Samra Haider became President & Chief Executive Officer of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation in June 2025, bringing a deep commitment to equity and justice to advance the Foundation’s mission of closing New Jersey’s racial wealth gap. A New Jersey native, she draws on more than two decades of leadership in the nonprofit, philanthropy, finance, and strategy sectors to guide the Foundation into its next chapter of transformative impact.
Prior to joining Dodge, Samra served as President of the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), where she led a nationwide expansion into more than 30 communities, built advanced training pathways, and helped thousands of people returning from incarceration secure good jobs and financial stability. Her earlier experience includes advancing job-focused social enterprises as Portfolio Director at REDF, leading technical assistance at Next Street Financial, and advising global organizations as a strategic consultant at Oliver Wyman. She began her career in investment banking at JPMorgan Chase.
Samra holds an MBA from the Wharton School, an MSc from the London School of Economics, and a BA from Columbia University. She serves on the Board of Trustees of the FHI Foundation.
Through each chapter of her career, Samra has worked to dismantle barriers to opportunity and invest in solutions that drive lasting change—work she continues to champion at the Dodge Foundation, in partnership with communities across New Jersey.