[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 156 (Friday, September 10, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E968-E969]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN RECOGNITION OF NEEL HAJRA'S 11 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE ANN ARBOR 
                       AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DEBBIE DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 10, 2021

  Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Neel Hajra, 
the outgoing CEO of the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation based in 
Ann Arbor, Michigan. His significant contributions to our community are 
worthy of commendation.
  Mr. Hajra came to the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation in 2011 and 
became CEO in 2015. He is a two-time graduate of the University of 
Michigan who started his career as an attorney with the Ford Motor 
Company. During a sabbatical from that job, he developed a love for 
community and the nonprofit sector. He later took a job at Nonprofit 
Enterprise at Work (NEW), where he remained for nine years before 
joining the Foundation.
  As CEO of the Community Foundation, his determination to create 
positive community change is infectious. Among his numerous successful 
endeavors includes establishing a scholarship program that increased 
graduation rates for underserved students, and launching a resilient 
support system for Washtenaw

[[Page E969]]

County nonprofits so that the foundation can help them thrive. Years 
after his passion for the nonprofit sector was sparked, Mr. Hajra 
continues to show his dedication to community through his work. Even as 
a busy CEO, Mr. Hajra teaches courses in nonprofit policy and 
management to the next generation of leaders at the Gerald R. Ford 
School for Public Policy. The impact of his work in our community will 
be felt for years to come.
  Mr. Hajra was born and raised in Washtenaw County and continues to 
serve his hometown as a vice chair for the Council of Michigan 
Foundations and as a member of the Washtenaw County Board of Health. He 
is the recipient of two prestigious national awards: the Aspen 
Institute Fellowship for Emerging Nonprofit Leaders and the American 
Express NGen Fellowship. He resides in Ann Arbor with his wife Lisa and 
their three children.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Neel Hajra 
for an exemplary decade of dedicated service to the Ann Arbor Area 
Community Foundation. He has effectively served the Ann Arbor community 
and has enhanced the nonprofit field in Washtenaw County and beyond. I 
join with Neel's family, friends, and colleagues in extending my best 
wishes to him in his new role as CEO of the Michigan Health Endowment 
Fund, where he will be improving the health of Michigan residents 
through grant awards and professional support.

                          ____________________