 2025, at the Pleasantdale Château in West Orange.
NACD New Jersey Board Chair Jeannie Diefenderfer applauded the announcement.
“Effective corporate governance has proven more critical than ever, serving as an important foundation to help organizations navigate continued volatility and uncertainty,” she said. “By fostering transparency, accountability and ethical practices, effective governance builds trust and confidence among stakeholders.
We proudly celebrate directors and organizations in New Jersey that exemplify these principles, creating meaningful and lasting positive impacts on the business community and the people they serve.”
A look at the honorees:
Lifetime achievement in governance: Clark Goss
Since 1992, Clark Goss has served on numerous corporate and mutual fund boards, including five NYSE-listed companies: Dexter Corp., Foster Wheeler Corp., American Water, Ocwen Financial and Claire’s Stores. She was non-executive chair of Channel Reinsurance and has served on boards of various private companies in banking, insurance, engineering, construction and natural language processing. Currently, she serves on the board of American Water and is a trustee of the Neuberger Berman Mutual Funds Complex. Goss has had a distinguished career in investments and finance, holding chief financial officer roles at Booz Allen Hamilton and The Capital Markets Co. as well as senior executive positions at Prudential Insurance Co. of America and Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A. Goss’s leadership has not only driven significant organizational transformations but also restored trust in these organizations.
Leadership in public corporate governance: Chang Britt
She is a distinguished and forward-thinking independent board director and chair, renowned for her innovative perspectives on corporate governance. Currently, Britt serves in multiple board chair and committee chair roles on the public company boards of First Watch Restaurant Group, IDEXX Laboratories Inc. and Victoria’s Secret as well as private companies Amica Senior Lifestyles, Partake Foods, TIPO Entertainment (MikMak) and Just Meeting Rooms. She is an advisory board member of Peloton Capital Management. Her previous board and committee leadership roles include Dunkin Brands, Tailored Brands, Sunoco, Brighthouse Financial and TerraVia. Britt’s extensive career includes executive and C-suite leadership positions at The Campbell’s Co., Kraft, Nabisco and Kimberly-Clark Corp. She is widely renowned for leading transformational, market-beating growth and strategic turnarounds. Her most recent executive position was senior vice president of global baking and snacking, and president/CEO of Pepperidge Farm Inc., a division of Campbell’s.
Leadership in nonprofit governance: Peña
As director of external affairs for PSE&G, Peña is committed to public policy and stakeholder engagement. She brings two decades of impactful leadership across healthcare and government sectors. Peña’s extensive contributions to community empowerment and leadership have made her a respected figure in her field. Inspired by her son, Anthony, she founded the Boys to Leaders Foundation, dedicated to empowering young men through leadership training, educational programs and personal development. The Foundation’s Young Men’s Leadership Conference fosters a culture of communication and sustainable success. She was recently elected to the boards of Victoria Foundation and Women@NJPAC, the anchor cultural institution of New Jersey. She served on the executive board of LUPE Fund Inc., an organization focused on engaging and empowering Latinas in New Jersey through leadership, advocacy and education, where she has held various leadership roles, including president and treasurer. Peña serves on the advisory committee of The Young Women’s Foundation, an organization founded by a LUPE scholarship recipient.
Large company board of the year: Prudential Financial
Prudential is a global financial services leader and premier active global investment manager with approximately $1.6 trillion in assets under management. Prudential Financial has operations in the U.S., Asia, Europe and Latin America. Prudential’s diverse and talented employees help make lives better and create financial opportunity for more people by expanding access to investing, insurance and retirement security. Prudential’s iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for nearly 150 years.
Small company board of the year: Suburban Propane Partners
Suburban Propane is a publicly traded master limited partnership listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Headquartered in Whippany, Suburban Propane has been in the customer service business since 1928 and is a nationwide distributor of propane, renewable propane, renewable natural gas, fuel oil and related products and services as well as a marketer of natural gas and electricity and producer of and investor in low-carbon fuel alternatives, servicing the energy needs of approximately 1 million residential, commercial, governmental, industrial and agricultural customers through approximately 700 locations across 42 states.
