The Princeton-based Burke Foundation Community on Dec. 19 named five New Jersey leaders as this year’s foundation community champions, recognizing their efforts to strengthen the health and well-being of children and families across the state.
The foundation, reflecting the legacy of former Johnson & Johnson Chair and CEO Jim Burke, focuses on science-backed evidence that the first 1,000 days from pregnancy through age 2 are the most crucial to brain development and building strong caregiver-child bonds.
The 2025 Burke Community Champions were chosen for their impact, innovation, and deep commitment to community. They are: Dominique D. Lee, founder and chief executive officer, BRICK Education Network, Newark; state Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz, majority leader, New Jersey State Senate; Pamela Winkler Tew, policy and sustainability lead, HealthySteps National Office, ZERO TO THREE; Jill Wodnick, assistant director of Maternal Policy & Early Relational Health, Montclair State University; and Brandie Wooding, program director, Family Connects NJ.
Each community champion helps enrich New Jersey’s early childhood landscape, from postpartum support and respectful maternity care, to pediatric developmental services, to cradle-to-career neighborhood transformation.
“At the Burke Foundation, we’re proud to highlight the 2025 Community Champions, who are proving what’s possible when leadership is grounded in community and guided by evidence,” said Atiya Weiss, executive director of the Burke Foundation. “Their work is transforming how New Jersey supports families — from pregnancy through the earliest years of life — and helping make sure every child has a healthy beginning and the chance to thrive.”
The Burke Foundation established the Community Champions recognition in 2022 to honor leaders across sectors who advance progress for New Jersey’s youngest residents.
“The work these leaders do reminds us that when we invest early, listen deeply, and collaborate boldly, we change what’s possible for children,” Weiss said. “Their work strengthens not only individual families, but the well-being of entire communities.”
