Joan Kaplan

Joan Kaplan, an accomplished public servant and community advocate, heads up the Elaine and William Kaplan Family Foundations. The Foundations have aided in countless projects that have benefi ted the greater Newburgh Area, and Ms. Kaplan’s work is well-recognized and respected in her community and beyond. 

A graduate of Mount Saint Mary College and Columbia University, Ms. Kaplan is a licensed clinical social worker. She is a board member for the Newburgh Armory Unity Center, where children and young people of the greater Newburgh area can come together for athletic and educational opportunities, as well as learn and experience important lessons that will help them grow into responsible and productive adults. The Center aims to embody and promote civic unity among people of diverse racial, ethnic, religious and economic backgrounds and conditions. Its focus is on two primary areas of education: programs for K-6th grade reading, athletics, health and wellness and programs leading to naturalization, including English as a Second Language, GED, computer usage and preparation for citizenship. 

Ms. Kaplan also serves as a Board Member for Hospice of Orange and Sullivan Counties, whose goal it is to improve the quality of a patient’s life by off ering comfort and dignity. Hospice provides much needed support to individuals with terminal illnesses, and is a specialized concept of care designed to provide comfort and support to patients and their families facing terminal illness. 

A tireless advocate for children and families, Ms. Kaplan is a member of the Mount Saint Mary College Board of Directors, whose mission it is to give its students a Catholic cultural-professional education in the liberal arts tradition. This distinctive approach provides the philosophy of commitment to educating the whole person and to cultivating intellectual achievement, religious and spiritual growth, and the development of moral character. 

Ms. Kaplan’s commitment to teach, support and encourage individuals in all stages of life will be felt for generations to come.