New Jersey SEEDS Welcomes Two to Board of Trustees
Robin Oxendine and Calvin Millien ’08 Joined SEEDS
Submitted by Theresa Murray
New Jersey SEEDS, a nonprofit providing educational access to motivated, high-achieving students from low-income families, announced that Robin Oxendine and Calvin Millien ’08 have joined its Board of Trustees.
(above) Robin Oxendine
Robin Oxendine, of Warren, obtained her M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and earned a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech. She started her career at Procter and Gamble (P&G), first as an engineer, and then in marketing roles across the globe. As Director of Marketing in China, she led the successful launch of Crest Toothpaste there, achieving market leadership. As P&G Director of Marketing for Northeast Asia, she successfully grew the business by launching new varieties of Pringles in the area.
Robin is a passionate advocate for education. She is a former member of the Board of Trustees at The Pingry School, a former President of The Pingry School’s Parents Association, and Vice President responsible for The Pingry School’s Spring Benefit. She is currently a member of Yale University’s Parent Annual Fund. Robin is Native American from the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, and has funded a fellowship and scholarship at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, which is the only college in America founded by Natives for Native education. Her ancestors were three of the seven founding trustees who started the college in 1887, believing that higher education was paramount to improving the lives of the Lumbee people and all people.
“Robin has been a longtime friend and an ardent supporter of SEEDS,” says President and CEO John F. Castano. “Robin was introduced to our organization in 2016. The following year, she and her husband, Randall, became active members of our Leading Change Benefit Committee and have been so ever since. Robin is a dedicated volunteer and is a champion for educational access. I am excited to welcome her to our board of Trustees.”
(above) Calvin Millien
Calvin Millien is a SEEDS graduate who completed the 14-month Scholars Program in 2008, before heading off to Seton Hall Preparatory School and Georgetown University. Calvin is currently the Social/Digital Media Manager at &pizza, where he supports multi-market shop launches and drives key brand initiatives.
John F. Castano continues: “I have known Calvin since he was a SEEDS Scholar, and I’ve proudly watched him advance in his education and career. Calvin is a strong addition to our Board. As a SEEDS graduate, he has unique insight into our programs, our students and alumni, and our families. His experiences and ideas will help SEEDS to continue to elevate the work that we do with our scholars.”
Both Calvin and Robin joined the SEEDS Board of Trustees in September 2019.
About New Jersey SEEDS
For more than 25 years, New Jersey SEEDS has provided educational access for highly motivated, low-income students and created a viable path for them to achieve their full potential. SEEDS strives for a world in which young people’s initiative, creativity and intellect can flourish without regard to socioeconomic status. Since SEEDS’ founding in 1992, more than 2,700 scholars have graduated from its programs. For more information, visit njseeds.org.
