Neeraj Mehta ay ang ikaapat na pangalawang pangulo ng mga programa sa kasaysayan ng McKnight, nakikipagtulungan nang malapit sa Foundation president na si Tonya Allen at sa aming executive leadership, board, staff, at partners para makabuluhang bumuo at magpatupad ng magkakaugnay, epektibong mga diskarte sa pagbabago sa limang lugar ng programa ng Foundation.
Sumali si Neeraj sa McKnight noong 2018 bilang inaugural director ng pag-aaral nito, na bumubuo ng magkakaugnay at patas na diskarte sa estratehikong pag-aaral at pagsusuri sa buong Foundation. Sa tungkuling ito, sinuportahan niya ang programmatic na pagsisikap ni McKnight na gumamit ng strategic learning at adaptive action para palakasin ang epekto, mas maunawaan ang kumplikadong pagbabago at disenyo, at mag-evolve ng mga estratehiya.
Throughout his career, Neeraj has been a leader working collaboratively to build more equitable and powerful communities in Minnesota, and his expertise has been called upon to inform conversations at a national level. He has focused his efforts at the intersection of organizing, community development, the arts, philanthropy, and research justice. Prior to McKnight, Neeraj served as the director of community programs at the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs and as an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota, teaching courses focused on equitable urban planning and neighborhood revitalization. He also worked at Nexus Community Partners, where he helped expand the organization’s footprint and impact across the region.
Neeraj has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Minnesota and a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Minnesota’s Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs. He was awarded a Bush Foundation Leadership Fellowship in 2011.
