Ronda Urkowitz joined Impact100 South Jersey in 2019. She was unfamiliar with the organization and was invited to the first annual meeting in 2018 by a fellow member, Fran Sykes.
The Pascale Sykes Foundation provided funding to Ronda’s nonprofit and Fran thought Ronda would be a perfect fit for Impact100 SJ. Fran was correct! After attending the inaugural annual meeting and discussing Impact100 with other members, Ronda was hooked!
As the Executive Director of a small nonprofit organization serving South Jersey, Ronda is familiar with the areas’ needs and the fantastic work being performed by small community nonprofits with very little financial support. Ronda’s organization, Cross County Connection, is a Transportation Management Association that works with the business community and local governments.
The organization fosters equitable, safe and environmentally sustainable transportation options in South Jersey, by assisting individuals with transportation to commute to work. Ronda’s clients live primarily in disadvantaged communities and lack access to their own vehicle. Without alternative options to a car, they are unable to find and keep a job. Cross County Connection is located in Marlton and serves New Jersey’s seven southern counties.
Ronda earned a master’s degree from The George Washington University in Urban and Regional Planning, is a New Jersey-licensed Professional Planner and is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners.
During Ronda’s first year with Impact100 South Jersey, she served on the Women, Children and Families Focus Area grant committee. The following two years she co-chaired the committee. She currently serves as the co-chair of the Grant Review Committee and joined the Leadership Council last year.
Ronda finds being a member of Impact100 South Jersey to be very rewarding. She enjoys learning about the small nonprofits in South Jersey by volunteering on the grant committees and attending the Beyond the Check events.
Ronda is impressed with the tremendously impactful programming the nonprofit organizations offer their communities and is happy to play a small role in helping them expand/continue their programs. She feels Impact100 is a great way to give back to the community and have your voice heard in the grant decision-making process. She also enjoys being among the smart, dedicated, and fun women of Impact100 SJ!
Ronda favorite quote is a popular one by Albert Einstein, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” To Ronda, this means bringing a creative and fresh approach to all she does including delving deeper into the “why” of a problem to find a meaningful and permanent solution.
Ronda, her husband and two daughters enjoy traveling to beach destinations where they can scuba dive. She also enjoys playing golf and is a dog enthusiast. Ronda and her Portuguese Water Dog compete in performance sports including nose/scent work competitions which mimics detection-dog style training for companion dogs.