CEO Column

September Update

Dear Friends, The best kept secret to education is… someone  chooses to learn. At Isles Youth Institute, a new crop of 70 young people, mostly 17-20 year olds who have …

August Update

Dear Friends, The research is increasingly clear, but it’s not news to us: a green, more natural environment affects our physical and mental health and the health of our communities. This …

A Tribute to Pat Donohue

You can tell a lot about a guy by playing basketball with him. It was many years ago, but I really met Pat Donohue on a hoops court. He was fearless. With …

June 2015 CEO Corner

On June 23rd, we celebrate the 20th Isles Youth Institute graduation! I fondly remember the decision, just over 21 years ago, to create Isles’ YouthBuild, where disconnected 16-24 year olds can …

May 2015 CEO Corner

May is almost over and it’s tempting to highlight the 60+ gardens, real estate construction, the busy-ness of the season, etc.  However, doing good work is important, and as we …

March 2015 CEO Corner

On April 11th, Isles turns 34. Over those years, we’ve steadily built the capacity to foster sustainable development across the region. But of course, we can’t – and would never try …

February 2015 CEO Corner

Here in New Jersey, it’s been cold. Take a moment to imagine those who live in substandard housing. Thousands of friends and neighbors live in leaky, drafty homes that are …

January 2015 CEO Corner

As we head into the new year, we take stock of the accomplishments of the past year…but not for long. We expect 2015 to be even more transformational.   Part …

December 2014 Update

Holiday greetings!  This year, my holiday message is a simple one: take a look at the staff photo below, taken a few days ago at our Holiday party. I don’t …

Bill Scheide, 1914-2014

Isles’ friend, advocate, and donor Bill Scheide passed away on November 14, shortly before his 101st birthday. Bill was a Renaissance man. World class musician, arts collector, philanthropist, civil rights supporter, …