The Valerie Fund adds new members to its board of trustees

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MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Effective June 21, Chris Johnson and Neil Mehta have joined The Valerie Fund’s leadership board. 

“The board of the Valerie Fund is thrilled to welcome Neil Mehta and Chris Johnson as our newest members,” board Chairman Neil Yaris said. “We look forward to working with them in our shared mission to provide the highest level of care for TVF kids and their families for years to come.”

Johnson is a seasoned entrepreneur in the quick service restaurant industry. He grew up working in his father’s franchisee company, serving in roles across the organization, and he currently serves as CEO of Rackson Restaurants, a franchisee of Restaurant Brands lnternational’s Burger King brand. Johnson has been recognized as one of the top franchisees in the country; this recognition is based on a ranking that includes sales, customer feedback, quality, cleanliness and operational excellence. Since 2017, his restaurants have participated in The Valerie Fund’s annual Burger King Coupon Campaign, raising close to $90,000 to date. Johnson serves as co-chairperson of the board of overseers for the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation and has personally raised more than $250,000 on behalf of that organization.

Mehta, a Maplewood resident, is a managing director at Goldman Sachs in global investment research. He oversees the North American Natural Resources Equity Research team. Mehta also leads coverage of large cap energy equities, including ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips and Chevron. He joined Goldman Sachs in 2008 after graduating from Columbia University. He is co-chairperson of the Goldman Sachs Global Research Inclusion & Diversity Council and a senior sponsor for the Asian Professional Network and PhD Fellowship Program.

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