Samra Haider is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, where she leads the organization’s mission to close New Jersey’s racial wealth gap and advance economic justice across the state.
Samra brings more than two decades of leadership experience spanning nonprofit management, philanthropy, finance, and strategy. Prior to joining the Dodge Foundation, she served as President of the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), leading the organization’s expansion into more than 30 communities nationwide and supporting thousands of people returning from incarceration to secure quality jobs and financial stability. Earlier in her career, Samra advanced job-focused social enterprises as a Portfolio Director at REDF, led technical assistance initiatives at Next Street Financial, and advised global organizations as a consultant at Oliver Wyman. She began her career in investment banking at JPMorgan Chase.
A New Jersey native, 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.
Latest Articles by Samra Haider
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Gov.-elect Sherrill must make closing N.J.’s racial wealth gap a day-one priority
by Samra HaiderNew Jersey has made a clear choice. With the election now behind us, Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill has a rare and powerful opportunity: to set the tone for an administration that doesn’t just manage the state’s challenges but fundamentally shifts who gets to share in its prosperity.