FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 9, 2014
Press Contact: Mary McCarty, 610-247-3973, mmccarty@generationcitizen.org
New York, NY – The Board of Directors of Generation Citizen today announced the election of James J. Ritchie as Chair of the Board, effective immediately.
Generation Citizen, a non-profit based in New York City and Boston, MA, works to ensure that every student in the United States receives an effective action-oriented civics education, training them in the knowledge and skills necessary to participate in our democracy as active citizens. Its core program involves partnering college volunteers with middle and high school teachers to lead an action-oriented civics curriculum, through which students identify a personally relevant community issue (e.g., gang violence, public transit, teen jobs), and learn to use the political process to get results. GC operates in Boston, New York City, Providence, RI, and the San Francisco Bay Area. To date, it has engaged over 20,000 students. The organization is supported by national funders including The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, The Rita Allen Foundation, and The Echoing Green Foundation.
Since retiring in 2002, Mr. Ritchie has served on the boards of numerous companies in the financial services and insurance industries. That followed an extensive career as an international executive and Chief Financial Officer of White Mountains Insurance Group and its Boston-based subsidiary, OneBeacon Insurance Company, and CIGNA International.
Mr. Ritchie currently serves as the Chairman of the audit committees for Boston-based Old Mutual Asset Management, Richmond-based Kinsale Insurance Company, and Old Mutual Bermuda, whose US operations are based in New York City. His previous board seats included Chairman of F&G Life Insurance Company and Quanta Capital Holdings, Audit Committee Chairman of Lloyds Syndicate 4000 and Ceres Group, Inc., and KMG America Corporation.
“Jim’s extensive experience leading boards and shepherding companies through critical periods of growth will add significantly to GC’s ability to have a truly transformational impact on our democracy,” said Scott Warren, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Generation Citizen. “We are grateful for his willingness to provide insight on our plans for expansion, and the passion for our mission that he brings to the Board.”
Jim’s chairmanship comes as GC embarks on an aggressive, four-year strategic growth plan, which will position GC as the largest civics education organization in the country.
Mr. Ritchie is a graduate of Rutgers College, and received his MBA from the Rutgers Graduate School of Business Administration. He resides in Newtown, PA and Highlands, NJ and enjoys frequent visits from his children and four granddaughters.
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