Isles Announces Charles Hill as New CEO
Isles Board Chair Adrienne King announced today that after six years as Isles CEO, Sean Jackson will depart the organization and will be succeeded by Charles Hill, a workforce development, real estate and economic development executive with deep roots in Trenton and a longstanding connection to Isles.
“We’re grateful for Sean’s work and leadership and wish him well in his next endeavor,” said King.
Jackson pointed to Isles’ growth and impact during his tenure as CEO.
“I’m proud of the work we have done together. We have grown Isles’ reach and deepened our impact across Trenton and, indeed, across New Jersey,” said Jackson.
During Jackson’s tenure, Isles:
*Expanded lead paint housing clean up and weatherization work and passed a State Law requiring inspection of rental units for lead paint
*Continued thriving gardens that counter food insecurity
*Supported downtown businesses and housing redevelopment while bolstering the arts
*Reached a remarkable 89% graduation rate at the Isles Youth Institute alternative high school
*Grew training and counseling opportunities statewide through the expansion of our CEET, FOC, and Housing Counseling services.
*Launched GoTrenton! the award winning, all-EV community-based rideshare program providing 10,000 rides monthly to Trenton, Hamilton, andEwing
*Started the Trenton Community Street Teams to reduce retaliatory violence
*Established the Johnson Center for Policy to foster Isles’ commitment to changing inequitable and ineffective systems in our society
“Now is the right time to give someone new a chance to lead this unique and inspiring team to the next level,” said Jackson.
A Return to Isles and Trenton
King welcomed Hill as Isles’ new CEO, describing his appointment as both a leadership transition and a return to an organization and community that have played an important role in his career.
“Charles knows Isles, having worked here in the early 2000s, and brings deep connections to Trenton and Mercer County, along with more than two decades of experience across economic development, workforce development, housing, real estate and public-private partnerships,” said King.
Hill served as Vice President of Community Planning at Isles from 2002–2004. His return represents a homecoming both professionally and personally. Hill lived in Trenton for more than a decade and began an important chapter of his career at Isles, where he worked closely with founder Marty Johnson and gained firsthand experience in Isles’ community-based approach to neighborhood revitalization, housing, workforce development and economic opportunity.
“Marty Johnson had a profound influence on my career and on how I think about community development,” said Hill. “My experience at Isles helped shape my belief that lasting change happens when we listen to residents, invest in people and neighborhoods, and connect that work to broader economic opportunity. To have the opportunity to return to Isles as CEO is incredibly meaningful to me.”
Hill is an executive leader with more than 20 years of experience delivering complex real estate, infrastructure, economic development, workforce strategy, housing policy, community planning and public-private partnership initiatives across government, nonprofit and private-sector organizations.
After leaving Isles, Hill served as a Policy Advisor at the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency and as Director of Mercer County’s Office of Economic Development under the Brian Hughes administration. Since then he has led his own consulting business and worked most recently as the Workforce Practitioner in Residence for the Fund for New York City, the largest foundation based in New York. Throughout his career, he has continued to work with institutions, communities and partners connected to Isles’ mission.
“Trenton has been an important part of my life, not simply a place where I have worked,” said Hill. “I lived here for more than ten years, built relationships here, and have seen both the challenges facing the city and the extraordinary potential of its people. Coming back to Isles feels like coming full circle.”
Building Isles’ Next Chapter
Founded in 1981 by Marty Johnson, Isles has spent more than four decades working alongside Trenton residents and communities to foster self-reliant families and healthy, sustainable communities.
Johnson, who retired in 2020, continues to serve as a strategist and advisor to Isles and is playing an active role in supporting the leadership transition.
Hill said his immediate priority will be listening to Isles’ staff, residents, partners, funders and other stakeholders while building upon the organization’s existing foundation.
“I’m excited to build on the foundation established by Marty, Sean, the Board, our staff and the many community partners who have made Isles what it is today,” said Hill. “My focus will be on strengthening the organization, expanding partnerships and opportunities, and positioning Isles for its next chapter of impact in Trenton and beyond.”
Jackson will continue to serve as a consultant to Isles to help facilitate the transition to Hill as the organization moves into its next chapter.