Our Team
Meet the Board
Meredith Kennedy
President
Meredith Kennedy lives with her husband and two children in Jersey City’s Lincoln Park Historic District. She has loved the Barrow Mansion ever since moving to Jersey City in 2012 and has been a member of the BMDC board of directors since February 2023. She brings nonprofit management and capacity-building experience to the board, as well as a love of historic preservation and community building. Meredith holds a master’s degree in Urban Affairs from Hunter College and a certificate in Nonprofit Executive Leadership from Indiana University’s Lily School of Philanthropy. She is a 2024 92nd Street Y Women in Power Fellow and serves as a volunteer certified mediator with the New York Peace Institute. In addition to the BMDC, she is also on the board of the Learning Community Charter School PTO. Her favorite thing about the mansion is the bowling alley. “When I step into that room, I imagine Jersey City residents of the past socializing and building community just like we still do today at the Barrow Mansion.”
Eric Blair Carter
Vice President
Eric moved to Jersey City in 1996 and immediately fell in love with the diversity, creative edge, and ease of life downtown. In 2001, he and his husband Dermot Ronan purchased a home on Montgomery Street and began volunteering with the Van Vorst Neighborhood Association. It was through organizing fundraising and community events with this organization that he was introduced to the Barrow Mansion, its potential as a hub for cultural events, and its need for restoration and protection. During his tenure as board chair, the BMDC instituted the Salon series and Music on the Porch programs as a way to support local Jersey City artists. Eric’s favorite thing about the mansion is its role as a gathering place for a diverse community.
Heather Levine
Secretary
Heather has lived in Jersey City since 2008. She works as a real estate agent at Corcoran Sawyer Smith, and gives local food tours of the great restaurants in JC. Heather brings her expertise in event planning, her true love of the people and places of JC, especially the architectural gems, and her enthusiasm for the power of community to the board. Her favorite thing about the Barrow Mansion is that such a beautiful piece of Jersey City history is accessible to such a wide array of people.
Pastor Menzi Nkambule
Pastor Manzi has been a member of the board of the BMDC since 2022, when he became pastor of St. Mathew’s Lutheran Church. Born in Eswatini (previously known as Swaziland), Pastor Menzi attended college and divinity school in Minnesota before relocating to Jersey City. Through his work as a university recruiter and community builder, he brings relational and stewardship skills to the board. In his work as a pastor, he brings his deep commitment to the citizenry of Jersey City in all of its humanity, diversity, and expression. His favorite thing about the mansion is the dynamic use of the building as a community center.
Jim L. Nelson
Jim Nelson serves on the BMDC board as a representative of St. Matthew's Lutheran Church. He has been active in the Jersey City community for the past twenty years, including nonprofit leadership among local park groups, Jersey City Together Education Team, and the PFLAG Jersey City chapter; and he networks among statewide organizations such as Healthy Schools Coalition and Lead-Free New Jersey. His favorite thing about the mansion is discovering the impact of “generations of openness” from people who have come to the Barrow Mansion for programs, performances and services over the years.
Craig Zhems
Craig Zehms has called Jersey City home for more than a decade. He received an MFA in theater from University of California San Diego. His career as an actor includes regional theatre and television. He has performed his solo show, “Sheboyhood,”at the Barrow Mansion in 2023 and 2024. His career has also included work as a training director and spokesperson in the luxury industry. He is currently a realtor at Prominent Properties - Sotheby’s. Craig is devoted to the neighborhood he calls home, and is deeply involved in the Van Vorst Neighborhood Association, serving two terms as president. He loves showing off the architecture of the Mansion and giving guided tours of the building.
Joyce Davison
Joyce Davison has been a resident of Jersey City for an extremely long time. A former staff member of the Jersey City Department of Health and Human Services in her retirement she has been a tireless volunteer and advocate for the older residents of Jersey City. She was a key member of establishing Grace Community Services, which provides meals and community to elderly and food insecure people of Jersey City. She was honored in 2023 by Hudson County as Outstanding Senior Citizen of the Year. As a board member, she works to ensure that programs at the mansion as accessible as possible to all citizens of Jersey City, particularly the elderly.
Ravi Varghese
Ravi Varghese joined the board of the Barrow Mansion after being curious about the beautiful building in his neighborhood. He works as Head of Sustainable Investing at TD Epoch, and brings his understanding of strategy and governance best practices to the board, as well as a passion to for the building's history. He enjoys both the diversity and excitement of Jersey City as well as the close-knit feel of the community. His favorite thing about the Mansion is its link to the many people from all walks of life who have relied on the building as a community center.
Nathan Tweti
Nathan Tweti has been a resident of Jersey City’s Historic Downtown District for over 35 years. After nearly 30 years specializing in the HVAC field, Nathan became the manager of a building in TriBeCa. He is also an avid photographer, specializing in 360-degree panoramic photos. His favorite photographic subject is historic buildings with character, such as the Barrow. “You can see their personality through the way they’ve aged,” he says. Nathan believes in preservation of Downtown’s close-knit neighborhood feeling through community service and support of community spaces like the Barrow Mansion. His favorite thing about the Barrow Mansion is that it feels like home.
Meet the Staff
Gerry Bakirtjy
Property Manager
Gerry Bakirtjy is the property manager for the Mansion. He has been a volunteer at the mansion for more than 35 years. Prior to becoming the PM he was a board member or officer for most of that time. A long time champion of the mansion, he has used his expertise in architecture and his passion for historic preservation to oversee two million dollars in renovation efforts. It’s hard for him to name his favorite thing about the Barrow Mansion because he views it as his fourth child.
Beth Marshall
Director of Communications
Beth Marshall has worked at the Barrow Mansion since 2022. Prior to that, she was Communications Director for the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation. Beth is responsible for all email, social, and other digital forms of communication, oversees fundraising campaigns, and manages program grants. Her favorite thing about the Mansion are the fireplaces, and she is determined to restore the one in the center parlor.