Colloquium Panel Discussion
Date: Wednesday, June 17
Time: 10:45 am – 12:15 pm
PANELISTS
Stephanie Hoopes, Ph.D.
Director, United for ALICE
Stephanie Hoopes is the Director of United for ALICE. She has overseen the expansion of ALICE from a pilot study of the low-income community in Morris County, New Jersey, to a national effort with ALICE data for all 3,000 U.S. counties. Her research has garnered the attention of local, state, and national media and legislators. Before joining United Way of Northern New Jersey, Hoopes taught at Rutgers University-Newark and Columbia University, and at the Universities of Sussex and Birmingham in the United Kingdom. Hoopes has a doctoral degree from the London School of Economics, a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College. She received a resolution from the New Jersey Assembly for work on ALICE (Asset, Limited, Income, Constrained, Employed) in 2016.
Barbara George Johnson
Vice President of External Affairs and Urban Policy and Research, John S. Watson Institute of Urban Policy and Research, Kean University
Barbara George Johnson is the Vice President of External Affairs and Urban Policy and Executive Director of the John S. Watson Institute for Urban Policy and Research at Kean University. She is also co-host of Kean’s Urban Impact podcast. She has over 30 years of experience as a public policy professional in New Jersey, with an extensive background in health care, public health and public policy. Early in her career, she spearheaded the development of the Newark Kids Initiative for the Newark Health Department, which focused on health care and social services for children impacted by domestic violence. She also served on the CDC-funded Newark Prevention Marketing Initiative and other task forces on HIV/AIDS. Her health care experience includes serving as a public health advisor for the Maternal Child Health Division of the New York City Department of Health, and later as the director for the Family Life Institute of Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan New Jersey. She was also the legislative director for the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey and a Senior Lobbyist on health care issues for MBI-GluckShaw. VP Johnson earned a Bachelor of Arts in biology and technology from Cornell University, a Master of Public Health from Columbia University, and a law degree from Rutgers-Newark Law School.
Evan Weiss
Chief Executive Officer, New Jersey Economic Development Authority
Evan Weiss became Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NJEDA in January 2026. In this role, he works with Governor Mikie Sherrill, Lieutenant Governor Dr. Dale Caldwell, and partners across government and industry to expand economic opportunity, support innovation, increase access to capital for small and minority-owned businesses, and promote affordability across New Jersey. From 2021 to 2026, Evan served as President and CEO of the Newark Alliance and CEO of the Newark Downtown District, and he also served on the Board of Directors of New Jersey Transit. Previously, he was Senior Advisor for Finance and Major Projects to Governor Phil Murphy, where he led initiatives on COVID-19 fiscal response, offshore wind development, infrastructure financing, and key economic development initiatives, including NJEDA tax credit programs and Urban Enterprise Zone reform, and contributed to the financial review of the Gateway Project. He was also previously Director at the Pennsylvania Economy League and HJA Strategies, focusing on turnaround strategies for distressed communities. Evan has served on several boards, published on economic development, and is a graduate of the University of Chicago.
MODERATOR
Monique Curry-Mims
MBA, MSED, CAP®, 21/64 Advisor
As Principal and Publisher at Civic Capital, an international social impact and philanthropic advisory firm, Monique Curry-Mims works with social impact leaders to develop innovative strategies that facilitate, educate, and inform leaders on how to fulfill their mission and purpose in alignment with the needs of the communities they support. Monique holds a Bachelor of Science in Digital Design, an MBA, a Master of Education in Curriculum Design, Instruction, and Assessment, is a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy, and is currently receiving her PhilD from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. With over 20 years of experience managing and consulting with philanthropic organizations and donors, Monique helps social impact leaders articulate their vision by exploring the core of their mission, vision, and values. Through a facilitative process, she works with her clients to identify the specific social issues they want to address and the strategies they can employ to create a lasting legacy of impact for their organizations, families, and communities. As part of Civic Capital's content division, CivicContent, Generocity, is a local social impact media outlet grounded in community-driven insights and stewarding needed conversations. Generocity's mission is to serve as the region’s central hub for social impact—an independent newsroom and civic platform where solutions journalism sparks insight, resources circulate, and partnerships take root. By connecting stories to action, Generocity’s overarching goal is to be an advocacy tool that uplifts community voices to help philanthropic, government, and business leaders (social impact leaders), accelerate progress toward a more just and resilient region. In addition to Generocity, Monique serves as Vice President of PABJ, the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, the nation’s first established professional association of Black journalists. With over 300 active members, we serve as advocates for newsroom diversity and fair coverage of communities of color.
