News & Announcements
The Boggs Center Serves as Foundational Partner in the New Jersey Council
of County Colleges’ VISION 2028
The Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities has committed to addressing disparities in access to higher education based on race, ethnicity, geography, and disability by partnering with the New Jersey Council of County Colleges to achieve its VISION 2028 strategic action plan, along with other statewide partners. VISION 2028 provides a framework for implementing initiatives that aim to increase the percentage of New Jersey’s working-age adults who have earned a post-secondary credential or degree to 65% by the year 2025.
In a press release about the initiative, Deborah Spitalnik, PhD, Executive Director of The Boggs Center and Professor of Pediatrics at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, described the Center’s dedication “to working in partnership with the community colleges to create more opportunities for postsecondary education and career preparation for individuals with disabilities, infuse disability awareness and information into community college curriculum, and contribute to developing and sustaining the workforce that supports people with disabilities.”
The VISION 2028 executive summary and full report are accessible at: https://www.njccc.org/vision-2028
William Waldman Joins NJLEND Faculty to Share Expertise on Leadership
William Waldman, former Commissioner of New Jersey’s Department of Human Services and recently retired Professor of Professional Practice at the Rutgers School of Social Work, has joined The Boggs Center’s New Jersey Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (NJLEND) program faculty. Waldman’s career in social work and dedication to serving the public began at the Essex County Welfare Board and continued in various roles with the State of New Jersey, including his tenure as Director of the Division of Youth and Family, Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services, and cabinet member for three state governors.
As NJLEND faculty, Waldman will focus on the program’s leadership curriculum, infusing more than 50 years of practice experience in supervision, management, policy development, and governance at the local, state, and national level into the development of a 4-part curricular series for Fellows. 
Rutgers School of Social Work recently hosted the William Waldman Fellowship Gala to honor Waldman’s dedication to social justice in the state of New Jersey and to Rutgers. The gala, held on Friday, October 11th, supported the establishment of an endowed fellowship in Waldman’s name to assist students balancing education with family and work. Deborah Spitalnik, PhD, The Boggs Center’s Executive Director and Director of NJLEND, participated in a panel presentation on the need for bipartisanship to advance social justice as part of the event.
To learn more about William Waldman, his lifelong career in social work, and his leadership experience, visit: https://socialwork.rutgers.edu/news-events/news/prose-policy-alumnus-william-waldmans-journey-lifelong-career-social-work