Community Corner
Connie Mercer To Step Down As CEO Of HomeFront In Lawrence Twp.
Mercer plans to focus on homelessness at the state and national levels. The Board of Trustees is working to identify Mercer's successor.

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ — Connie Mercer, the founder of HomeFront, will be transitioning from her role as CEO on September 30. Mercer made the announcement this week.
Following this leadership transition, Mercer plans to focus on addressing homelessness at the state and national levels. HomeFront’s Board of Trustees is working with Mercer to ensure a smooth transition and looking to identify Mercer’s successor.
“This is the right time,” Mercer said. “For decades, HomeFront has felt like my child and today I feel like a proud parent whose child has grown up into a capable, mature adult, ready to meet the future. Leading HomeFront through a pandemic` during the last two years gave me the opportunity to observe the agency’s strength and resilience. HomeFront’s Board of Directors and experienced and dedicated staff are ready. We have a strong and vibrant infrastructure which will allow me to concentrate on the growing problem of homelessness throughout New Jersey and nationally.”
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Mercer laid the foundation for Lawrence Township-based HomeFront's mission from her kitchen table 31 years ago. Over the years, she has built an organization that helps people break the cycle of family poverty.
“For this next chapter, one of my key priorities is the Shelter Providers Consortium of New Jersey. This association of homeless shelters and advocacy groups has enormous potential to improve the futures of hundreds of thousands of people and I am deeply excited to be a part of that,” Mercer said. “By broadening my focus, I will also be supporting HomeFront by identifying strategic partnerships, collaborations, and other development and advocacy opportunities.”
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Last year HomeFront answered 52,439 calls for help for shelter, homelessness prevention, permanent service-enriched housing, job training, children’s programming, food, and other essentials.
Mercer was honored at the White House during President Obama’s administration, received an honorary doctorate from Princeton University, and was inducted in 2019 into the NJ Hall of Fame for Housing and Economic Development.
“Connie’s extraordinary vision and unflagging dedication has transformed the lives of thousands of homeless families,” Ruth Scott, Chair of HomeFront’s Board of Trustees, said in a statement. “She has built HomeFront, in strong partnership, with the community, to provide the breadth of services needed to help families break the cycle of poverty. We look forward to celebrating Connie in the months to come and are excited to announce that we are establishing a Connie Mercer Fund at HomeFront in her honor to express our immeasurable thanks.”
For information on how to participate in events celebrating Mercer, or how to honor her through a donation to the Connie Mercer Fund, email homefront@homefrontnj.org or visit www.homefrontnj.org.
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